Life In A Northern Town

Chapters

Chapter 1: I Melt With You
Chapter 2: Dreaming
Chapter 3: Hold Back The Rain
Chapter 4: Obsession
Chapter 5: Your Love

Chapter 1: I Melt With You

Sweetie Belle was running through the marketplace. Doing her best to not run into anypony, she couldn’t help but bump into a few as she galloping along. Apologizing yet not losing speed, she continued to weave in and out between the different ponies as her saddlebag kept bouncing on her back. As her destination came into sight, a burst of energy surged through Sweetie Belle’s body causing her to rush to the door of Sugarcube Corner. Opening the door, the filly looked around at the tables. Amongst the ponies sitting and chatting, she found the individual she came for, a purple and green dragon.

“Hiya, Spike!” Sweetie Belle said as she hurried over to the table.

The dragon looked up from eating his cupcake to see the white unicorn, “Oh, hey there, Sweetie Belle.” There was frosting on Spike’s face as he spoke.

Sweetie Belle giggled, “You have quite a lot of frosting on your scales there, Spike.” Looking down at his face, Spike used his tongue to lick the frosting off. The little unicorn laughed a bit more as she watched.

“Did I get it all?” he asked, turning his attention to Sweetie Belle.

“Close enough,” she commented, taking a seat next to Spike, “But you missed a spot.”

“Huh? Where?”

Taking a bit of frost from the cupcake with her hoof, Sweetie Belle playfully dabbed it onto Spike’s nose, “There!”

Spike looked down at his nose where Sweetie Belle put the frosting. He licked it off as the unicorn giggled again. “Did I get it all now, Sweetie Belle?” he asked with a smirk on his face.

“Yes, you got it all,” she confirmed with a smile.

“Good. So, what took you so long getting over here? I thought you forgot about our….you know….” Spike tried to be careful with the word he chose to follow up with.

“Our date?” Sweetie Belle answered.

“Not so loud, Sweetie Belle! But….yes, our…..date,” the word itself was still a bit strange for the dragon to say.

“I overslept, actually,” the unicorn admitted as she embarrassedly rubbed the back of her neck with one of her hooves, “and then I have to rush across Ponyville and the marketplace to get here. Heh heh, sorry about that, Spike.”

“It’s alright, I figured you would get here sooner or later. Hope you don’t mind that I ordered some food before ya got here,” Spike stated as he used his claw to get some of the frosting off the plate to eat.

Sweetie Belle smiled, “It’s fine, I actually already ate a bit before I left.” Taking a moment, the white unicorn looked around at the other tables and the various ponies sitting and talking. She then turned her attention back to the purple dragon, “Say Spike, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, go for it,” he said, continuing to eat the remaining frosting.

“Do you not want to call this a date?” the unicorn asked with a slight pink tint to her cheeks.

Spike froze at Sweetie Belle’s words. Without completely thinking, he began to reply, “I….uh don’t not not want to call it a date….”

“What?” Sweetie Belle was confused.

“Wait, no, I mean, I’m fine with it being called a date because….it’s a date?”

The unicorn was still puzzled, “Huh? What are you talking about?”

Sighing, Spike admitted defeat, “I don’t even know anymore.”

Giggling at his answer, Sweetie Belle responded, “It’s alright if you’re not sure if it is, I’m just happy to be hanging out with you.”

“Well, at least you’re happy about that then,” Spike smiled as he took a bit of the cupcake frosting and put it on the white filly’s nose.

“Hey, what was that for?” Sweetie Belle’s eyes focused in on her nose as she tried to lick the frosting off.

“Nothing,” Spike playfully smiled, “just making our date more fun is all.” The dragon’s face blushed red as he spoke.

Smiling back, Sweetie Belle opened her front limbs to give Spike a warm hug, “Well, thank you for making this a fun first date, Spike.”

Chapter 2: Dreaming

After the two youngsters finished up at Sugarcube Corner and walked around Ponyville aimlessly, Spike and Sweetie Belle returned to the Carousel Boutique. They had spent the most of the daylight hours together in each other’s company, talking, laughing, and just having fun.

Trotting up onto the stoop, Sweetie Belle stopped herself at the door, “Thanks for walking me back home, Spike.”

“Of course, it’s what any gentlecolt would do, is it not?” he asked, taking a slight bow to the unicorn.

Sweetie Belle giggled slightly, “I guess you are right about that.”

Spike nodded, “Yup, besides, I really liked hanging out with you today. Only wish it could be longer, but Twilight needs me at the library tonight to help her with some new spells.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” Sweetie Belle smiled, “I’m just happy we got to have our first date!”

The white unicorn’s bright grin and cheerful words caused Spike to turn red in the face, “Heh, yeah, I’m happy too. I really do like spending time with ya Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie Belle noticed the redness of Spike’s face, “You still not comfortable with calling it a date?”

“Huh, no! It’s not like that!” Spike insisted, flailing his arms around, “It’s just….it’s kinda….embarrassing is all….”

“Embarrassing? As in me?”

“What? No! Not you! You’re not embarrassing to me. It’s….me being all….what’s the word….the embarrassing thing is me being….” Spike tried to think of what he exactly was trying to say.

“Cutesy? Sensitive? Lovey-dovey?“ the unicorn offered a few suggestions.

“Those. Those words,” Spike admitted, “Wow, you certainly are a dictionary.”

Sweetie Belle giggled, “You shouldn’t be embarrassed about that, Spike. Besides, you don’t have to be completely like that. I like you for who you are. Though I have to confess you are really cute when you are those things.”

The dragon’s face turned red again as he shyly looked away.

The white filly placed a hoof on the dragon’s shoulder, “It’s okay, Spike. I understand that you’re a little embarrassed about this. Truth be told, I am too.”

Spike smiled a little, “Really?”

Sweetie Belle nodded, “It’s new for both of us, remember?”

With a smile, Spike hugged the white unicorn, “Thanks for understanding, Sweetie Belle. You really are a pretty cool pony.”

“Hehe, thank you for thinking so,” Sweetie Belle returned the hug.

Breaking the hug, Spike turned around and headed off, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Okay! Come by around noon!” the unicorn shouted back.

“Just promise to be awake this time!” Spike joked as he hurried off back to the Ponyville library.

Watching her dragon run of into the distance, Sweetie Belle sighed happily. When he was gone from view, she turned around and trotted inside the building. Closing the door behind her, she began to trot her way toward the stairs. She was stopped, however, by an unmistakable voice.

“Hello, Sweetie Belle. How was your day?”

Turning to the source of the voice, the filly saw the stylish purple mane of her older sister, “Oh, hiya Rarity. It was really fun! Spike and I went to Sugarcube Corner, and then we trotted around Ponyville talking about all sorts of stuff.”

“That sounds like it was quite a fun day for the two of you,” Rarity commented, taking a few steps toward her sister.

“Oh, it was. I’m just so happy we are able to hang out more with each other. I really have a good feeling about us,” Sweetie Belle smiled brightly as she spoke.

“About the two of you? Could you explain about that a bit please?” Rarity edged on curiously.

“It’s because we are….” the filly stopped in mid-sentence. She didn’t want to use the word ‘dating’ or anything of the sort, particularly since neither Spike or Sweetie Belle had told anypony that they were seeing each other in that fashion.

“Because the two of you are….” Rarity pressed.

“….becoming good friends, of course!” Sweetie Belle finished.

Rarity paused for a moment before giving a sly smirk, “Well, when I heard the two of you outside of the door a moment ago, it sounded more than just the two of you being friends.”

Sweetie Belle’s face grew pale, “W-What are you talking about?”

The older sister chuckled to herself, “Sweetie Belle, I’m not daft. It’s quite obvious that the two of you are dating. In fact, I find it absolutely adorable. Honestly, did you think you could hide something like this from me?”

The younger pony sighed, “Yes, it’s true. Today was our first date, but Spike is really nervous about using that word and really bashful.”

Rarity smiled and clapped her front hooves together, “Oh, that’s simply charming of him! Wanting to be a gentlecolt to you but being too shy to properly say it!”

“Please don’t tell anypony about this, Rarity, and especially to Spike. He really doesn’t want anypony to know for a bit,” Sweetie Belle begged.

Acting as if she was zipping her mouth shut, Rarity smiled to her sister.

Sweetie Belle returned the smile, “Thank you.”

“Just don’t get too ahead of yourself, Sweetie Belle. The two of you are still young,“ Rarity stated with concern.

“I can dream, can’t I?”

Chapter 3: Hold Back The Rain

The next morning, rain was pouring down upon the town of Ponyville. A few of the town’s citizens were outside but they were quick to find shelter from the storm. The grey clouds seemed to blanket the entire sky as far as anypony could see and with no end in sight.

Inside the Ponyville library, Twilight was reading a book upon the sofa. Using her magic to take a sip of her tea, she heard the pitter patter of Spike’s feet along the floor. She looked up to see her dragon assistant rushing back and forth.

“Can I help you find something, Spike?” Twilight asked, looking up from her book.

“Twi, have you seen my rain coat?” his voice seemed a bit panicky.

“Not off the top of my head, why?”

It wasn’t the answer Spike was hoping to hear, “Oh darn, I don’t have time for this, I’m late as it is!”

The unicorn raised an eyebrow, “Late for what? What could you possibly be doing today in this weather?”

“Oh….uh, I’m going to see Sweetie Belle….and Rarity. You know….help them out,” Spike carefully picked his words.

Twilight mumbled something inaudible under her breath, but the dragon didn’t care. Instead, he rushed towards the front door.

“I’ll be back later!” the purple dragon shouted before he slammed the door.

Twilight shouted back, “At least take an umbrella with you, Spike! You’ll catch a cold!” However, she knew her words had gone unheard, “Sometimes, I think that little dragon doesn’t completely think.”

Out in the rain, Spike was hurrying as fast as his feet could carry him. His feet repeatedly hit the puddles that covered the ground as he rush. His arms did the best they could to shield his head from the falling water, but to no avail. Luckily for the purple dragon, the Carousel Boutique was coming into view. Taking a few steps onto the porch, he moved up to the door and knocked on the door.

“Just a moment, please!” a voice called out.

Upon hearing the voice, Spike could tell it was Rarity. His thoughts went right back to when he would visit every chance he could to. The dragon would offer to help out with her dress making whenever Rarity would help. And from this it is how he and Sweetie Belle became better friends. However, he also remembered why he would visit everyday, to be near Rarity. While he was now with Sweetie Belle, he couldn’t help but still harbor feelings for Rarity. After all, he had been infatuated with her since he had first came to Ponyville.

The door finally opened up. On the other side was Rarity in her silk bathrobe and her mane wrapped up in a towel. It seemed as if she had just finished having a spa treatment.

“Oh, Spike. I wasn’t expecting anypony to be visiting this early,” the white mare spoke a little embarrassed, “I’m sorry I’m not more presentable. What brings you to the Boutique?”

Spike’s face was turning red as he continued to look at the unicorn, “I….uh….came by the see Sweetie Belle….”

“To visit Sweetie Belle? Why didn’t you say so, come on in-“ Rarity cut herself off as she looked more closely at Spike. She saw that he was dripping with water from the top of his head to his feet, which were also coated in fresh mud, “Um, actually, how would you like to come in and clean yourself up? I still have the bathwater running if you’d like to get that….mud off of you.”

The dragon looked down at his feet and then behind him to noticed the muddy footprints that he made, “Maybe I should….” Spike began to take a step forward into the building.

“Ah no no!” Rarity raised her hooves to stop Spike, “Ah, no need to walk through. We don’t want to track the mud through the shop, now do we? I’ll just levitate you to the bath, dear.”

“Do what now?” Spike asked.

Before Spike could get an answer, Rarity used her magic to levitate the dragon. Galloping through her house, the unicorn took Spike up the stairs and into the bathroom. In one fluid motion, she lowered him into the bathtub with her magic. In the tub, Spike was flailing to make a window through all of the bubbles that were floating on top of the water.

“Sorry, dear. Didn’t mean to just throw you in like that. It’s just I’m in a bit of a rush to get back to work on my newest order. There are a few towels for you to use when you are done,” Rarity quickly explained as she hurried out of the bathroom, “Sorry again!”

Spike floated in the bathtub as he watched the white unicorn hurry out the room. Finally taking in his new surroundings, his nose tickled. He took a smell of the aroma that filled the room as well as his lungs. He figured it was lavender or something of the sort. He also noticed the bubble bath he was soaking in was still warm. His face turned bright red as his mind thought of something.

“Is this….is this the same water Rarity was just in?!” the dragon floundered in the water, thrashing his arms around in the water. In his panic, he grabbed the edge of the tub and tried to calm himself. Finally being able to ration his breathing and relaxing, he looked up to see a white unicorn filly with her eyes fixed directly at him.

“Spike?” she stared at the dragon in the tub.

“Sw-Sweetie Belle? Wh-What are you doing in here?” the dragon asked in an alarmed tone of voice.

“This is where I live….what are you doing here?”

“Um….bathing….”

The unicorn continued to keep her eyes fixed on him, “Uh huh….” Both Spike and Sweetie Belle looked at each other in an awkward silence for some time before the filly spoke up again, “You do know Rarity was just in that bath, right?”

Spike’s face grew a bright red at the revelation, “O-Oh….s-so it is….how about that….”

Another period of silence grew between the two, only to be broken by Sweetie Belle again, “Yeah….so, I think I’ll leave you be then….” Turning around, Sweetie Belle exited the bathroom, leaving the dragon in the tub.

Pulling himself out of the tub, Spike hopped down to the floor and tried to go after Sweetie Belle. His footing on the tile, however, caused him to slip and fall down onto the floor. Despite the pain from falling on his bottom, he stood up and tried to continue hurrying after Sweetie Belle. By the time he made it to the doorframe, he lost sight of the pony.

“It wasn’t what it looked like, Sweetie Belle,” he mumbled quietly.

Spike took a towel to start drying his scales dry. He then left the bathroom and headed down the staircase to the front door. Opening the door, he observed that the rain had not let up since he arrived. Taking a heavy sigh, he stepped out into the rain to return to the library.

Chapter 4: Obsession

As the day continued, the rain continued to pour down upon the town. Inside the library, the purple unicorn continued with her seemingly endless studies of the books that lined the library walls. Upstairs, however, the small dragon who had returned from the Carousel Boutique had not moved from his location. Sitting in his small bed in the dim room, with his blanket pulled over his entire body to keep himself warm, Spike stared out of one of the windows watching the raindrops hit the glass.

He began talking to himself, “Why did something so dumb like that have to happen….it was just a misunderstanding. I mean, Sweetie Belle understands that right?” He stopped speaking. The sound of the pouring rain answered his question. Sighing, he continued, “But….I see what she might of thought what was going on….me being in that tub and all….” Looking down from the window, he thought of something, “And in the tub….it was the water R….Rarity was just in….” Spike looked back at the window, watching more drops hit the glass, “May….Maybe I’m not really completely-“

The dragon’s monologue was interrupted by a faint knocking from down stairs. Being perfectly still and quieting his own breathing, Spike listened to Twilight answering the door.

“Hello,” he heard Twilight welcome the visitor.

“Hi, Miss Twilight Sparkle. Is Spike home?” a familiar voice spoke.

“Yes, he is. Please, come in out of the rain.”

“Thank you.”

Their was a the faint sound of hoofsteps followed by the closing of the front door.

“He should be upstairs, Sweetie Belle,” Twilight informed.

“Okay, thank you, Miss Twilight Sparkle,” a gallop of hoofsteps up the stairs followed the filly’s words.

Spike knew who was coming up the staircase for him. However, he did not turn around, he continued to fix his sight at the falling rain.

The sound of hooves on the floorboards were growing closer to the dragon. Eventually, they stopped. Spike could feel the presence of the white unicorn behind him.

“Hello, Spike,” the unicorn broken the silence.

He replied quietly, “Hey.”

“How are you doing?” she asked, taking a few steps forward.

“Fine….and you?”

Sweetie Belle stopped her movement, about a body’s length away from the dragon, “Fine as well. Still surprised to have found you at my home this morning….in the tub at my house….”

“It wasn’t….” Spike started, but was quick to hold his tongue. Taking a deep breath, he tried again, “It wasn’t what it looked like.”

Taking a few steps around his bed, Sweetie Belle trotted in front of Spike’s line of sight and looked directly at him, “It wasn’t? Cause it really looked a lot like you were in the bathtub that still had the water from my sister’s bath.” Her voice was firm yet pleading to Spike.

“I wasn’t put there by my choice, honest,” the dragon explained.

“What do you mean?”

Spike didn’t respond right away. Instead, he first pulled the blanket down from his head before answering, “When I was going over to your place, I got muddy and stuff. And when Rarity saw me, she didn’t want me walking through the house, so she used her magic and threw me in the bath.”

The unicorn filly leaned in, doubting the words she heard, “Is that it?”

“That’s it, really!” Spike leaned back as Sweetie Belle inched forward to him.
After examining the dragon from top to bottom, Sweetie Belle nodded and gave a small smile, “Alright, I believe you. That’s what being in a relationship is all about, right?”

“R-Right….” Spike’s reply was hesitant, “um, Sweetie Belle, can I be honest about something?”

“What is it?” the filly tilted her head to the side.

Spike looked down and away from Sweetie Belle, “I….I think I have a problem….”

“A problem?”

Still keeping his eyes away from the filly, he continued, “When I was in….that tub, I….I couldn’t help but feel….something….”

Sweetie Belle’s jaw dropped, “Wh-What do you mean?”

“I….I don’t think I’m completely over Rarity….” Spike finally confessed.

“H-Huh?”

The dragon took his time in his reply, “I’m saying I think I still really like sister….”

The face on the filly turned from one to surprise to sorrow in an instant, “You….You still like her? E-Even though that we….we….are together?”

“I’m sorry….”

Placing her hooves on Spike, Sweetie Belle looked directly at him, “But….Spike….I love you….”

Spike looked at the unicorn for a moment before closing his eyes and hanging his head, “I know….and I love you too….but I….I don’t know what’s wrong with me….I….I still have feelings for Rarity.”

With her face turning sour, Sweetie Belle pushed Spike down onto his bed, pinning him down. Staring right at the dragon, the filly continued, “Spike, I love you….I love you more than anything. Please don’t say anything about Rarity, please….”

“I….I can’t help it….I’ve….I’ve had feelings for her for a while, you knew that….” Spike looked up at the pony that holding him down.

Tears began to form in Sweetie Belle’s eyes, “I know, but I don’t care….”

Spike felt a few of the tears fall onto his scales.

Sweetie Belle’s words were sounding more emotional as she spoke, “Please….I’ll be whoever you want me to be….just as long as your mine….”

The words were affect the dragon’s emotions as well, “I’m….I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle….”

After looking at him for a while in silence, the unicorn sat herself up off of Spike. She trotted over to the window and looked out the glass at the downpour.

“Sweetie Belle….I really mean it….I’m sorry….” Spike said as he sat himself back up in his bed.

The white filly continued staring out the window, “Do you think….we should stop, Spike? Should we not be together like this?”

Chapter 5: Your Love

Spike froze at Sweetie Belle’s question. He couldn’t bring himself to speak. Instead, the unicorn’s words echoed through his head.

The white filly turned her view from the window and to the dragon sitting up in his bed, “Spike? What do you think….should we stop being together?”

“I don’t want….I don’t want it to end, Sweetie Belle….I really don’t….” Spike’s voice was hushed as he looked down at the floor.

“And I don’t want to either….” the unicorn agreed with a gloomy reply, “but….it’s obvious there’s something wrong here….”

Spike nodded, “Yeah, a stupid triangle of stupid emotions….”

“But we can keep trying to work it out, can’t we?” Sweetie Belle trotted back over to Spike slowly.

The dragon looked up to see the pony moving toward him, “Of course….but….”

“But?”

“There’s certainly a lot to talk over….so many things that we need to talk about….” his head turned to the side as he spoke, trying to avoid eye contact.

Sweetie Belle sat herself back in front of Spike. With a sigh and a nod, she agreed, “There really is….”

“Yeah….” Spike added. Despite having the filly sitting right before him, he could not bring himself to look up at her.

A silence fell before them. The falling rain was the only sound between them other than their calm breathing. Breaking the stillness, Sweetie Belle spoke, “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Spike….”

“Huh?” the dragon finally looked up, “What do you mean?”

Sweetie Belle didn’t answer right away. Slowly, she pieced the sentence together, “Well….we can just....stop right here and….you know….not have to talk about this….”

“But that really wouldn’t solve anything,” Spike pointed out.

“I know….but we won’t have to deal with all of this confusing stuff….” the filly explained, turning her head to look elsewhere.

Placing his claws on Sweetie Belle’s front hooves, Spike spoke, “I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to avoid this problem. I want to work it out, I want this relationship to work out with you….”

The filly turned her head back to have Spike in her sight, “Really, Spike? You mean it?”

Spike nodded, “Yeah, there’s no way I wanna lose your love tonight.”

With his words confirming it, Sweetie Belle wrapped her front limbs around Spike, giving him a hug, “And there’s no way I want to lose your love either, Spike.”

The dragon returned the embrace to “You know it won’t be an easy road ahead for us, right?”

“I know, and I don’t care….as long as we work at it together, I’m sure we’ll be fine….” Sweetie Belle spoke as a warm smile grew on her face.

A small smile appeared on Spike’s face. “Thanks….” he mumbled into the hug, “Thanks for putting up with me, Sweetie Belle….thanks for everything….”

Sweetie Belle tightened the hug she had on her dragon, “Of course, Spike, I’d do anything for you….I love you….”

“And I love you, too….”

END