The Effects Of Affection

Chapters

The Effects Of Affection (Chapter 1)
The Effects Of Affection (Chapter 2)
The Effects Of Affection (Chapter 3)

The Effects Of Affection (Chapter 1)

The pictures on the wall began to shake violently, eventually falling leaves, and shards of glass were sprinkled across the floor. The rumble was loud as thunder and the sound resembled that of a stampede .There was also cheering , fully accompanied by streamers, sparklers, confetti, balloons, flowers, and tears of joy.

“Itinerary?”

[Check]

“Calendar?”

[Check]

“Daily Schedule?”

“Weekly Schedule?”

“Monthly Schedule?”

[Check]

“CHECK” ! Spike shouted in frustration.

“Everything is going to be fine Twilight, we’ve been over this like a million times already”.

It was not too long ago that Twilight Sparkle was coroneted as Princess of Magic. Because of this Twilight was going away on an Equestrian Royal Tour and was to be indisposed for 30 days. Spike was her faithful assistant and not to mention a dragon, well technically a baby dragon. Spike’s stature and maturity was relative to a grade school student , but his intelligence was probably relative to that of a prepubescent teen.
Spike had purple scales covering most of his body, with a few green scales on his belly and tall sharp green spikes that trailed from his head to his tail. Twilight was very particular about leaving a strict and very detailed schedule full of events and tasks to keep spike busy and out of trouble.

“Okay Spike , I trust you.” -

Said Twilight as she exhaled a breath of relief.

“There’s plenty food in the fridge, and I left you an allowance, as well as an emergency fund THAT IS ONLY TO BE USED FOR AM E-MER-GEN-CYS ! Got it ?” Said Twilight in a very stern voice. He stern demeanor was soon replaced with a bitter sweet smile.

“I am going to miss you Spike”.

Tears begin to fall as Twilight begins to say her farewell’s to the friends that she loves so dearly. Twilight lifts her right hoof and whips away her tears and begins to laving as the royal carriage ascend to the sky.
This was not the first time that Twilight has been away and left Spike in charge, it was however the first time she would be away from him for so long. Of all of Twilight’s friends Spike was her closest. Twilight had received Spike as her companion years prior when she became a personal pupil of Princess Celestia. They’d never imagine that they would have to go so long with out seeing each other; The thought of this was also enough to make Spike a little sad as well. His sad expression was soon lifted when his eyes glanced upon the jewel of of Ponyville , Rarity.

Rarity was a Unicorn about Twilight’s age. She had a beautiful white coat that was as pure as powdered snow. On her flank rested 3 diamonds, this was her cutie mark. A cutie mark was a physical mark that a pony acquires typically as a youth, when they discover their special talent, and it also represents who they are. Her violet mane was elegantly styled and always shined magnificently. She was perfectly polished, poised, and proud. An Elegant egotist, with a heart of gold. Her genuinely generous nature, complimented by her sweet soft and charming voice captivated all those fortunate enough to make her acquaintance.
Rarity was a beautiful diamond without blemishes, a precious gem that allured brightly leaving behind the essence of true grace. At least that’s how Spike would have described her, but he simply considers her a “Total Knock-out”.
Spike has had a crush on Rarity ever since he first laid eyes on her, so you could only imagine his delight when her soft , sweet, and charming voice said

“ It’s okay Spikey-Wikey”.

Spikes heart began to race as he felt Rarity’s freshly pedicured hoofs stroke his head from front to back. Spike was in heaven, blushing radiantly with a smile from ear to ear. He began to gaze into Rarity’s big sapphire colored eyes as she said.

“If you ever need anything while Twilight is away, you only need to speak up and we’ll be there for you, okay Spikey-Wikey?”

“Okay...I mean you don’t have to do all that”

“Think nothing of it darling.” Rarity replied swiftly.

“It is just what good friends do”.

“Yeah, GOOD friends” Spike quietly mumbled to himself.

The crowd began to disperse leaving behind a seemingly discontent – love-struck dragon.
Rarity had never seen Spike as a love interest, and all his affections no matter how charming, cute, honest and faithful remain unrequited. Focused on acquiring any appeal possible with Rarity, Spike was determined to take care of his responsibilities and prove he was not just a “Good Friend” that needed looking after.
The following morning a loud rumbling inside him awoken Spike. His belly growled and growled as if trying to warn him . Spike soon felt pressure building inside him , he took a deep breath before belching out a loud burp accompanied by green flames that magically transported a letter.
The letter was from Twilight it read,

“Dear Spike,

I hope this letter finds you well. Tomorrow is the first day of the Equestrian Royal Tour. I am so excited , and nervous . Our first stop is Manehattan , where I am going to lecture at Manehattan University. I still cant believe it , I am a Princess, I still don’t think Its sunken in completely. This is so surreal, I almost didn’t get a wink of sleep last night. All I could think about was you guys; my wonderful friends back in Ponyville, so I decided to write everyone a letter. Spike I want you to go around Ponyville and deliver each letter to its corresponding recipient, and don’t forget to send back the reply’s.
Love,

Twilight Sparkle.”

In a chain of fiery burps, Spike soon had acquired 5 more letters for a total of 6. Twilight was anything but unprepared, leaving specific times in Spike’s Itinerary to deliver each letter to the designated pony. Spike’s Itinerary was full of tasks and his day had already been pre-determined days in advance. With Twilight being out of town and no one to motivate Spike to get started, he slept in, intent on spending the day procrastinating. This was not something Twilight failed to provide a contingency for however. It was about an hour till lunch time when suddenly Spike felt a sharp shock on his tail. Spike jumped up quickly and landed on the ceiling. With his claws deeply imbedded in the wooden beam , Spike looked out the window only to see a Rainbow colored streak with the faint sound of somepony laughing hysterically near by.

“Hahahahahaha OH, My God , Spike . You should have seen your face !”

“Very funny Rainbow Dash”

With both forelegs banging on the cloud her laughter continued… “Hahahahaha”
Rainbow Dash was a Pegasus who was as blue as the morning sky ; she had a rainbow colored mane and a cutie mark of a cloud with a rainbow colored lighting bolt.
“Whats the big deal?” yelled Spike in an unpleasantly grumpy tone.
Rainbow Dash informed him that It was Twilight who left her instructions to wake Spike up should he get too lazy.

“Lazy?” Spike shouted appallingly.

“You’re one to talk Rainbow Dash, as much as you like to take naps….”
A defensive Rainbow Dash abruptly interrupted spike, saying.

“Woah woah woah! True enough I love naps, but Ill have you know Im usually up before sunrise busting clouds. So by the time you finally get your day started, I’ve already completed a full day’s worth of work. So if you see me napping It’s safe to say, I earned it “!

“Whatever” Spike retorted, rolling his green eyes full of bags.
Rainbow Dash flew over and helped Spike down from the ceiling, she shoulder bumped spike playfully with a grin saying.

“ Nothing personal Spike, besides it could have been worse “

“How so?” asked Spike.

“You’re lucky it wasn’t Pinkie Pie.”

They both laughed a few more moments before Rainbow Dash stood back up , flapped out her wings and prepped for take off. Before she could go Spike made sure to give her the letter Twilight left for her. Rainbow Dash took off in the blink of an eye leaving behind wind and a rainbow colored trail.

Spike began his day by skipping breakfast and going strait to lunch. Shortly after, Spike proceeded with his duties to the library ; this included cleaning, organizing , stocking, and exchanging books. Time flew and It wasn’t long before it was 3 pm . Spike took a look at his schedule and saw that it was time to pick up a few supplies as well as deliver the remainder of the letters.
His first delivery was to Sugar Cube Corner, a local bakery that housed some of the best confectionary deserts in all of Equestria. This was also the home of Pinkie Pie, the most fun-loving, energetic, random, excited, happiest, friendliest, pony in all of Ponyville. Pinkie, as her name would imply was a pink earth-pony with a bubblegum colored mane and blue eyes . Her cutie mark was made of 3 balloons, which perfectly represent her love of bringing joy to others . She was hard at work assisting the owners Mr. and Mrs. Cake with the shop, but still found time to greet spike with an eccentric ball of words. Contained in them was a greeting, thank you, and her joyous reaction to receiving a letter from Twilight.
Pinkie Pie gave spike a hug, a squeeze and a cup cake on his way out and he left towards his next destination.
Spike’s next stop was at the end of a dirt road about half a mile long. At the end of this dirt road you will find a large red barn. Surrounding this road on all sides, for as far as the eye can see, you will find the most delicious apples Equestria has to offer. There was a wooden sign displaying the name of the estate, simply known as “Sweet Apple Achers”. This orchard was vast and beautiful and completely owned and operated by The Apple family. The eldest daughter of the Apple family was Applejack, who was often found not far from the orchard and today was no exception. Spike looked around and noticed Apple Jack, also known as AJ only a few yards away. AJ was an orange colored earth-pony with a long hay colored mane usually covered by her signature brown hat. Her cutie park consisted of 3 apples and she like the others was about the same age as Twilight .

“HEY APPLE JACK!!!” Spike yelled at the top of his lungs .

“Howdy Spike! Give me a minute and I’ll be right there”. She replied in a shout.

“OKAY!” he shouted back .
AJ dashed over to Spike and greeted him warmly. “Howdy Spike, Now what can I do you for?”
Spike explained the nature of his visit and passed along Twilights letter to her.
AJ Thanked Spike for coming out to deliver it and offered him a few apples as a thank you. Spike happily accepted and was soon on his way.
Full from consuming his tip a bloated and sluggish Spike soon arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage. He dragged his feet up the hill only to collapse at Fluttershy’s doorstep. Moments later Spike was awakened by the splashing of blistering cold water all over him.

“Ahhhhhh COLD!!!, Who. What. Where . Where am I ?”

Spiked looked around only to find Angel bunny laughing at his expense.
An annoyed Spike shook himself dry.

“Ugh… Thanks a lot Angel”, said Spike in a sarcastic tone. He continued , “Is Fluttershy home”?

The white rabbit replied by shaking his head , indicating No she was currently not in.
Spike inquired about her whereabouts and after short game of charades learned that Fluttershy was currently at the spa with Rarity.

When Spike realized what Angel had told him, he dashed off with no hesitation. Spikes feet became light as air as he skipped over to The Ponyville Day Spa, eager to again to be in the presence of the subject of his desire.
Spike made his way to the spa and just before he opened the door paused, in order to eavesdrop onto a conversation between Rarity and Fluttershy.

“So Rarity, how way your date with Sergeant Coltpepper?”

“Oh Thank Celestia, I thought you’d never ask.” Rarity said in a most dramatic fashion.

“Darling… let me just tell you that when I say this was one of the most dreadful evenings you could ever imagine, I mean it. In all my life I have never meet a colt so utterly pitiful and completely pathetic. He was the worse.

“Oh My” Fluttershy said in a shocked tone.

“Yes, Oh my indeed. Oh my wasted time.”

Being the drama queen that she is Rarity began to vent to Fluttershy in the most flamboyant manner . Rarity went on to tell her confidant how her date Coltpepper, spent the evening comparing Rarity to his ex marefriend. Rarity further explained how by the end of the night he was an emotional wreck, complete with sulking, crying and whining. To make matters worse , at some point he begins seeking her advice on how to win his ex back.

“That poor , poor, heartbroken ….um I mean . Its not your fault Rarity”

-Sigh- “I know Fluttershy, believe me I know” Rarity said with a melancholy yes confidant tone .

“Its just …Forgive me if this sounds selfish, but I just want someone who’s all into meeeeeee. Someone who is thoughtful, considerate, kind, loving, attentive, and charming. He has to be a colt with class; a stylish and handsome stallion. Suave & debonair with savoir faire. Is that too much to ask for?”

“Well look on the Brightside” Fluttershy said gleefully.

“At least you know what you want in a special some pony. Besides when that special some pony finally does come along , all these unsuitable suitors will make him that much more worth it. “
Rarity smiled and hugged Fluttershy “ Darling , you know exactly what to say to pick a mare’s spirits up, Im feeling better already. Thank you for listening Fluttershy.”
“Think nothing of it Rarity, besides that’s what friends are for ?” Fluttershy replied.
The conversation he overheard left Spike feeling releaved but also a tad bit jealous. Rarity is a very picky pony especially with her taste in males. This thought alone left Spike frustrated; for deep in his heart he believed that he and only he could truly make Rarity happy and give her everything she deserved and desired. There were only a few problems however, the 1st one being, He was looked down upon on as being a cute little baby dragon. The 2nd issue was he was forever confided to the “Friend zone”. And the 3rd dilemma was he wasn’t even a pony, let alone some rich, handsome, charming, stylish stallion with savior faire, but merely a Dragon.
Spike pouted for a second with his arms folded , while he motioned kicking an invisible ball. He soon put on his best face and opened the door to the spa.
There was a scream

“Ahhhhhhhh Peeping Tom !!!!” somepony shouted.
This began to cause a brief uproar at the spa , before Fluttershy learned what ,or who was the cause of the commotion.
“I know its you Discord, come on out” said Fluttershy in a soft yet stern voice.
-Snap-
-Splash-

“Woowhoowhoohahahahaha, Buahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa” Discord laughed uncontrollably, soaking in the mineral
bath.

“The Looks on your faces , ha ha ha ha haaha haaaaaa ….Priceless.”

“Hello DIS-cord “said Rarity with a tone that seemed to hint at her displeasure of his presence and immature antics.

“Im not sure what brings you here, but would you be a dear and GET OUT !!!” Rarity yelled.
Discord rolled his eyes “ Alright as you wish. Fluttershy if you need me I will be at your cottage”

“See you Later then “ Fluttershy said with a smile.
Before Rarity could ask, Fluttershy explained how Discord was going to be staying in ponyville for a couple of weeks.
Discord poofed outside and just before transporting himself to Fluttershy’s he startled Spike with a whip from a rolled up wet towel . Spike shouted in pain and revealed his presence to Rarity and Fluttershy.

“Spikey Wikey is that you “ asked Rarity in a higher than usual pitched baby voice.

“Yes its me, I have letter for you and Fluttershy, its from Twilight”

“Oh Goodness, I do hope nothing is wrong” said fluttershy in a concerned voice.

Fluttershy stood on all 4’s and began to dry off and head towards spike to read the letter. Fluttershy was a soft-spoken yellow Pegasus with a long soft pink mane. She has a cutie mark made up of 3 butterflies, this is symbolic of her unprecedented ability to communicate and understand animals.
The 3 conversed briefly and once the letters had found their destination Spike felt it was time to go home to get some much desired rest.

Spike awoke the following morning with a determination and vigor never previously demonstrated. It wasn’t long after breakfast before Spike’s tummy began to rumble uncontrollably. The smell of the last remaining remnants of what was once breakfast filled the air. His hot breath spewed from it, a neatly rolled letter with a red wax seal bearing Twilights cutie mark. Twilight Sparkle was a bright pastel purple colored alicorn meaning she had the wings of a Pegasus and the horn of a unicorn. Her mane was indigo with a pink highlighted streak. Twilight’s cutie mark was a bursting 6 point star infused within a smaller 6 point star , surrounded by 5 other matching even smaller stars. 42 points total.
Spike pealed off the wax seal and unrolled the letter. It letter read.

“Dear Spike,

Yesterday’s lecture was so much fun! Not to mention nerve racking . I was so nervous how about it that my wings flew open and knocked away the professors glasses. This caused him to trip, which led to him zapping the window, that ricocheted the spell casting it on group of critters. Suddenly , the mouse transformed into a bunny, the bunny transformed into a penguin, and the lizard transformed into a horse ! It seemed as though the spell caused the critters to transform into the first living thing they laid their eyes on. Its too early to confirm anything though, Im going to need further testing.
After that fiasco, things simmered down a bit and I was finally relaxed enough to give my lecture. Anyway, I don’t have enough time to catch you up completely, but thought you could enjoy the laugh. I hope , no. I know that you’re doing just fine Spike. Take care .

Sincerely, Princess Twilight Sparkle. “

Spike rolled up the letter and placed it on the table, accidently knocking over a shaker of black pepper. Suddenly Spike began to gasp air while leaning his head back. In a blinking moment Spike’s head flew forward and he unleashed a burning sneeze. This sneeze was followed consistently by 6 more . Spike looked down by his feet to discover 5 neatly rolled letters and a postcard that read.

“P.S. You have activated a new spell which should allow you to receive letters through sneezing, let me know how it works.
Love, Twilight.
“That pony will never cease to amaze me” Spike said with a slight chuckle in his voice.
“She turned a lizard to a horse ! haha , that’s a first”
It was at that moment Spike suddenly became quiet and still. It was as if all of his energy was being used for one thing, and one thing only.
Spike’s expression was motionless as the gears of his mind began to turn. Suddenly his eyes got big , huge, and his mouth dropped. It was a revelation. As if all at once he received the knowledge of the universe, Spike shouted

“Eureka!!”

“That’s It”

“I can’t believe it. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?”

Twilight’s letter unknowingly to her served as inspiration for a well-intentioned yet, devious plot.
Spike’s plan was to become a pony but not just any pony but “The Pony Of Rarity’s Dreams”. The week flew by and pretty soon it had been 8 days since Twilight’s departure. Spike remained diligent in his responsibilities in order to spare extra time to initiate his secret plan .
The soothing smells of lavender and vanilla filled the room. In each window there was a vase , and in each vase was a flower unlike each before it. The windows in the front were clear glass windows and the ones used in the spa were stained glass. The water temperature was a warm 103 degrees farenhight . Two good friends often found the later of their mornings spent together here, literally bathing in the lap of luxury.
Rarity takes a sip of her cool refreshing cocktail , as the cool liquid streams down her throat she clears it before asking

“ So Fluttershy, How was you past week with your, how do you say…special guest?”

“It was nice” Fluttershy replied with a cheerful smile. ]
Rarity had a look of confusion and ask as if in disbelief. “It was nice, You say?”

“Very, although I think by the end of the week discord was getting board. I don’t know, I think he may need to get out and spend time with some other friends”

“Other .Friends ? Like Who?.” Rarity said with intriguing curiosity.
Fluttershy paused, as her face took on a weary expression.

“I guess you have a point”.
This was followed by and awkward silence, Fluttershy decided to take this as an oppritunity to put Rarity on the spot asking.

“ If im not mistaken, I believe that you had a date this weekend . So who was he? how did it go?

“ Sandpeiper and It was alright I suppose… well at first”

Rarity went on to explain the events in detail.

“So he picks me up on time, which was good. He was a tall brown stallion named Sandpiper . He had a rugged beard , a short mane and a deep country accent. Our night on the evening was to be a passionate night willed with music , dancing and wonder. He was to serenade me while looking deeply, very deeply, into my eyes. However because he was to be a perfect gentlecolt , he would accept my kiss on his cheek just before taking a honorable exit stage left. “

“Rarity , that sounds so romantic” Fluttershy humbly interjected.

“Unfortunately, how I versioned it and what actually happened are two completely separate things” said Rarity as she exhaled deeply.

She took a deep breath and exhaled before explaining. “Everything was fine at first , and he really did serenade me. The music was lovely. The problem arose when we went out dancing. Not only did he have 2 left hooves but If I had any clue that Sandpiper was such a an insecure, jealous, petty pony , if there ever was one, I would have ever went out with him”
Rarity went on to fill Fluttershy in on the drama of that evening , Sandpiper’s insecure and controlling nature presented too many red flags. Rarity ended up taking a cab home only to crawl into her bed and dream about the prince she would one day meet.

Spike had developed a distasteful habit of eavesdropping as of lately . Unknown to Fluttershy and Rarity , Spike had again over heard another one of Rarity’s dating disasters .

“It just burns you up don’t you “ said a mysterious voice

“You can say that again” Replied Spike.

“if only there was a way you could go out on a date with Ms Rarity” said the voice

“Exactly ! But It will never happen , Im not a pony, not to mention I cant even perform transformation spells”

“Transformation spells are a snap” said the voice, transforming a butterfly into a snake with wings.
The color in spikes face began to fade and his expression resembled that of someone who has seen a ghost.

“Di-didi-di-di-dis-co-coco-DISCORD” Spike yelled running into the Spa in tears.

“Discord are you picking on Spike?” asked Fluttershy

“No no, not picking on him, I was just saying hello, ha ha ha haaaaaaa” laughed Discord .

“You know me Fluttershy , I have to make a lasting impression. Im sure this is something you can sure relate to Rarity, being such a elegant, posh and fabulous pony yourself”

said Discord with his mischievous sounding voice.

Rarity blushed “ Oh, Do go on, but but Flattery will get ou no where.” She thanked Discord for his compliments and asked that he leave.

Fluttershy suggested that Spike spend the day with Discord , this way maybe she could remedy Discords eventual boredom.
Spike was not taken with the idea, but nothing could be done to stop the wheels that were already in motion.
The duo took their leave as Rarity and Fluttershy waved goodbye.
Back at the library Spike asks.

“Discord , can I ask you a question?”

“You just did”

Spike rolled his eyes.

“I don’t know Spike, can you ask me a question” retorted Discord

“Ugh Im serious, I need to ask you a question!” yelled Spike.

“Then spit it out for goodness sake”

“Can you help me”?

“With?” asked Discord with a seemingly lack of interest.

“Can you transform me into the pony of Rarity’s dreams?”
Discord smiled devilishly ,intrigued by the request of the young dragon he humored him to go into details. “Go on”.
Spike then lays out what was actually, an elaborate and well conceived plot to win Rarity’s affections.

“So let me get this straight” Discord said as he began to clarify.

“You want me to transform you in to a Pony, preferably a Unicorn , so that you may ask Rarity out on a date? Ok. Then what?”
Spike paused , looking puzzled he asks Discord “What do you mean, then what?”
Discord snaps his finger transforming the still chalkboard into a moving animated storyboard “ You mean to tell me you only want one date, surely you must desire to spend more intimate time with her”

“Intimate?”

“Yes Spike Intimate, you know, cuddling, snuggling, hugging, kissing, breakfast in bed, poetry. Demonstrations of you undying affection to mare of your dreams must surely be worth your time.”
Discord had a point , thought Spike to himself. “Why limit myself to just one night, who knows where this could go , we may fall in love, maybe even get married”
Spike was filled with joy and excitement as he pleaded

“Please , Please Discord help me out here , you just gotta!”
Discord willingly accepted Spike’s request, however he was very particular to go over certain rules he was not to break. Then unlike his usual character Discord seems serious and says

“ One is to be careful when tampering with matters of the heart. Someone could get hurt and those emotional scars although invisible, can take many lifetimes to heal. “
Discord was a chimera, and the lord of chaos and mischief. He had the head of a horse with a deer antler on the right, and a goat horn on the left. He had one long fang, different-sized pupils, a snake tongue, and a goat beard. His right arm was that of a lion, while his left claw is that of an eagle, With a lizard and horse leg accompanied with his dragon like tail. Discord was truly a manifestation of his name.

“Before we get started my dear Spike, I must require my payment upfront in full.”
Discord had requested that Spike loan him a book from the library , as well as sign a statement absolving him of any responsibility should the plan spin out of control unleashing chaos upon Equestria.

“The Rules are simple, just listen to me and you will be just fine. Now I am going to cast this spell on you , This spell will cause any pony who looks at you long enough to see you as they would their ideal special some pony. You are to spray this cologne on , be sure not to use too much at once though, because the effects of the cologne are stronger and last longer depending how much you use. The final ingredient in our romantic recipe would be this potion of liquid courage. Now be sure that you do not over dose on this potion for if you do I cannot guarantee that magic will be able to fix the outcome.”
Discord set the potion to side for the moment, and began to spay Spike with the cologne. After a couple snaps of his fingers Spike was transforming.
Spike’s purple scales were being replace by a jet black coat , his green spikes softened , turning into a enchanting emerald colored mane. In order to completely pull this off Spike would need a Cutie mar as well as a new name.
His cutie mark was that of a emerald and thus, Gem Jagger was born.

Spike could not believe his eyes, as he looked into the mirror he was tall dark and handsome.

“But wait”, he panicked .

“wont people notice that Im gone and find it a little convent that a new pony just shows up ?” Spike had a good point thought

Discord, who agreed to step in and be Spike’s double .
Discord was able to learn through Fluttershy that Rarity had a busy schedule with fashion shows and parties and would be commuting back and forward between Fillydelphia, Canterlot and few other cities in between.
Spike was eager to show off his new form thus him and Discord began their adventure to Fillydelphia .
Fillydelphia was a young hot town, it is where the young were alive and thriving with artistic energy and a youthful sprit that could be seen in its culture and ponies.
Any and Every young up and coming somepony was in attendance. Despite his handsome exterior Spike was still immature and far too timid to socially fit in with the crowd. Spike effortlessly faded into the background and while several opportunities to speak to Rarity arose, even with his best effort , she didn’t even notice him.
Most of the week had gone by with Spike successfully striking out on every opportunity to make a connection with Rarity. At most of the events , Spike’s helpful nature ended up causing him to loose sight of his objective. To make matters worse, Spike had yet to build up enough confidence to even approach Rarity, let alone ask her out. Discord was close to offering him the liquid courage, but Spike was determined to stay true to his nature so that Rarity could atleast see some of the real him. Unfortunately he was so intimidated by her refined standards, he didn’t know what to say and pick up lines weren’t going to cut it.
His biggest breakthrough was when asked him to come to her, only to request some ice for her beverage.

“Thank you darling” said a graceful Rarity.

“Now That’s What I call an Icebreaker…hahahahahaaahaaa”

Discord was having the time of his life watching Spike’s feeble attempts, however it was not long before he grew tired and devised a plan for spike.
Discords plan was to take place Saturday at a party at the hottest spot in Los Pegasus at Billy Bronco’s . Billy Bronco’s was a small mansion, renovated into a unique clubhouse with such amenities including, a pool, a spa, a roof top terrace complete with a bar , a garden and a dance floor. Rarity had never been to Billy Bronco’s before she didn’t particularly care for the name either. She was here to take in the experience as well as meet up with a potential client.

Spike was beyond fed up, although his appearance changed he still had no progress in his pursuit of Rarity. Spike begged and pleaded with Discord to let him drink the potion. Discord informed Spike , that he was merely awaiting for the best opportunity to use his trump card.

“Sure, go right ahead “. Discord only insisted that Spike not go over board.

Unlike Spike’s past plans, Discord was more direct than subtle. His plan was simple enough. Spike was to enter the party in a extravagant manner. This was the best way to get Rarity’s attention as she subtlety was useless. Once Rarity was able to look at him the magic should start to do the trick. Spike knew Rarity well and his task was the simplest of all. He was to just go and Introduce himself, and remain a complete gentlecolt all evening only to abruptly leave. In theory this would leave Rarity wanting more.

“Spike , Im sure I don’t have to remind you how important tonight is. But what I will remind you is this! No matter what happens, Stick to the plan”.

“I will” replied spike in a very confident manner.

Spike was just wrapping things up when It caught his eye. It was a red liquid that smelled sweet as strawberries. The bottle contained about 8 oz. of the concoction. Spike’s past failures left him not only timid but insecure as well. Resenting these facts to be true Spike levitated the bottle to his mouth and drank about a quarter of the savory liquid. Spike also doubled his cologne usage.
With this, everything was set for Spike to make his grand entrance. Spike was dressed to the 9’s in a emerald bowtie with matching gold and emerald cufflinks. Discord decided to remain in disguise and stay close by ,just to make sure plans went accordingly.

Rarity sat patiently, occupying her time in a white room with large pillows. There was a yellow one , a pink one and a cyan one, on all sides of a glass table . In the room there was a bar with stools, as well as an antique lavender fainting couch. The private room was a V.I.P. box with tented class windows , stationed above the entrance and extended pass the dance floor. Rarity was just about to take another sip of her cocktail when all of a sudden she heard ,

“Hello Sweetie…”

Rarity recognized the voice before she could even turn around. It was none other than pop singer Ebony Éclair . Ebony Éclair was a golden-brown unicorn with a dark chocolate color tail and mane, and golden eyes with long eyelashes. Her mane was long and her cutie mark consisted of two bass clefs forming the shape of a heart.

“Darling you look simply fabulous” said Rarity as she stood , greeting Éclair with open arms.
Ebony Éclair blushed, smiled and replied with great gratitude.

“Coming from the most stylish pony in all of Equestria, that was the greatest compliment Ive ever received”

“Oh stop” said Rarity with great humility.

“But its true ! You just don’t know how much I admire your work Ms. Rarity”

“Just Rarity is fine”
Ebony smiled and mustered up all her composure to contain her excitement.
After a few sincere pleasantries, Rarity and Ebony Éclair took seats at the table.

“It means the world to me, that you would join me here Rarity, and with that said let’s get down to business”
Ebony Éclair presented a briefcase filled with documents and photos. Ebony Éclair went on to explain that she wished for Rarity to become her full time stylist / fashion consultant. Rarity was a world renowned designer who had designed dresses for other artists such as Sapphire Shorts , as well as events such as The royal wedding of Twilight’s brother Shining Armor & Princess Cadance , The Grand Galloping Gala and several Canterlot garden parties. Rarity was deeply flattered but sighed as she regretfully had to decline.

“Oh Ebony darling, I would love to , however I simply do not have the time to take on such a time consuming task. You do understand don’t you ?”
Ebony’s expression grew dreary as her heart filled with disappointment.

“Oh please wont you reconsider? “ pleaded Ebony.

“How about part time? It will be for my 3 shows in Manehattan at Madison Mare Garden next week. Ill pay you handsomely for your time.”
Rarity deliberated for a moment but eventually agreed to the terms.

“Sure , why not? It’s a deal.”
Ebony was so excited she accidently knocked over the briefcase sending papers flying everywhere.
Ebony’s assistant quickly picked up all the pieces and placed them back on the table.

“I am so sorry, you must think so ill of my behavior” responded an embarrassed Ebony. After things were back in order Ebony began to kick around a few ideas she had for her upcoming shows. Rarity was greatly intrigued and commended Ebony on how delightful and detailed her plans were. They discussed everything from concepts, envolvement to compensation and with everything out in the open and negotiated upon the meeting was concluded. The meeting lasted for about an hour and with all of the details worked out Ebony offered Rarity a drink. The two partners were commemorating the occasion with a toast when suddenly they couldn’t help divert their to the flashing lights and the ponding kicks from the speakers.
The party was in full effect and although the meeting room filtered most of the sound, the heartbeat pounding drums banged against the wall as if a gorilla was attempting to escape from its cage. Suddenly the kicking stopped and loud horns began to blast through the air.

“What could possibly be the cause of all the excitement?” asked Rarity.

“Its called the Clydesdale Crossing” responded an enthusiastic Ebony.

“Clydesdale Crossing? Repeated an intrigued Rarity”

“Yes. It is when the most eligible bachelors in attendance, show up and show off in a grand display of charm, pizzazz and glamor. Everypony who is anypony trots in this presentation. Most of the participants are usually rich, successful, stylish and talented, well-connected colts. “

Rarity’s eyes grew large as she began to fill with enthusiasm, and with the procession underway, found herself eagerly watching through her binoculars.

Discord had made all the arrangements for tonight’s “Clydesdale crossing.”, Every detail from the presentation to the conversation had been rehearsed thoroughly .
Spike was finally about ready and not a moment too soon, because he was next in the procession line.
Discord used his magic to conjure up a cherry red chariot. The rouge colored chariot was actually made of cherries and was pulled by 6 colts who were actually mice themselves, transformed through a spell discord had used. All 6 colts were drenching in gold accessories and quickly caught the attention of the massive crowd of attendees.
Spike would have normally began to panic with this much attention at his hooves, however, by now the potion had done away with any fears and pessimism that spike retained.

“Are you sure about this Spike? For im sure you are well aware that loosing a friends trust is the quickest way to loose a friend…FOREVER!” said discord in his best Pinkie Pie impersonation.

“You can call me Jagger, Gem Jagger from now on” inserted Spike with confidence. Discord laughed uncontrollably rolling from left to right , up and down , and all over the chariot, he whipped tears and exhaled deeply

“Whew, now that’s what I’m talking about”.
Discord smirked sinisterly as he begin to ‘snap’ setting up the final preparations, Spike’s… Im sorry, (let’s go with Gem from now on in this form) I mean, Gem’s time to shine was moments away
Gem’s chariot came to a complete stop at the tail of the red carpet. Gem felt as though a million eyes were watching all at once, each gaze piercing through his body.The attention was enough to make any pony nervious, however , Gem did not break a sweat,

“The old Spike would be nervous, but this attention actually feels empowering.”
Gem began to trot, strutting every chance available. It was as if the strobe from the cameras lights were directing his every move, the crowd loved it.
Gem smiled, winked and kissed hoofs every step of the red carpet, which made him an instant sensation. Gem was charming, handsome, confident and mysterious; maybe it was the black coat or the way his emerald bowtie seem to glow the same color as his eyes, but he was everything his former self could ever dream of being.
After a successful trot through the catwalk that was the red carpet, Gem was finally inside the mansion.

“Mares and gentlecolts , it is with great honor and privilege that I present to you, The most stylish stallion you ever did see. A Colt with no need to boast. A Steed that everybody should meet. Git it up mares and gentlecolts for the one, the only Gem
Jagger.”

Gem walked onto the stage and to the microphone and tapped it

“One two, One two.”

“Good evening , my name is Gem Jagger and this is my band The Elements. If you would be so kind, I ask that you bare with me for a moment, I would like to dedicate a song to the most beautiful, graceful, and fabulous creatures in all of Equestria.”
The stage hand shined the lights to the object of Gem’s affection, he smiled and began to sing.
The procession was coming to a dazzling finale as the last guest made their arrival. He arrived in a Cherry red chariot.

“Wow! I just cant believe my eyes, its simply marvelous.” Rarity expelled with great enthusiasm.

“It really does look like an actual cherry.”
Rarity continued to watch as a mysterious black colt debouched from the carriage.

“Ebony darling, who is that captivating colt on the carpet down there?” Rarity asked intriguingly.

“Girrrrrrrrrlllll…I wish I knew , he is simply stunning” answered Ebony Éclair.
Ebony licked her lips and then flipped through her mane smiling and staring blankly into space.

“Darling. Darling. Ebony, hello, is any pony home”

Ebony quickly snapped out of her trance embarrassed, but didn’t seem to mind.
Rarity watched as this mysterious black colt trotted up the red carpet, she even believed she caught him winking at her for a brief moment.
Rarity quickly stepped out from the confines of the meeting room and began to gallop ever so gracefully to the V.I.P. box on the outskirts of the upper room. She quickly checked her mane to insure that not a hair was out of place and examined herself in the nearest mirror only to find “Perfection.”

The MC was begging to present the last guest in the procession , Rarity began to inch over the rail to get a better look when abruptly she heard.

“Mares and gentlecolts , it is with great honor and privilege that I present to you, The most stylish stallion you ever did see. A Colt with no need to boast. A Steed that everypony should meet. Git it up mares and gentlecolts for the one, the only Gem Jagger.”

“Gem Jagger? I cant say that Ive ever heard of this pony” she said to herself as she tried to recollect his appearance.

“I think Ive seen him somewhere else before, he looks so familiar. There’s something about his eye though hmmmmmm” as she gazed hard hoping to spark a memory of this colt , but finding nothing.
While digging through her stash of memories, unnoticed to Rarity , Gem was just taking the stage.

“Is he talking about me” she arrogantly but playfully joked. Rarity giggled and thought how wonderful it must be to have somepony dedicate a song them, when suddenly…

The light was blinding and she could feel the warm heat start to penetrate her coat. Rarity squinted her eyes and raised a hoof to them , in an attempt to block the out the strong rays of light.
The spot light was shining on Rarity and the crowed all turned, almost simultaneously in her direction. Rarity had no idea what was going on, everything started happening so fast, but in the mist of her panic her and gem locked eyes and before she knew it her hoofs were being swept from underneath her.
The crowd applauded and Rarity proudly waved, even though on the inside she was blushed , flushed, and moments from fainting.

The sound of flutes filled the room and suddenly Rarity’s ears began to dance to the sound of the mid tempo melody. A rhythm guitar, piano and rolling congas accompanied the flutes allowing for Gem to fill in the songs intro with only a single word repeated.

♪ “La-la, Laaa, Laaa, Laaa-la
La-la, Laaa, Laaa, Laaa-la…..”♪

[http://youtu.be/b0Gu-CyE-NQ]“
My Cherie Amour”(By Stevie Wonder)

As she heard those beautiful words, her mind could not help but take her to places she have never been, with a colt she had never known. Rarity was having visions , and as every word massaged her ear , she could feel her heart beat race to catch the tempo. Once caught, she was enchanted by his tender high tenor voice. She was swooning; drifting in and out of her fantasy and back into the rosé colored reality.

Tears began to fall from Rarity’s flushed face as the song was coming to an end. She began whipping them away, hoping that her new mascara truly was no smear makeup. Rarity basked in the attention still in shock that moments like this exist, and to her of all ponies. It was like a dream, a dream come true. Parched from the attention and heat from the lights, Rarity levitated her unfinished cocktail over to her. With sweat dripping from the glass she set it on a coaster and signaled for a refill, however unknown to her she would not remember the rest of the evening.
Gem could feel his heart pounding, as if it wanted to get away. Inside his facade of an exterior his soul was flustered as an angry bee hive ready to come out stinging.
The entire band was made up of Discord in the form of several ponies. Gem gave him the signal and began to lower his microphone stand as Discord began to play chords.
Gem began warming up his vocals by singing along with the melody.

♪ “La-la, Laaa, Laaa, Laaa-la
La-la, Laaa, Laaa, Laaa-la…..”

Ma chérie d'amour… My Sweet love. No truer words could describe his feeling for Rarity. Gem was on the front line of a battlefield, his target Rarity, his ammo words and his aim was precise. Every moment he gazed upon her fair appearance, he could feel the words come alive.

Discord marveled at the passion and pure madness that grew within his beloved friend. Gem poured his soul, energy and every once of passion he could muster behind the sincere lyrics of the song. As he reached the climax of the song he closed his eyes and for a moment envisioned an ever care free, blissful, love filled life with Rarity as his lover.

♪ “La-la, Laaa, Laaa, Laaa-la
La-la, Laaa, Laaa, Laaa-la…..”
Gem ended the song in the same manner in which he started it, with only a single word repeated, dancing from one note to the other. Gem opened his eyes to once again to gaze upon his vision of perfection itself. He smiled and began to bow as the applause from the crowd roared like rain drops on a story summers day.

“Bravo! Bravo!” the crowd shouted.

Discord also basked in the praise from the crowd. His eyes began to tear up as he felt the love and admiration from the cheering fans.

“You like me, You really like me”

Gem began to leave the stage and was instantly rushed by dozens of eligible bachelorettes looking to become inspiration for his next song. Everywhere he looked mares and colts were captivated, intoxicated by his presence. The crowds of adoring fans made it difficult to move, but not impossible, Gem knew where he needed to be.
She was neither a prize to be won nor felt entitled to return his feelings, however she did feel that some efforts demand acknowledgement. Rarity quickly ran into the little filly’s room to freshen up. Completely flushed and quite warm, Rarity began to fan herself off before touching up. Humbled, abashed, impressed, dazzled, flabbergasted and enticed, Rarity’s emotions were in constant flux. If or when she meet him she did not know weather or not to slap him for putting her on the spot or kiss him for making her feel so special. The air in the room was dry, so she trotted over to the balcony to get some fresh air. Adjacent to her balcony Rarity saw Ebony Éclair giving someone a piece of her mind.

“AND MAKE SUE YOU TAKE CAE OF IT” Ebony Screamed.
A startled Rarity quickly turned to find a frustrated Ebony laying on the fainting couch.

“Waiter Some Sparkling Water Please.”

“Yes Lady Rarity” said the well-groomed dog with the stunning diamond collar. The waiter was in route with Rarity’s drink when suddenly a pony unknown to him dressed in an all black outfit, bumped into him almost spilling the drink.

“Hey Watch it. “ Shouted the waiter.

“Oh pardon me, let me help you with that” offered this mysterious pony.
In just a blink of an eye the mysterious pony’s job was complete, for unnoticed to everyone something was placed in Rarity’s drink.
With her drink delivered, she thanked the waiter and began to sip.
Not even two sips of the sparkling water could reach her tongue before a strong gust of wind blew .

“What in the wide world of Equestria is causing all of this wind?” she hissed.
She shook it off and found the nearest mirror, checking her appearance for any inconsistencies that may have resulted.

Gem was finally away from his new found fans and was free to walk building in search of a way to get to his beloved. He didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself however randomly bursting into doors made that impossible.

“May I help you sir?” asked one of the staff

“Yes, Im looking for…”

“Ms Rarity?” the help asked cutting Gem off mid sentence .

“Take the elevator to the suite A on the 3rd floor, you cant miss it”
Gem tossed a couple bits at the help as gratitude for his assistance and he stepped onto the elevator eagerly waiting his impending affair.
The Elevator was transparent from the inside but not from the outside and Gem was able to get a clear view of everything going on around him. The elevator moved swiftly enough , however it seemed like hours.
BING !!!
The elevator bell rang, indicating that Gem had reached his destination. As Gem got off of the elevator his attention was quickly drawn to an altercation between two staff members. Normally this would not show cause for concern, except upon further focus Gem saw one of the staff members drop a pill in a drink. To make matters worse the drink was headed directly to Rarity. This sent Gem into a panic. Gem screamed out “Hey stop that.”
Suddenly a mighty gust of wind charged through the room and conveniently enough served as a distraction for the culprit’s get-away. Gem recovered quickly enough to find napkins, coasters and glass covering everything.

“Rarity?” He called out with concern.
Gem was starting to feel like Spike. He was worried, in a panic, and not to mention helpless in his mind. Seconds later a disguised Discord pops into the room.

“Wow looks like a tornado came through here”

“Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing, some pony’s going to pay if anything happened to Rarity.” Gem regained his composure and began to carefully survey the area and found Rarity seemingly lifeless on the purple fainting couch.

“Rarity! Oh my gosh all you alright?” he shouted, galloping to her side.
When Gem was closer he took a sigh of relief to learn that she was unharmed, she was in a dazed sleep but still remained aware enough to communicate.

“Howwwww, Are you this evening ?” Asked Rarity with a mouth full of sleep. After that she moaned and groaned , rolling from left to right in an attempt to get comfortable, Rarity was inches away from the floor when Gem caught her.
After successfully lifting Rarity back onto the fainting couch a disoriented Rarity turned to Gem with half closed eyes and said.

“Thank. You. Very. Muchhhhh…Darling. “

“Heeey, Hey, Wake UP!” Replied Gem while gently tapping her on the cheek.
A reluctant Rarity stretched and opened her eyes, she smiled as she deeply gazed into Gems glowing green eyes.
“Charmed” inserted Rarity, extending her hoof for Gem to kiss.
Gem happily complied and assisted the lady with sitting up.

“Are you alright? Lady Rarity”
She turned to him with a huge grin. Her batting eyelashes pulled him closer, she lifted a hoof to his face and very softly said.

“If I were dead and buried and I heard your voice,
Beneath the sod my heart of dust would still rejoice...”
(Shelly)

“Do you know that poem?”
Gem smiled and replied,

“Maybe you can read it to me one day.”
Those would be the last words she would hear until morning. She laid her head against him and began to drift off into slumber.
Being the genius of improve that he is, Discord quickly conjured up a medical team to assist with the fiasco. Rarity was rushed into the ambulance on stand by which was actually Gem’s former chariot. Gem exhaled deeply with relief and began to leave , but before he could reach the nearest elevator he was blocked.
Gem began to grow impatient with their inability to comply with his demand that they move and began to force his way through when he heard…

“Down boy”

Gem turned around to see none other than the dark and lovely, Ebony Éclair. Gem was a huge fan, and had no idea she was even there .He was star struck the moment he laid eyes on her. Ebony stepped to him slowly, switching as she trotted. Gem couldn’t help but become almost hypnotized in her presence. Her scent was that of the sweetest crème unmistakable to any other, and her silvery soprano voice kissed his ears as she began to speak.

“Hello Gem, Let me just say , that it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Likewise” replied a bedazzled Gem.

“My Name is…”

“Ebony Éclair, trust me I know and the pleasure’s all mine” retorted Gem reaching for her hoof to kiss.
Ebony blushed and expressed how she loved his passionate performance; she even went as far as to ask him to help her write a song. Gem eagerly agreed and for about five minutes was impeded from attending to the recent events concerning Rarity. Moments later there was a loud whistle
“Whhhhhhheeeeeerrrrrwwwwwhhhhheeeee”
Ebony told Gem how he could reach her and sent him off with a big wet one on his cheek. Gem hopped into his former chariot, leaving behind fans, smiles, lasting memories and a trail of trouble.

Inside the carriage Gem was in such a panic he started to transform back into Spike.
Smack….

“Get ahold of yourself man, for goodness sakes.” said Discord with his paw still stinging.

“Everything’s going to be Fiiiiiine, TRUST ME”. Said Discord reassuring control over the situation.

Spike attempted to interrupt,
“But…”
“Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh, No need to worry, Its Okay” , interjected Discord in an assertive tone.

“Okay? Everything’s not Okay Somepony drugged Rarity, she needs a Dr.!”

“Trust me Spike, I mean … you do trust me don’t you?” asked Discord with his eyes squinted.
Spike shook his head un and down for yes.

“Good, now I have a plan but in order for it to work, Im going to need three things. For you to Show up, Shut up, and Step up.”
Spike Inhaled and exhaled deeply inside the paper bag, he did this repeatedly until he was calm. Once he was calm enough to focus Discord filled him in on the contingency.
With Rarity resting peacefully Spike and Discord began collecting what they needed to build shelter for the night. It would have been no problem for Discord to “poof “he and Spike back to Ponyville , but because of Rarity they would have a hard time explaining exactly how she got back home. With this in mind Discord sent spike out to collect the following materials; stones, marbles, crystals, wood, glass, and feathers. Discord used his magic and created a swanky Villa from the pile of materials. With shelter secured and their secret under wraps, the party of three was ready to occupy the residence to get a good nights rest. A concerned Spike turned to Discord and asked.

“Why haven’t you changed me back yet? What if she wakes up?”
Discord explained that sleeping in that form could leave the transformation permanent if done too often.
“Oh….”

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get some shut eye.”
As though they were window blinds Discord pulled both eyes shut and began snoring.

Rarity awoke the next morning with a yawn and a huge stretch. She was well rested and didn’t even have a head ache. She began to look around the room from her bed. She marveled at the statues and sheik décor of the room, but it didn’t take long before she realized this was not her room. Rarity was moments away from screaming before she caught herself.

“What could have happened to me?” she thought to herself.

“Was I kidnapped? Oh no, this can’t be happening. Of all the things that could happen this is the. …WOST.POSSIBBLE.THING!!!”
She quickly climbed out of bed as quietly as she could, in order to not alert her alleged capturers. Suddenly there was a knock at the door , Rarity quickly leaped back into the bed, but as a protective measure levitated one of the statues over the bedroom door.

“Come in” whispered Rarity in a high-pitched voice filled with nervousness.
Discord enters.

“Room Ser….”
THUD…

“That’s what you get you…you...I beg your pardon, did you say…room service?”
A disoriented Discord in disguise wobbled a bit but was able to recover and replied.

“That Is correct.”

“Oh I am terribly sorry, please say you’ll forgive. You see I thought that you were some sorta kidnaper. Come to think of it you have yet to deny that you are. Who are you and where am I?” Demanded Rarity.
At that moment A tall dark and handsome stallion entered the room. He walked toward the distressed damsel, took a knee and whispered.

“Asleep! O sleep a little while, white pearl!
And let me kneel, and let me pray to thee,
And let me call Heaven’s blessing on thine eyes,
And let me breathe into the happy air…” (Keats)

He took her hoof and gave it kiss , looked at her and said .
“Good morning. Im not sure if you remember me but my name is…”

“Gem Jagger. Oh I remember, How could I forget?”
The fact that she remembered his name filled him with joy, but this didn’t mean he didn’t have some explaining to do. Gem filled her in on the prior events of the evening and how after she passed out they brought her to his place because no one knew where she was staying.
Rarity sipped her French vanilla Macchiato, she licked the cream from her lips before saying.

“Go on darling”

Gem went on to explain that somepony slipped something in her drink and that’s what made her pass out. It suddenly all coming back to her , The performance, the drink, and her initial encounter with Gem.

“Oh my heavens… You saved my life, You saved my life, like a knight in shining armor , Thank you.”
Tears began to flow down Rarity’s face as she embraced Gem, and continued thanking him.

“How ever can I repay you? There must be something ” asked Rarity.

“A Date” said Gem in a smooth smoky voice.

“A Date? You say?”

“Yes, I wish to take you out , you see the thing is Im not from here and there are a lot of things I have yet to do, and you know what they say. It’s not always about what you do , sometimes its about who you do it with. And besides It is the least I can do considering your ordeal. ”
Rarity knew she had work to do , and even though the business-pony in her said no, she couldn’t help but agree to the romantic rendezvous for two.
Gem arraigned for a taxi to commute her back to her hotel , where she would freshen up in order to meet him later. In all the confusion of the morning she had completely forgot to ask what events they were planning on doing. Being the resourceful fashionista that she is , she found no problem “putting something together” for the day that laid ahead.

Back at the Villa, Gem was constantly trotting in a circle around the room. He didn’t know what to do, he had never been on a date before, not to mention he had never even been to Las Pegasus prior to this weekend. Discord grew agitated with Gem’s constant clopping around the room and blared the radio loudly as to drown out the sound. Just then…
[And now a word from our sponsors]
“Swimming, Jet Skiing, Ice skating, Carnival rides, Comedy, Concerts, Bowling, and Mini Golf, You can do it all and more. Only in Las Pegasus.”

As if divine intervention, the commercial was right on cue. Gem quickly grabbed a quill and attempted to write. He had always had claws and opposable thumbs in his original form , thus he would usually pen letters for Twilight. His tenacity paid off however as within the hour he had prepared an organized and time efficient date.

“You are Twilight’s Dragon, that’s for sure. Ha ha ha ha ha hoo hoo hoo hooooooo” laughed Discord as he teased Gem.

“Yeah, Whatever.” Said Gem rolling the paper into his bag.

“You ready Big Dog?”

“Woof, Woof, Owwwwww” Howled a dog faced Discord.
They dapped each other with an up, down, over, under, hoof bump, explosion; laughing hysterically as they made their way to the exit.

Author's Note

Due to issues with copyright laws I was unable to put the song lyrics in with the story. I however did pop youtube links in with the story so as to allow you the readers, to listen to the song as you are reading to give you more of an experience. If you care to read the story unedited with lyrics with it feel free to visit my google docs page and read it in its fill form https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NRXO0ij_AD5BcZEWrjQ1PH78ew8ZmJ9lQuKMLr_P6Yc/edit?usp=sharing

The Effects Of Affection (Chapter 2)

Gem arrived at Rarity’s hotel sharply at Noon, he waited patiently in the lobby as instructed to him by the receptionist. Upstairs Rarity was still not quite particular about which ensemble to wear. Neither clothing nor nakedness were taboo in society, Rarity just always felt the need to make statements, with fashion being her specialty. After moments of deliberation she finally decided upon a blue scarf with matching horseshoes and a dazzling gold necklace with matching earrings. Her mane was pulled back with just enough remaining on the side of her face to give off an allure of mystery. After a final self check she levitated her purse and sunglasses and headed toward the elevator.
There was a Bing , very distinctive. Gem had heard elevator bells chime constantly for the past half hour but could tell this one was special. Gem turned around to his surprise, becoming whiteness to a bounty of beauty he’d never laid his eyes on. It was like meeting her for the first time all over again. Gem was a perfect gentlecolt , sincere were his words, and noble in his intention. He complimented her sapphire eyes, which sparkled electrically and when he noticed her smile, it only left a perfect opportunity to land more flattery. Although Gem had taken two certainly unnecessary doses of liquid courage, It still wouldn’t change the sincere joyful bliss and nervousness bursting within him.
Gem had everything planned out and his execution was flawless. Gem began their date with lunch at a delightful bistro named Olive Oil’s. From there they traveled to a resort where they played mini golf. In an attempt of chivalry, Gem decided he would take it easy on Rarity and let her win, however by the 6th hole a competitive fire within him was lit that could only be extinguished by victory.

Gem washed down the taste of defeat with a glass of cold apple cider, with foam resting above his lips Rarity levitated her handkerchief to his mouth and gently whipped it clean. Rarity was as giddy as a filly with a new cutie mark, and was having a wonderful time with Gem. Not only were his Green eyes mysterious yet alluring, but his smoky voice was simply to die for. Having walked off their lunches the couple moved on the north end of the resort to go skiing.
Gem had never been skiing before, at least he knew how to snowboard in his dragon form but this new pony body was still new to him. This actually worked to his benefit, because this allowed Rarity who was quite the expert, to get up close and personal. All throughout the day the couple conversed and laughed. Rarity felt it was as though she had already known Gem for some time. Rarity had never felt like this before, her heart raced when they touched, she blushed when he looked at her, her legs weakened when he called her name.
Gem used every ounce of his advantage to its fullest potential. As Spike he had known her for a while and through being whiteness to a many of Rarity’s dramatic dating tales, he was constantly steps ahead. Evening was rolling around and Gem thought it would be perfect if he could land a real kiss on the Ferris wheel. Before he could initiate his plan Rarity wanted to take a little rest and talk for a bit. Gem complied and they begin to talk. Rarity had a few questions on her mind, and not being the one to bite her tongue she inserted.

“Gem, I would like to tell you thank you, I am having a wonderful time with you and just wanted to let you know that this has been one of the kindest gestures I have ever experienced my entire life.”

Gem couldn’t have been happier hearing those words from her mouth, he smiled as Rarity leaned forward motioning for him to come closer. Abruptly he felt it. The warm soft touch of Rarity’s lips pressed against his froze Gem for moments in time. This was the type of kiss shared between strangers yearning to connect with one another. Sparks flew and fireworks burst inside both the couple and the twilit sky. This was Gem’s first real kiss , although a part of him really wanted to experience this in his real form , the experience itself still a blessing to him.
Rarity had no Idea what had come over her, she was not the type of lady to kiss on the first date, let alone PDA. Maybe it was his eyes, or maybe it was his voice. Maybe it was the fact that all past potential suitors either failed to impress her.. All she knew was she did not nor would ever regret this day and the decisions she’s made. They pulled away from each other slowly, and as if in synch opened their eyes and smiled.

“Gem, Darling”

“Yes Rarity” he replied

“What are you thinking about, At this very second?”
Gem thought for a moment and replied…

“Me and you….Setting, In a honeymoon “

“Hehee” Rarity giggled

“I see that you are Quite the romantic wordsmith” whispered Rarity as she batted her eyelashes at her lover.
Gem smiled and began to quote one of his favorite poems.

“Ah! dearest love, sweet home of all my fears,
And hopes, and joys, and panting miseries,
Tonight, if I may guess, thy beauty wears
A smile of such delight,
As brilliant and as bright,
As when with ravished, aching, vassal eyes,
Lost in soft amaze,
I gaze, I gaze!...” (Keats)

The couple topped the date off with a nice candle lit meal at Rarity’s hotel. Rarity decided to wear one of her best party gowns for the occasion, which caused a stir when she entered the dining hall. Gem’s chin hit the floor with the weight of an anvil upon gazing at Rarity’s magnificent appeal. Gem hated to lie but made sure to feed her a completely conceivable story of who he was and where he was from. Whenever the topic of family came up Gem would let Rarity do all the talking and then change the topic when his turn to speak came. Rarity respected his right to privacy and did not pry any further, everything he had told her so far was so convincing she smiled at the chance to dig into him and truly know him. With the top of the hour approaching and a fond day of memories stored and cherished a completely swooned Rarity was ready to call it a night. Gem escorted her to her room kissing all through out the hall and to her door. Gem had no clue what was next so before Rarity could invite him in decided to bow out gracefully and take his leave. Most of Rarity’s past dates were pushy and anxious which made her uneasy, however Gems considerate gesture was sincere and she knew it. There was no denying it now Rarity was falling in love.

The day after, Rarity awoke with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. She galloped gleefully around her suite, humming a tune as she finished packing her things. Within the hour she was out the door, to make a few last minute stops before she left. The time was a quarter till noon. Rarity had just checked in at the train station with about fifteen minutes to spare. As she waited she heard some pony whistling the same song she was humming earlier, she knew the song and the name was on the tip of her tongue when.

“That was “Sensational” by Sapphire Shorts, coming up next we got some Ebony Éclair ,so stay tuned to FIM FM.”
It hit her. She had so much work to do when she got back. She was not completely unprepared; as she did have the briefcase she received rom Ebony. Minutes later she boarded her private cart and got to work.
Meanwhile in Ponyville. Discord and Gem were just popping in at the library, literally. They both took a stretch , turned to each other and laughed hysterically together. Gem was filled with happiness and his face overflowed with bliss. He felt as though he had won a championship.
“Hey Gem, You ready to change back yet?”

“In a minute, I want to eat first, this body can eat like a horse ha ha..” Replied Gem.

As he walked toward the kitchen, he heard a voice.

“Hello Spike”

“Hey There Fluttershy. Nice day isn’t it”
Gem gasped as if he had seem a ghost and froze in his steps as he saw her creep from the shadows.

“It sure is Spike, or should I call you Gem? That IS what you’re going by these days , isn’t it?”
At that moment he slid to his knees and with both hoofs together pleaded.

“Please promise me you wont tell Twilight , PLEASE !!! Fluttershy”
Fluttershy exhaled deeply and said.
“I Wont, but you have to stop this”

“Stop what?” Asked Gem.
Fluttershy took in another deep breath, and exhaled deeply before blurting it out quickly and all at once.

“Spike, you need to quit this insane, sweet, but kind of creepy, obsession you have with Rarity. Its not healthy for you or her and some pony is going to get hurt.
And I refuse to just sit by like everything’s fine, watching my Best Friend get strung along on some fantasy ride by other best friend’s baby dragon.”
“SO that’s all I am huh a Baby dragon” he said while immaturely making faces at Fluttershy.
She rolled her eyes, took another breath and calmly explained.

“Spike…”

“Gem..” he inserted quickly.

“Gem, You ARE my friend, well Spike is, but that’s you too…um Anyway. Its just not right to play with someone’s emotions like this. I know you have a crush on Rarity and that’s fine, but stalking her, seducing her, and using magic so deceitfully and selfishly? Twilight would be disappointed if she knew. “
Gem had a strong look of remorse in his face and began transforming back; he was seriously contemplating giving up this charade which was until.
Fluttershy continued…

“Spike this is not the real you , THIS is a lie , and my friend deserves better than a lie. So as painful as it may be , I have to ask
you to STOP SEEING RARITY” she demanded while giving him her signature “Stare”.
The word reached his ears in slow motion and once it registered Gem was pissed. Dragons by nature are selfish creatures, the more they get, the more they crave, and this instinctual law is no different for Spike.

“NO” he shouted

“Okay” said Fluttershy, timidly backing down with her head held low.

“There is no way Im giving up my once chance at happiness. I don’t think you understand Fluttershy, I love her, I want her, I need her in my life.” Said Spike in a Stern yet brittle voice.

“Its just that I know it is meant to be, I love her and she love me.” A second latter it hit him.

“Hold up! How did you know about Rarity and I ? “

“Discord” she answered
Spike turned to discord with an appalled look on his face and said.

“Discord How could you? I thought we were in this together, I thought we were friends. How could you rat on me?” asked Spike.

“If Rats are on you , maybe its cause you’re cheesy hahahahahaaaaa” Discord laughed at his own choice of ironic words.

“I cannot lie to Fluttershy, It was not my intention to tell her, however it just sorta happened that way”

“Spike, I know all about your trip to Las Pegasus” interjected Fluttershy with an assertive tone.

“ I got it out of Discord and tried to make it there in time, to try and talk some sense into you.”

“Well if you know about that, you should also note that I saved Rarity’s life” Said Spike proudly with his chest out.

“Saved her from what a bad dream? Those were sleeping pills Spike”
Spike looked as though he had heard the worse news of his life, the feeling didn’t last long as his anger began to build.
Light bursts of steam were coming from Spikes nose as he breathed in and out.

“Calm down Spike, I told you she was fine remember?” said Discord.
FLuttershy stepped in and said the following .

“You’re probably wondering why sleeping pills, well you see my plan was to knock Rarity out and sneak her back to her hotel when I first got there, but some pony mistook me for the help and I couldn’t just say no. But by the time I realized what I was doing, it was already too late. Then somepony started yelling at me so I flew away”.

“Hold up, So that gust of wind back there was you ?”
“Im sorry, I hope nopony got hurt.”
Spike had simmered down , but his mind was made up . Spike then got up and walked to the door and opened it .

“I’m Sorry”

“I forgive you Spike , what are friends for” said Fluttershy with a pleased expression.

“Oh , I wasn’t done . I am sorry you cant be happy for me, im sorry im not good enough , I’m sorry I’m just a baby Dragon. You know what? Rarity is happy and in love and its because of me, So how about you come back when you’re ready to accept that!”
Spike slammed the door behind them as they left, back inside he passed the kitchen and decided to skip is meal and take a nap.

Rarity’s train had arrived not long ago but she was already in her study hard at work. The following day came and went and by the end Rarity was about 80 percent done with the complete order. She was focused, inspired, and enthused , this was obvious with one glance at her new work. Rarity was just finishing a seam when she heard
Knock*Knock*Knock .
Ignoring it as much as she could, by the third time she’d had enough and ran to the door swinging it open .

“Oh For the love of…..”
She opened the door to reveal Fluttershy.

“Ugh Hi Rarity, Is this a bad time?” she whispered.

“Oh MY God Fluttershy!!! Oh Fluttershy you don’t know how much Ive missed you.“ Said Rarity as they embraced.

“I have so much to tell you. I would now, but Its just that I have been so busy with this order. Tell me what you think about this?.......TAaaaaa Daaaaaa”
She pulled away the curtain to reveal six dresses near completion.

“Oh my Rarity, they look gorgeous, what’s the occasion” She asked

“No occasion per say, This is an order for a very special and famous client.”

“Who ! Who” asked Fluttershy as she leaned in with anticipation.

“Ebony Éclair”

At some point Fluttershy realized that Ebony was the same pony that yelled at her the other night. Although Fluttershy was very forgiving , that particular incident did leave a bad taste in her mouth. To this she said.

“Ebony Éclair, She’s a great singer,But I heard that she was …Fluttershy leaned in as if suspicious , as close as she could and whispered “a diva”.

“A diva? Well of course she’s a diva, why wouldn’t she be” said Rarity with a giggle in her voice.
“Did Some Pony Say Diva?”
Rarity and Fluttershy turned towards the entrance and were surprised to see none other than Ebony Éclair …and her assistant.

“Speak of the Devil. I just can’t believe it, It is great to see you darling, Come In, Come in.” said Rarity.
Fluttershy felt it best that she leave before Ebony recognizes her , however before she could take a step toward the exit Rarity blurted out.

“Fluttershy, I would like to properly introduce you to my client and soon to be good friend Ebony Éclair.”

“Hi Ebony Éclair, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Fluttershy was sure it was over and she was caught, when Ebony surprised her and began complimenting her. She spoke so positively of Fluttershy’s grace, elegance and timidly-cute demeanor, Fluttershy almost fainted out of shock.
The three ponies laughed for a few more minutes before Fluttershy used the opportunity as a chance to slip out un noticed.

“Hey Fluttershy” Said the white mare

“Yes Rarity”

“Ill See you at the spa?, unusual time?

“Of Course, I cant wait to hear all about your trip.”
In the mist of all the laughter and pleasure she shared with Rarity she completely forgot why she went there in the first place. There was no turning back now, she would just tell her at the spa later that day, maybe.
Later that day…
Rarity had just arrived at the spa at the usual time, not far behind was Fluttershy. They immediately began settling in and putting away their things. Because they were tenured members they received a v.i.p.’s welcome, which included champagne, a choice of H'orderves and just about anything else that would make your stay more pleasant. Fluttershy wasn’t really thirsty but ordered some sparkling apple juice anyway. She had so much on her mind , so many conflicting emotions, but if Fluttershy was anything it wasn’t weak. She knew what she might have to do, so she decided to just listen and remain coy and subtle.

The room was steamy. As if the sauna wasn’t hot enough, Rarity was turning up the heat as she went into details about her insanely wild trip to Las Pegasus.

“Now ladies, there is a saying that is quite popular and it goes something like this. What happens in Las Pegasus stays in Las Pegasus. “

“Awwwww “they all groaned with disappointment.

“Kidding!!” yelled Rarity with Glee in her voice.
She started from the beginning, she went on about everything from the fabulous sites to the Clydesdale crossing. Rarity and company laid comfortably face down as they received their massages. Rarity began to melt and she started to describe her fateful encounter with Gem Jagger. The song he sang began to play in her mind, she described him as Alluring, mysterious, anything but pretentious. He was too good to be true.

“I have never meet any pony with such passion as Gem Jagger, he not only saved my life, but he sang to me, read me poetry, and put my needs first, Oh I just cant wait for you to meet him.”
She gave them the spill on her romantic rendezvous that was the day after the performance. Her eyes sparkled and she smiled as she recollected every memory from that day.

“Gosh Rarity you sound smitten” Said one of the customers.

“Someone’s falling in L-O-V-E-” interjected another patron.

“Love?, No ladies I don’t think you understand, I do not love him. Why I cant even say I know him well enough to tell you the truth”

“Oh come now don’t be shy. Everyone deserves to be happy. What’s wrong with loving somepony special and being loved in return?”

“Mmmmmmhmmmm. Yup, Exactly. “ concurred everyone collectively.

“Honey, Love is a battlefield, you not only have to fight yourself, sometimes you even have to take on the world it seems like. But at the end of the day , it’s a beautiful thing, a great, hot, passionate, love can keep a girl young for ages. I say good for you” The patron soon left, but those words echoed in Rarity’s mind all day.

“Im hapy for you Rarity, Im just glad he’s not some super creepy stalker.”

“Whatever do you mean Fluttershy?” asked Rarity.

“Oh. Nothing. Nevermind.” She replied in her soft voice.

“Well, perhaps you do have a point, But he seems so genuine, its like we’ve meet before, something about him seems just so familiar.” Rarity thought aloud.

“That’s it, maybe you’ve acquainted him somewhere before and just didn’t notice him.” Suggested another patron.

“Perhaps you’re right. You all are right, I think I am falling for him. Its been 3 days since I last saw his face and I am embarrassed to say I already miss him” Rarity began to sulk in a dramatic fashion , which demanded the staff undivided attention. They fanned her as she looked towards to steamy stained glass window and began to wonder about her special some pony.
Fluttershy had too much of a heart to tell her friend about the charade amidst at her expense. Something was wrong and Rarity could tell. She looked at Fluttershy’s melancholy expression and raised a hoof to her chin and asked.

“Whats wrong darling?”.

“Oh nothing , I just became a little worried when I thought about your distress is all.”

“Well darling, as you can see I’m quite alright.”

Fluttershy felt so bad , she had no clue what to do. To hear Rarity go on and on with such mirth about her encounter with Spike in disguise, left her in an odd position. She could come clean and reveal the truth , which would surly leave Rarity devastated with a break her heart. Or she could just play ignorant to the fact and hope for the best. While she was not completely comfortable with the latter, she decided it best that Rarity enjoy her happiness.

“Guess its true what they say, ignorance IS bliss.” She thought to herself.
Fluttershy exhaled and plastered the biggest most sincere looking smile she could muster onto her face.

“Im so happy for you.”

Rarity also announced that she would be leaving again the upcoming weekend to assist Ebony Éclair with her three night live show in Manehattan.

“I will be leaving Thursday evening and I should be back by Monday, I cant wait.”
Rarity was excited to be working with such a talented mare, there were even rumors going around that ponies were known to pass out at her shows, some even went into comas.

Outside the spa Spike was up to his usual hobby of eavesdropping. He had overheard almost everything. When he heard Rarity declare that she may be falling for him, his heart almost exploded with joy. He didn’t care what Fluttershy said he had come to far to stop now, and besides after hearing Rarity rave on about how special he was he knew his next words to Fluttershy would be “I told you so.”
Spike skipped back to the library humming some tune stuck in his head. He knew he had to come up with a way to see Rarity again, but how?
While pacing around the room kicking his favorite ball he came across the business card that Ebony Éclair gave him , just then a light bulb went off. He could contact Ebony and use her as a way to work with Rarity. He was already aware of the show, but now that he knew Rarity would be in close proximity nothing would keep him from going. There was only one problem with Spike’s plan , He was no longer Gem and without Discord’s magic he could not transform again. Just then some pony walked into the library. It was one of the patrons he saw at the spa not too long ago.
“Welcome, is there anything I can help you find miss?” asked the polite dragon.

“Im looking for a book about Gems”

“Well I think I can find you one, if you don’t mind waiting while I check” replied Spike.

“Oh go right ahead” said the patron with a funny looking grin.
Suddenly she began to laugh and the more and more she went on her voice became deeper and deeper until finally it was obvious.

“Discord is that you ?”

“Bwa ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaa, you fell for it.”
Spike just rolled his eyes and asked.

“Whadaya Want”

“Well Spike, It is to my understanding that you are in quite the conundrum.”

“You can say that again”

“Well I am here to continue assisting you.” bowing as a butler would to his master.

“Assist me? Don’t you mean snitch on me, rat me out, drop a dime on me, tattle tale,….”

“Okay I get it , I get it, Spike look I’m sorry! I just couldn’t lie to her, I hope you understand. But look on the bright side.”
Spike raised his right eye brow as if confused.

“Brightside? There’s a Brightside?”
Discord continued…

“The Brightside is because of the mysterious mare that put something in Rarity’s drink, you got a chance to play the hero. Think about it, because of her misguided intervention things actually turned out pretty well... Besides a deals a deal, you have to at least allow me to make it up to you.”
Although a rift had temporarily split the former duo, Spike could not argue with the master manipulator’s logic.

“Just fill me in next time, no more secrets. Deal?”

“Deal” said Discord as he extended is paw to Spike’s claw. They shook hands and followed up with their signature dap.

Spike and Discord used the following week to plan accordingly. There were no obstacles at this point, and everything was smooth sailing. Fluttershy was completely aware of what was going on and while she did give in, it still left a bitter taste in her mouth. From time to time she would drop subtle hints in an attempt to penetrate his conscience., to no effect. Spike had made up his mind and nothing was going to convince him otherwise. Discord was probably the only one who had any influence on Spike’s decisions and was often the voice of reason. This was the only way Fluttershy had found any solace concerning this matter.
All things considered, things could have been worse. The situation wasn’t out of control and Fluttershy made sure she brought up Twilights return as often as possible. Spike knew time was running out, because within the next 10 days Twilight would be back. He knew upon her arrival a great dark cloud of impending doom would follow should she learn of his charade. This was the only thing that gave him pause, however nothing was going to stop him.

Rarity was completely finished with the first 6 outfits she designed, and had went on to design 6 more in the weeks time. Sometime that Wednesday she received a gift, it was from Gem. As she opened the large envelope she unveiled a large 8x10 portrait . The photo captured Rarity and Gem’s time at the ski resort. Tears began to fill Rarity’s eyes as she reminisced of this pleasurable time., Even though only a week had went by, the moment seemed so treasured and dear to her. She laid the photo on the desk in her study, determined to locate the perfect frame for it. With no luck finding one around her boutique she sighed.
“I guess it will have to wait” she said as she smiled at the photo placing it atop her night stand.
The day had finally arrived. Today was the last day before the weekend and Ebony Éclair’s 3 night concert event. Arrangements were made for Rarity in advance which included first class train fare, a 4 nights stay in a penthouse suite, and a personal chauffeur. Rarity arrived in Manehattan sometime early Thursday evening. Her first stop was to her suite where marveled at the view of the city’s skyline. She quickly unpacked, freshened up and was out the door to meet up with Ebony’s crew.
Rarity was enjoying her luxurious treatment to the fullest, and took every advantage presented to bask in it. The carriage soon escorted her to the studio where Ebony Éclair would be preparing. Rarity had sent the dresses hours ahead, which led to the first sight she saw, being an over joyed Ebony.
Ebony Éclair had seen the first six designs when she came to visit Rarity earlier in the week, but the new designs took her by pleasant surprise. She was impressed and very pleased.

“They’re beautiful. Thank you so much”

“You’re quite welcome” Replied a proud Rarity.
The two chatted for a bit before Ebony had to get back to her practicing. Rarity used the time to become acquainted with the staff and assist with the shows design. Since the groundwork had already been laid, It didn’t take much for Rarity to put pizzazz to the project. After she completed dance and wardrobe rehearsal Ebony came out from the dance studio to marvel at the final touches for her show, she loved them. Ebony was so taken by the beauty and style of the set up she was almost breathless. She gave Rarity a big hug as gratitude. Even though she was still warm from her practicing and still a tad sweaty her hair was still in place and she still smelled just as sweet as she normally did. Ebony thanked Rarity over and over and over before she began to pack up, apparently she had to be at the recording studio in about two hours , which left little time to freshen up and eat. She urged Rarity to take in some of the late night sights and kick her hooves up. To this she eagerly complied and left of a brief night on the town.

Spike had used much of Thursday putting the final touches on a new song he was writing. It was a duet and in a perfect world he would be singing it with Rarity. She was after all, his greatest source of inspiration. Spike penned the song for what seemed like an entire day and after dozens and dozens of sheets of wasted paper, Spike was finished. He was quite pleased with his work and could not wait for Rarity to hear it . It was about that time again, Discord with a loud snap of his fingers, changed Spike back into the Black stallion Gem.
Discord used his magic to transport them to Manehattan, were they would get started on their scheme. Under the pseudonym of Gem , Spike also penned a letter to Ebony Éclair informing her he was willing and ready to assist with a song. She was excited and booked a studio session for the two. The studio was a large wooden room with machines, microphones and musical instruments. Gem had never been to a studio before and was amazed at all the equipment. He reached to touch a drum when the manager, who told him not to touch anything, quickly smacked his hoof.
Minutes later there were footsteps coming from outside the room, suddenly Gem began to smell the unmistakable scent of sweet crème. Gem knew who it was by the smell and his heart began to race as she walked into the room. She smiled and quickly went over to Gem to give him a big hug accompanied with thanks. As if her scent wasn’t enough, her firm yet gentle
embrace sent chills up his spine and made his hairs stand up. She kissed him on his cheek as she pulled away and said.

“Follow me”

The began to walk into the door in the far right corner of the room . The room was slightly smaller than the large studio; this was a mixing lab. The smaller intimate room was completed with a large couch, some drinks ,snacks, and plenty privacy. Ebony asked that her staff leave her so she could spent some one on one time alone with Gem. Although he wasn’t the brightest bulb in the room when it came to private matters between ponies; it was obvious that she was putting the moves on him. Although Rarity was his reason for being there in the first place, when he was with Ebony he couldn’t help but become absorbed in the moment. She had this Je ne sais quoi about her that was just irresistible. He gazed into her eyes and became lost in them, the deeper he ventured into her eyes the closer and loser she seem to get until suddenly…
Knock , Knock , Knock.

“Ummmm , ummm , Yes who is it”

“Hello Ebony darling, I hate to disturb you, but I was just thinking bout all the kindness you’ve shown me. As such I felt the need to come by and personally show my gratitude by delivering you something to eat.”
Gem knew that voice anywhere, it was Rarity. This was unexpected; his plan was to surprise her Friday however upon hearing her voice, he couldn’t contain himself and peeped around the doorframe. Rarity was in mid sentence when she looked and saw his face smiling at her. Rarity dropped everything; thankfully Ebony was able to catch the basket of food Rarity had brought over. Rarity ran over to Gem and leaped into his arms, this was unlike her , but somehow before she had even realized it she was in mid air aiming for Gems embrace. Gem caught Rarity and they shared a long passionate kiss.
Ebony Cleared her throat

“Echummm…I would suggest you two get a room but If I remember correctly you already have one”
Rarity’s white face blushed red with embarrassment.

“Gem, what are you doing here?” asked Rarity.
Ebony explained how Gem was there helping her with a song she was to premiere at Fridays show. Rarity was excited and wanted to stay and hear it, however Ebony persuaded her to wait for the finished product and assured they would not disappoint. Rarity took her reluctant leave moments later and with a renewed spirit was headed back to her suite.
With Rarity serving as a wake up call the two began to get to work on the song and it was back to business as usual. Ebony loved the piece that Gem wrote and was quick to pick it up and learn it. The musical duo practiced through the night and within a few hours had the ballad down pat. It was very late and the two ponies began to yawn as they wrapped up their studio session. Ebony game Gem a goodnight kiss on his cheek and took her leave first , followed by Gem who left right after. Since it was so last minute Ebony had not yet prepared a room for Gem , but did extend an offer for him to use her place as conveniently as he wish and left him a key.
On the way back to her suite, Ebony wasn’t in the best mood that one might imagine. Sure she had spent all evening with a stallion that she desired, however he seemed to have his sights on another. Even the beautiful song Gem wrote for her wasn’t inspired by her and she couldn’t help but feel somewhat envious. She had respected Rarity and was grateful to work with her, however she could not escape the burning green-eyed feeling of distaste growing for Rarity.
The glimmering morning sun awaked Rarity, its light illuminated the space as it reflected off of the windows of the surrounding buildings. She removed her sleeping mask to check the time. It was about a quarter to nine. Feeling hungry she ordered room service then began to get ready for the following day. Breakfast consisted of Raspberry oatmeal, fruit cocktail, and grape juice. Attached to the meal was a Haiku addressed to her; it was from Gem, it read:

“Good morning it is
Because I know ill see you
Later on my love.”
Rarity smiled and kissed the paper before devouring her meal. Today was the first day of the three night show and she was soon to go to work.
Ebony’s morning ran smoothly as well , her morning however consisted of several interviews. Despite everything she remained fun, poised, charming and mesmerizing throughout it all. Once her appearances were made and she was allowed free time to prepare for the evening , she had an invitation sent to Gem. The invitation was not to some grand opening nor was it to an all-exclusive event, no It was just her way of telling him where to be and when. The note also informed him that transportation has been provided. In no position to refuse Gem made plans to be there, even though doing so could cut down the time he could spend with Rarity.
A chariot pulled up outside ,and to his surprise it was none other than Ebony Éclair.
Not the one to deny her charms , Gem greeted her with a kiss on her hoof. She grabbed his foreleg and clung to it as a bride would to her husband and pulled him into the carriage to a destination unknown.
Ebony Éclair was far from timid. When you consider this fact as well as her alluring aroma and magnetic charm, resistance seems futile. They rode all about 10 minutes before reaching 5th Avenue. 5th Ave. is the capitol of luxury shopping in Equestria, so it was to her convinces to have a strong back and some eye candy with her while she shopped. Weather Spike or Gem this was something completely new, sure he had gone out shopping with and for Twilight on several occasions; this was much different. Ebony wore a scarf around her head and tented sunglasses. She walked freely and swiftly through the stores, she even stopped to signed autographs when requested by fans. Her pace came to an eventual halt when she reached Tiffany and Co. One of her favorite stores. The past few hours had flown by and they both seemed to be having a good time. While at Tiffany’s Ebony tried on several neck pieces, she loved the diamonds almost as much as Rarity. One piece she tired on left Gem stunned; it was a gold neckpiece with dark red rubies. Gem licked his lips as he marveled at the perfection that was the princess cut gems he so desired. Easily picking up on his excitement Ebony made sure to purchase that piece. Before leaving she wanted to make sure Gem was well aware of her gratitude and fondness she had for him. She presented Gem with a Gold and Ruby bowtie. Gem was touched by the gift and eagerly accepted. She had him go and try it on just to make sure everything was A-Okay. Being pleased with the appearance of the bowtie , Ebony decided to give Gem a few more accessories, to which he eagerly accepted.

Even though Spike had physically changed from a dragon to a horse, some instincts were too strong to resist. Such is the case with a dragon’s greed. The more precious possessions a dragon owns, the more selfish it is likely to become.
Gem’s focus began to waver as he became overwhelmed by a strange sensation. Something inside him was changing, he didn’t know what but he soon began to loose his inhibitions. His cheerful and eager youthful smile was soon replaced with a confident grin. Gem was feeling empowered somehow, as if he had just transformed for the first time. Gem found the nearest mirror and began to check his appearance. As he looked he noticed nothing had physically changed, however for some reason he could not pull himself away from his reflection. Gem was becoming narcissistic and arrogant. By the time the last hour of Ebony’s free time passed Gem had almost completely forgotten about Rarity. Rarity’s absence was no coincidence, Ebony needed her out of the way, which is why she arranged plans the way she did. With Rarity gone she was free to influence Gem anyway she sought. With a successful shopping trip in the bag, Ebony seemed to be having the upper hand. It was about 3 hours left to ShowTime when Gem and Ebony arrived at Madison Mare Garden. The carriage was escorted to the rear entrance of the building and the party began to enter the backstage. Ebony was headed to her dressing room and made sure to tell Gem to come “rehearse” in 1 hour. Ebony had her crew assembled to assist with putting away her things and began to start getting ready for her show. After receiving the word that Ebony was back Rarity took it as an opportunity to go back to her suite and prepare for the evening. With the entire day behind her Rarity couldn’t help but feel sorrowful; not only did she work all day, but also she was assured she would encounter Gem only to end up disappointed.

For her convince Rarity was also given a dressing room. Her dressing room was custom to her liking, the only thing that bothered her about her dressing room was the fact it was on the other side of the building. Rarity decided to use the down time to get some much-needed rest. Shortly after arriving Discord began to confront Gem about his absence, his intention was to insure that everything was going smoothly; but the vibe Gem gave off gave him pause. He could tell that something was different about it, but he had no idea what brought about these extreme changes in his personality. His best suspicion was that Gem may have over dosed on the liquid courage, but that didn’t explain his apathetic tone, when Discord brought up Rarity’s name.
“Well Gem , tonight’s the night Aye?”

“Yup” Replied Gem with a distant tone.

Rarity’s Been here alone all day, and you know what they say , absence makes the world grow fonder.”
Gem stared into his mirror and if completely ignoring Discord he said.

“Ya know Discord, Ive been thinking”

“Oh you have? Well don’t hurt yourself”

“No discord , Im serious, Ive been thinking a lot about what Fluttershy said and I think she has a point.”

“She does?” Asked Discord with shock

“Yeah She was right, It isn’t fair for me to drag Rarity around it will never work. Besides she’s yesterdays news.”

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, DID YOU JUST HEAR YOURSELF?” Asked Discord in a rage.

“Yeah man, Its all about the chase, and now I’m board with it. It was fun while it lasted but now my sights are set on a new sweetness.”

“But what about the plan, what about your Love, her love, what about …”

“What’s love got to do with it? Its all a game of seduction”
Discord tried to convince Gem to reconsider but to no avail. Gem had his set on a new love, Ebony Éclair.
With a string need to check Gem, Discord snapped and attempted to turn Gem back into Spike, but had no luck. Nothing was working.
When gem realized this fact he took full advantage. Gem began to assert himself as the sole proprietor of the plan by dismissing any further need for Discords assistance. He asked his companion to let him take the wheel, to which Discord reluctantly agreed. Even though Discord had no support for this new plan, he was still curious to see where the current turn of events would lead. He agreed to sit back and spectate and vowed not to intervene unless asked.

The last hour flew by and Gem was on his way over to Ebony Éclair’s dressing room for a last minute rehearsal. The sweet smell of vanilla filled the air, the scent was strong and pleasant. Candles were lit and the music was soft. Ebony, Greeted Gem with a peck on his cheek and locked the door behind him once he entered.
Inside they enjoyed cups of coffee and flirted as they conversed. As he listened and stared into Ebony’s Eyes Gem could feel his heart race and his head spin, all a sudden the light-headedness became too much to bare and Gem began to faint.
“Gem? Gem can you hear me, wake up”
Splash
Ebony splashed some cold water on his face. Gem woke up startled.

“Huh Wha…Where am I ,”

“Shhhhh Shhhhh Gem , Its alright youre awake now. You had me worried there for a second.” Said Ebony.
Gem’s head felt fuzzy it was if he was awakening from a dream. Gem had no recollection as to how he ended up in Ebony’s room. The last thing he remembered was the outing that transpired earlier, the past hour was nothing more than a blur to him.
Gem was able to gather his composure quickly, to which he suggested they practice the song, Ebony smiled and agreed.
Rarity Awoke from her slumber with about 1 hour left until ShowTime. This would leave her plenty of time to get ready for the show and still make it to her assigned backstage area. Rarity freshened up before the show and then began heading over to Ebony’s dressing room to check on her.
Rarity’s responsibilities included making sure all costumes were cued for quick change and making sure everyone looked fabulous. Rarity took great pride in her work and made sure that every t crossed and every I was dotted. By the time she finally reached Ebony’s dressing room she was pleasantly surprised by Gem who was exiting the room.

Rarity was a sight for sore eyes and Gem grinned gleefully at her presence.
“Where have you been?” She asked Gem

“I…”
Gem was interrupted by Ebony who interjected.

“Actually he was with ME today. Gem here is so sweet, he was even kind enough to assist me with some errands I had to run,”

“Ohhhhhh, well I understand” replied Rarity.
Rarity wasn’t all too bothered by her response it was more so Ebony’s tone and suggestive implication that rubbed her the wrong way. She brushed it off and gave Gem a hug and wished him luck.

“Well in any case Darling we have to get you ready, its almost ShowTime. Gem if you would please excuse us, we have work to do.”

Rarity closed the door behind her as she began to tend to the needs of her client. So many questions had been floating around in her head, but maybe it was nothing more than her mind running wild. The silence lasted only a few seconds before Ebony felt the need to get some answers herself.
“Sweetie, I’ve been meaning to ask you something”
“and what would that be?”

“Do you like Gem?”
Rarity was shocked by the blunt nature of the question, but answered anyway.

“Yes, Why Yes I do, I have grown very fond of him these last couple weeks, why do you ask?”

“Just curious” replied Ebony with a sinister expression before following up with an even more personal question.

“So…Are you and Gem an Item?”
Rarity’s tongue wanted to roll out a quick yes, however when she gave it some thought she realized that the two had never officially labeled their relationship.

“Well, I, That is… “ Rarity let out a deep sigh

“Well darling NO, that is not officially anyway. Pardon me for sounding crude but why do you ask?”

“Oh no reason, I just like to get my info straight from the horse’s mouth, if you get what Im saying.”
Ebony’s reply sounded misleading, but Rarity remained poised and didn’t attack her for it.
‘You have a good point though, maybe I should ask him next time we see each other, as a matter of fact, you were with him most of today; did he mention me at all?”
Ebony could have told her the truth about how she knew Gem was only thinking of Rarity for most of the day and how she had to almost force her way into his thoughts, however she chose to lie.

“No he never once mentioned you, sorry dear.”

“Its quite alright, I’m sure he was only being considerate of your feelings, for I sure wouldn’t want to hear about another pony all day long “ Rarity quickly put her hoof over her mouth.

“Its alright dear, I understand how delicate matters of the heart can be TRUST ME.”
Ebony was the furthest thing from tact and went on to plant seeds of suspicion inside Rarity’s mind.

“You really have to watch out for those handsome talented ones”

“True, but Gem is a sweetheart and always caries himself with respect and humility” said Rarity in his defense.

“Sweetie, all I’m saying is that Gem is a star now and after tonight he is sure to arise as one of the finest in all of Equestria.”

“You say that as if it’s a band thing” interjected Rarity with slight confusion.

“Sweetie, I hope you can understand. I have been in this industry for years and I can testify first hoof on how this stardom can change or rather bring out unseen sides of ponies. I’ve seen passionate relationships fizzle out into nothing more than mere flings, as some pony gets bored and decides to move on to the next BEST thing.”
“But Gem isn’t like that”

“How do you know that for sure? How well do you know Gem? …”
An awkward silence filled the room as Ebony’s words began to soak into Rarity’s mind. Ebony still continued, making sure her task was completed thoroughly.

“It is not my intention to scare you sweetie, I just felt the need to be honest with you. I have seen this movie too many times before, so you can trust me. First you are in bliss, you feel wanted, desired, needed, appreciated, cherished and loved. Your lovers words sound sweet and innocent, you give in completely to trust because no relationship can exist without trust, and before you know it you find your heart ripped from your chest and its shattered remains at your hoofs.”

“Owwww!!!!” screamed Ebony as she jumped due to the sudden prick of Rarity’s needle.

“Im sooooo sorry darling, are you alright”

“Im fine, just try to give a little thought to what I said, remember Everything that shines isn’t a diamond”
Ebony’s words seeped into Rarity’s mind until they consumed her. As much as she didn’t want to believe Ebony’s words, she couldn’t deny that it was possible, but she had too much faith in Gem to fully fall victim to Ebony’s manipulative words. With Ebony’s words lingering in her mind Rarity welcomed the start of the show, it would serve as the perfect distraction to keep her from pondering too much on her current situation. Rarity finished getting Ebony ready for the show, so for the moment those annoying thoughts had to disperse for the stage was set and it was Showtime.

After excusing himself Gem trotted back to room. When he arrived Discord was ready with a full presentation. Discord was not ready to give up on the plan that they had put so much work into, however before he could get to it he noticed that Gem had reverted back to his old self.

“Spike…ugh, I mean Gem?”

“Yes, who else could it be?”

“Okay something’s not right here, not at all. How much of the potion did you drink?”

“I haven’t even touched the stuff since we left Las Pegasus. Why ? Do you know what going on with me?”

“Well perhaps if you tell me some of your symptoms, we can find out”
Discord pulled Gem closer with the use of a cane, and with the use of a stethoscope began to check various parts of his body. After a quick snap he was able to transform Spike back into his true form, Discord did this repeatedly to ensure it wasn’t just some fluke. After all the tests were run they still had little to no answers. Not a cause to Spike’s blackout or Discords inability to transform him back at-will a little while ago. The only thing they were able to piece together was that when Spike blacked out his personality completely changed. He was practically a different pony altogether.
“Hmmmmm perhaps it was all of the generous gifts you received.” Discord suggested looking at the pile of presents he received from Ebony Éclair.

“Don’t know what youre talking about.”

“Right…”
Discord used his magic to transport the gifts away, Spike tried to stop him but to no avail. Spike was only able to save one gift, it was the gold neckpiece Ebony loved.
“Fine, that’s fine you can keep one; but lets get a move on its almost Showtime”
“Im ready when you are.”
The transformation was quick as always. Gem grabbed the neckpiece and put it on, with this he was ready for the evening, almost. Up until Discord mentioned the potion he had actually forgotten about it, but since the opportunity was available…
Gem downed 1 shots on the potion leaving maybe enough for a second round. With everything in place the time had come SHOWTIME.

The arena was jammed packed. The roar of the sold out crowd was loud and intense. It was a few minutes past Showtime and the audience had already began to chant.

“Eb-ony-E-Clair”. “Eb-ony-E-Clair”. “Eb-ony-E-Clair.”
Suddenly horns began to play. The crowd began to simmer down as they listened, all trying to guess what song she was about to open with. The lights began to dim until the entire venue was in complete darkness. The music continued to play in the pitch black venue and moments later a single spot light shined center stage. Smoke began to fill the stage until all that was visible were silhouettes.
“HELLO SWEETIE”
The crowd roared as the sound of her voice. The music began to play louder and louder until with great passion and power Ebony began to sing. The crowd sang along with her the entire show, she would often face the mic toward the crowd to allow them to hear themselves. Her stage presence was second to none. Ebony Éclair was most agile, as she would gracefully prance across the stage singing & dancing simultaneously. She was performing with all her heart and put every bit of passion into every word that came from her lips. Rarity sat backstage in amazement at Ebony as she worked the crowd of thousands. Thanks to Rarity’s designs the show would surly be remembered as a must see event.
Ebony was stepping backstage for a final costume change; the time had come for the finale.

Almost instantly upon drinking the liquid courage Gem was cool, calm and confident. Gem trotted towards the backstage area to watch the show up close as well as enjoy some eye candy. It wasn’t until Ebony had her first costume change that Gem caught glimpse of Rarity. Rarity was on the opposing side of the stage, the distance alone made it hard to communicate across so this in addition to the music served as interference. Gem was told to stay put and from what it seemed Rarity couldn’t leave her post either. Gem being his clever self found a shiny metal plate and used it to reflect the stage light in Rarity’s eyes. Rarity tried to block the annoying light but became increasingly frustrated the longer it beamed in her eyes. When the light finally stopped shining she looked up to see Gem waving. Rarity’s eyes grew with excitement and she smiled as she waved back. Gem attempted to communicate with Rarity using charades style sign language, this made her giggle and laugh and they went on throughout the night in this manner making the most of their distance. The time had finally come, Gem was ready to perform the duet. He took the stage fearlessly as the crowd chanted for more and more screaming for Ebony’s Return.

The stage was transformed into a cloud, and as if it were the sun it self the stage lights illuminated the stage a radiant blue. Ebony took the stage on the opposing side and the crowd roared even louder than ever before. Ebony blew kisses into the crowd as she approached the microphone.
“Manehattan! Tonight , I would like to present to you Equestria’s best kept secret. He is not only a talented musician, but he’s quite the looker too…
It is with great pride and pleasure that I present to you the one, the only, Gem Jagger.”
The crowed cheered loudly as if giving Gem their approval.
“He is going to perform with me tonight a beautiful duet, if your ready let me hear you screammmmmmmm”
The crowd roared until the sound of a strings began to fill the air, the strings were soon accompanied by a piano , a bass and a guitar. Gem cleared his throat one last time, took a deep breath and began…

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪ “.. . . .

http://youtu.be/nz9jXllc4nc

The duet continued with both performers singing passionately. Both stood about eye level with only a microphone between them. They often found themselves staring into each other's eyes when not facing the crowd directly, this gave the performance intimacy; but made the performance seem real. As they approached the bridge of the song Gem started to believe his words more and more and closed his eyes. He began to envision his beloved and was singing with more passion than ever before. Due to the position of the stage he could not glance back at Rarity, but she was all over his mind. He began to open his eyes slowly as the final words came out.

Gem couldn't stop loving Rarity even if he wanted to. Each word were honest words that Gem held in his heart for Rarity however...

The familiar sensation sent chills down Gem's spine and his heart began to race. The touch was soft as raspberries and the taste twice as sweet. Ebony had paired her lip's to Gem's for all of the world to see and especially Rarity. Although the sensation was pleasant, Gem quickly realized what had happened and began to pull away; but before he could something suddenly made him yield to her. Rarity looked on, with her mouth on the floor and her heart inches away from bursting out. The kiss lasted a total of five long seconds, but to the mare counting they seemed like minutes. Ebony pulled away, licking her lips as she began to come back to reality.
"Gem Jagger Everypony"
The crowd cheered & roared loudly

"Bravo ! Bravo!" they chanted as they cheered as they stomped the ground.

Gem's eyes were open but he wasn't there completely. He bowed to the crowd and the lights began to dim. Once the curtains were closed Rarity galloped out the nearest exit that led around to the other side of the stage. She ran as fast as she could but didn’t anticipate the crowd of fans blocking her passage. Rarity gracefully made her way through the crowd, however by the time she reached the other side Ebony was out of reach. Rarity didn’t know what she was feeling. Just moments ago she was being serenaded by her very special some pony and now she was in confused and upset. She had so many questions that she needed the answers to and had every intention on getting them. She shewed the security guard aside with her scorned expression alone and made her way up the hall until finally catching Ebony during a photo opp. Ebony saw Rarity's spiteful expression and quickly pulled her into the photo.

"Say Cheese..."
With Rarity being the somewhat vain fashionista she was, she quickly plastered on her best face and began to pose. Ebony and Rarity took pictures for almost ten minutes. This was not only great exposure, but with all the commotion about Rarity was sure to have calmed down . Ebony's plan worked for the most part as she began to slip away unnoticed. This was until Rarity was asked one specific question.
"Ms Rarity. How did you feel about tonight's duet between Ebony Éclair and Gem Jagger?"
Other questions followed simultaneously it seemed like, but that one question had put her on the spot. Upon hearing the question Ebony had stopped in her tracks and gave listen. Rarity thought carefully about her response and began to praise the song.

"The duet was magnificent, simply amazing. I for one am proud that I could inspire Gem to write such a beautiful ballad."

"Inspired?...Are you saying the song was about you?" asked a reporter.

Rarity smiled.

"Next question"

"Ms Rarity. sources report that Gem Jagger dedicated his first performance to you at a party at Billy Broncos a couple weeks ago and following his debut the two of you were seen dating in Las Pegasus. Is it safe to say that you two are an item? " Rarity smiled with a smug expression and glanced at Ebony before she stated the following.
"Gem and I are very close and adore him with all my heart. He is not only a talented musician but a good friend aswell, so please forgive me because it would be insensitive of me to put him on the spot like that, so maybe you should ask him.”
The crowd went on with more questions, but Rarity had grown tired of the press and began to take her leave. Gem on the other hand wasn’t going anywhere, because the press bombarded him with all types of questions. Gem had never experienced life in the limelight before so the whole experience came as a shock to the young musician.
Gem stumbled over questions at first but began joking with the press once he had gotten a laugh or two from his many interviewers. Gem had taken full benefit of the Liquid courage he drank and turned what may have been an awkward moment to one of the most entertaining displays ever witnessed. When asked about his relationship with Rarity he responded.
“Rarity’s grace, beauty, generosity, loving heart and charm continue to give me constant inspiration, I feel for her a long time ago. If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have found the courage or passion to sing. I love her and that’s all there is to it.”
“Awwwwwwww…” went the crowd collectively. However the sweet nature of his response was soon drowned out by one reporter’s scandalous intrigue.
“Then will you explain the kiss at the end of your performance?”
“It was just part of the act, we decided to go ahead with it just to make the performance more dramatic.” Replied Gem with a sharp wit.
Rarity and Ebony both over heard Gem’s words and each felt a certain kind of way about his responses. Rarity melted like butter when she heard Gem confess his admiration and love for her to the world and could not be any happier. Ebony however, did not take well to Gem’s confession nor did she find solace in his response to the question about their kiss. She felt over shadowed by her help and that was unacceptable. The jealousy in Ebony was building up and began to bubble over, Ebony was determined now more than ever to have Gem to herself. Gem had caught Ebony’s attention the same night he caught Rarity’s unfortunately for her Rarity was already the object of his affections. Ebony Éclair was the type of pony who got what she wanted, no exceptions, and no compromises. This situation was no different and she was determined to come out on top. If she could somehow get Gem alone again and somehow convince Rarity that Gem is just some fast talking play-pony then things would surely move in her favor, or so she thought. With this in mind Ebony made her grand exit from the venue and began the ride back to her suite where she could sort things out.
Ebony awoke the next morning to a headlined article in the paper reading “Éclair Stuns Sold-Out Crowd.” The picture was a photo of Ebony on stage from the previous night. She went on to skim through the article briefly before tossing it aside. Suddenly there was a knock at her door, she opened the door to find her assistant panting heavily.

“What’s wrong sweetie?”

“Im okay, just let me catch my breath…We have an issue”

“An issue? About What?” asked Ebony.

“Well you see….”

The assistant slapped two more papers on Ebony’s coffee table. These other headlines were also about last nights concert, however they were a tad bit unseemly. “Sweet Seduction” was the headlining caption of a photo capturing Ebony and Gem’s kiss. “Move over Darling” was the headlining caption with a photo attached depicting Ebony and Rarity in a game of stare. Ebony didn’t even bother reading either publication; she threw both across the room and sat quietly staring off into space.
“Excuse me Ebony, There’s more.”
Ebony turned to her assistant and began to chuckle.

“All 3 radio stations want you back today for comment”
Both burst into laughter, This was perfect, she thought. All she had to do was make herself the victim and let the media take its course. In the world of show business some say, there is no such thing as bad publicity, this was a belief Ebony held close to her heart and intended to take full advantage of.
Not far from Ebony’s suite was a melodramatic Rarity bawling over the scandals she found.

“Why me? Why, Why, Whyyyyyyyyy Meeeeeee…Out of all the worst things that could happen, this is The! Worst! Possible! Thing!”

She levitated the fainting couch over to catch her as she wept dramatically. To Rarity her image was everything so its not hard to understand why she felt this scandal could leave a blemish with the public eye’s perception of her. Rarity’s actions usually spoke for her character, so to be in the mist of such a fiasco was hard pill to swallow. Knowing nothing of public relations, Rarity’s plan was to wake up and find that it was all just a dream.
For the most part Discord and Gem remained ignorant of the unseemly gossip amidst the city. They had their own problems to worry about. The previous night after the press run, Discord was able to whiteness first hand a full personality change in Gem. Was the kiss a cause or an effect? Was there a motive? Was Gem the cause or was he being manipulated? Discord asked himself all these questions and more but to little avail. One thing was certain though, and that was the fact that Gem changed after the kiss, but seemed to revert back when Rarity came into the picture. It was obvious that Ebony had an infatuation with Gem; she might even actually have a genuine interest, but it was clear she wanted him. Gem was displaying symptoms of having a multiple personality disorder with the biggest problem being, Discord could only use his magic when Gem was in his popular state of mind. All through out the night Gem shifted from one to the other , neither remembering immediate details of the experience. Even as Spike, Discord couldn’t successfully keep him from transforming back on his own. Things were getting out of hand and fast, Gem was enchanted and Discord had no resolution.

Back across town Ebony was contemplating her options for her conniving plan. She wanted results in her favor but wanted the outcome to seem natural and not predetermined. Her first thought was to just send Rarity back to ponyville, however the biggest con concerning this plan was that Gem might actually leave with her. If she could some how get Gem wrapped around her hoof and then have Rarity leave on her own she could have a successful outcome. This was easier said than done. Ebony still had two shows left and needed Gem to stick around so she couldn’t risk him leaving because of Rarity’s sake, so it seemed Rarity would be staying. She also considered slandering Rarity as a high-class harlot however the problem with this was it would be hard to sell to anyone especially Gem. She couldn’t make Gem the bad guy here, cause that just may cause him to leave and besides that would only make her look like a fool should she attempt to publicly peruse him afterwards. With many scenarios in mind, Ebony accepted that any plan would fully rely on Gem and her ability to control and/or manipulate him and his actions. Ebony prepared to set her plan in motion by first keeping Gem with her, this would ensure he would not only be close by, but also it would make sure he was not with Rarity. With the wheels of her plan in motion Ebony was on her way to get what she wanted, the only problem was Gem was no where to be found.

Discord was highly suspicious of Ebony Éclair and had to prevent her from moving forward with any plan she may have conjured up. While he was still unable to completely control Gem’s transformations, he was able to keep Gems personality stable; unfortunately this could only be achieved by giving him more liquid courage. The increased dosage of the liquid courage would cause Gem to be more assertive and more determined to get what he wants i.e. Rarity. Discord suspected that the cologne may have caused the unneeded attention of Ebony Éclair, so he made sure to not let Gem touch the stuff; besides it wasnt practically needed at this point. Discord explained everything as best as he could to his partner in crime, and Gem acknowledged the plan. The plan was keep Gem away from Ebony as much as possible, Discord even considered just leaving, however if Ebony were planning something then that plan would definitely cause a red flag. Discord instructed Gem to go over to Rarity’s suite and try to keep away from Ebony as much as he could until Showtime. Discord was not new to being conniving and mischievous being the King of Chaos that he was, so he devised a plan to allow him to get to the bottom of things. His plan was simple enough, and that was to take Gem’s place and see first hoof what Ebony was doing. Discord sent Gem off in the carriage and stayed behind under the assumption that Ebony may come by. As if on cue Ebony showed up about ten minutes later in her flamboyant fashion to escort Gem. Discord quickly transformed and answered the door.

“Good morning.” Said Discord imitating Spike’s mannerisms.

“Good morning Sweetie, It’s a beautiful day wouldn’t you agree?”

“Well not as beautiful as the lovely pony in front of me.” Ebony blushed at his words.

“Oh do go on sweetie, flattery will get you EV-RY WHERE.” Replied Ebony in a sultry tone. Ebony smiled and took his forward flirting as an indication last night’s kiss still left her with some control over him.

“Shall we?” She said with a smile as she leaned towards her carriage, eager to get her desired outcome.

“Take a look at these awful slandering headlines the press is publishing about us”
Ebony tossed the two publications at Discord’s disguised hoofs, he read the headlines and had to hold himself back from laughing hard at them.

“Isnt it a shame? How could they publish such garbage; now people will think im some floosy in some third-rate love story.”

“Its not that bad” blurted out the disguised Discord, before catching himself.

“I mean, No , nooo this is bad, How dare they say such ugly things about one such as beautiful as yourself?”
The constant flattery that came from his lips made Ebony melt, she then turned and looked deeply into his eyes. Discord could feel himself relaxing and becoming at ease, he felt his conciseness beginning to slip in and out the longer he stared into them. Ebony placed her hoof on his chin and traced from his chin down to his chest and back up to the side of his face. Her touch gave him goose bumps and sent chills up his spine; before he knew it she paired her lips against his and he found himself yielding to her passion. In the time allotted they had reached their destination which wasn’t some fashion district, no Ebony had brought him back to her suite. Discord had unknowingly walked right into her trap and the fact that there were dozens of photographers on site only made the scandalous situation more troublesome. The crowd reacted to the couple as though it were the birth of something seen once in a lifetime. The couple quickly galloped through the hotel lobby where Discord was informed they would both enjoy a spa rejuvenation treatment followed by lunch at Ebony’s suite. Every step of the way they were meet with flashing lights, which conveniently enough helped Discord to overcome his enchantment. So far the answers were beginning to reveal themselves, so with no plans to turn back Discord pressed on.

Gem was anxious, and frustrated. The previous night was blurry, traffic was bad and not only that but everywhere he looked his picture was being taken. Gem decided to hoof it after twenty long minutes of being in the carriage and took off. The picture thing was actually quite nice at first but the closer he got to his destination the photos increased. Gem had finally reached Rarity suite and was bombarded by paparazzi. Everywhere he looked they were taking pictures and asking questions. Although he was in a rush he still took the time to display his chic bravado, posing and winking at the cameras. He ignored the questions and after a hot minute of photo opting he was well on his way. Gem reached Rarity’s top floor suite as quickly as his hoofs and the elevator would allow him. Once he reached his destination he took a few deep breaths before.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“GO AWAYYYYYYY” Sobbed Rarity in her attempt to shoo away her uninvited guest.

“Rarity are you okay? Its me Gem”

“I DON’T WANT ANY JAM”

“No, I said its Me GEM…♪La-la, Laaa, Laaa, Laaa-la
La-la, Laaa, Laaa, Laaa-la…..”
Rarity wasn’t sure if the pony outside the door said jam or Gem but one thing was unmistakable and that was Gem’s golden voice. Rarity quickly ran towards the mirror.

“Coming…” she shouted in a choppy voice.
Rarity took a sip of water, cleared her throat and using her magic hid all the clutter under the bed. She bounced her mane and threw her silk robe on and was removing the latch within seconds. Rarity opened the door slowly just to make sure it really was who she though. Gem quickly rushed in, and before Rarity could even say hello she could feel his strong and soft kiss on her lips. Rarity enjoyed the blissful surprise for only a moment before pushing him away.

“Oh my, well I missed you too darling.”
Gem was happy and relieved to see Rarity was ok. Rarity invited him in and as they walked to her sitting quarters Gem asked.

“Have you been crying? Is everything okay?”

“Oh darling, Im fine trust me, its just…just…”
As tears began to fill Rarity’s eyes, she threw herself into his embrace and let her tears flow. Rarity had a lot going on right now, but for however long she laid in Gem’s loving embrace she felt at ease, relieved and safe. Neither would mind if this moment could have lasted forever as both found themselves at peace. This peace lasted for a couple of hours as the couple slept in embrace. Gem was waken up by a urge to use the bathroom, while on his way he stumbled across the very source of Rarity’s recent distress. Gem used his occupied time to skim through all articles and was shocked to see how real his fame was becoming. Gem exited the bathroom to find an awakened Rarity well rested and ready to discuss the previous night’s details.
“Gem, now I want you to be completely honest with me and I need you to promise me that you wont lie. Because If im going to get hurt I would much rather have it happen on what may or may not be the worst day of my life.”
Gem took a deep breath, looked her in the eye and said.

“I Promise.”

“Is there something going on between you and Ebony? Because I can understand if you were fond of her, but you see the
thing is …”

“NO” Said Gem as he cut Rarity in mid sentence.

“No, there’s nothing going on between her and I”

“Then the kiss…?”

“It was just as I said last night. It was her idea, I just really wished she’d warned me first.”

“You mean you didn’t know?” Rarity’s suspicions of Ebony seemed all too clear now, It was on! Rarity wasn’t the confrontational type but never has been one to back down from any challenge. She faced everything in life head on, fearlessly with beauty, grace, and style. Love on the other hand was a enigma wrapped in an anomaly, because along with the joyful bliss and comfort came fear and confusion.

“Ebony is nice, very nice, and I can see why she’s so popular , but you are Miss. Popular. You fill my thoughts, you inspire me. Your presence alone takes me to a place where love is like breathing. You make me feel like I can take on the world. As a matter of fact you are my world. There is only you. My dearest Rarity.”
Tears of joy began to fill Rarity’s eye but she didn’t let them fall, she smiled, turned to Gem and asked

“What am I to you ?”
Gem paused, smiled and replied

“My very special somepony”

“Are we exclusive? Is this a fling? Do we possibly could have a future together? Are you sure you know what you want?”
Rarity threw so many questions at Gem he didn’t know what to say. He could think quote hundreds of poems, recite dozens of song lyrics and weave words together in what could only be considered an art form, but he couldn’t think of anything simple. Gem was nothing more than a prepubescent dragon going to the extreme to satisfy his feelings for a crush, he had no knowledge of relationships. Even with all of the liquid courage coursing through his veins he was still imbecilic when it came to matters of the heart, this may also explain why he was so benighted to Ebony’s advances.

“I want you, I want to be with you...
Only you…”
With everything out in the open and the couple completely naked emotionally they put their hearts on the line and gave in to love.
With Gem’s mind made up and Spike’s fate sealed within it , he was on his on a collision course of change and the petal was to the floor.

The Effects Of Affection (Chapter 3)

Not to far away at Ebony’s suite, a disguised Discord had just finished his papering and was currently infiltrating her abode. His plan was to get to the bottom of everything and just recently discovered that Ebony is indeed using some form of magic to manipulate Gem. The suite was about 2,000 sq ft in size, there were marble counters, wooden floors , with brown and gold décor through each room. There was a view of the city as well as a large fire place with a wine closet next to it. Upon entering Discord was taken by the sweet fragrance of vanilla that filled the room. The temperature was fair and comfortable and the lighting was subtle. Ebony offered Discord lunch and a drink to which he accepted. He inspected it to make sure there was no poison or some kind of potion, just to be on the safe side he poured the drink into a plant when she wasn’t looking.

“Ill just have some water thank you”

“Suit yourself” Ebony Replied.
While Ebony was trotting to the kitchen to get her guest a cold drink of water , he decided to do some snooping around to no avail. Her place was clean and there was nothing suspicious lying around. While snooping around Discord did take time to appreciate the art. He was pleasantly surprised at some of the chaotic designs and complex combinations of color he saw. Just then he was interrupted by a question.
“That circus outside is simply dreadful, don’t you agree, I fear they will never give us peace.”

“Yes, Yes, Most Dreadful… is this usual for somepony such as yourself?”

“Sweetie, there not here for me, No their here for US.”
Ebony tossed Discord the Remaining publications and explained that their Scandal was really becoming the talk of the town.

“Scandal? Whats going on here?”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to know sweetie. This article says you are with me, but this one says that you are seeing Rarity too, Gem I had no idea you were such a playboy” Ebony chuckled while she teased Discord, but she didn’t stop there.
“Welcome to my world, where every moment you’re being watched, and privacy is enjoyed from a luxurious glass house.”
This was bad, very bad. It didn’t take Discord long to figure out, that if Gem’s movements were being watch and documented then that definitely meant that he may have been spotted going to Rarity’s. How could something so important slip his mind so easily? No one could ever find out that Gem was indeed Spike , but if the word got out that there were two Gems the consequences could be catastrophic.
“Gem can I ask you something?”

“You just did.”

“Haaa haaaa Ha, Im serious though.. and I trust you’ll tell me what I want to hear?”

“Of course” He replied.

“Whats going on between you and Rarity?”
There was a short pause before Discord began to answer the question. He was neither a wordsmith nor a hopeless romantic, so replying with an answer that sounded like something Spike would say wouldn’t be easy.

“I guess you can say I have a little crush” he replied.

“Little? Crush? You say…Well you’ve written songs about her, she has obviously inspired you , so I wouldn’t call that a ‘Little Crush” as you so meekly put it. “ Ebony began to step closer and closer to Gem, she reached out her hoof towards him and she walked his way. Ebony embraced Gem and planted a soft kiss upon his cheek, and began to continue prying.

“Well if she is only a crush then its not too serious I take it?”

“Well…”

“Good, cause you see the thing is , I felt something last night that Ive never felt before. Your words moved me until only one gesture of passion could express my feelings. And when we kissed I felt a charge, an energy , I saw fireworks”

“NO those were just pyrotechnics “ Discord thought to himself. Ebony continued.

“Gem , I know you can feel it too. Now I know you have a crush and that’s fine, I actually think its cute; but why only a crush? You tell me that even with you being such a talented and wonderful stallion that she’s yet to return your feelings? What is it that you want?”
Discord didn’t know what to say, He wasn’t Spike. Spike would have probably said something like “Its more than a crush, it is Love, I do adore her, she inspires me, she’s the only Pony for me.”
Discord just couldn’t get the words to flow out, so he decided to fight fire with fire, manipulator vs. manipulator.

“Well a wise pony once told me two important things.” Said Discord in an attempt to lure her in.

“And what would that be?”

“Two things, First , Never look a gift horse in the mouth, and Second Everything that glitters isn’t gold, and sometimes what you want isn’t what you need.”
Discord’s words worked more effectively than he had anticipated as Ebony began to swoon. His words were like magic to her ears.
“You know what Gem , youre very sweet, but I think you could probably stand to have a little more sugar in your life”
Ebony began caressing the back of his neck and leaned in closer and closer as to let her sweet scent find its way to his nose. The sweet scent made Discord lightheaded, but he was prepared this time. Faking a sneeze Discord excused himself and ran to the nearest bathroom. Discord attempted to cast a countering spell on himself as a measure to deflect her advances but wasn’t too comfortable getting close enough to test it out. Not the type to run from a problem , Discord left from the bathroom only to find Ebony on her couch willing and waiting. Ebony sipped some of her wine and as she looked at gem she began to smile.

“Are you alright sweetie?”

“Yes I’m fine, must have gotten something in my nose”

“That’s not good, well I trust you are fine now?”

“Quite alright”

“Good, Then if you wouldn’t mind, Would you sing me a song? Pretty pleasssssssseeeeee?”
This was probably the worst-case scenario. Discord could transform himself to look like Gem and even match his speaking voice, but one thing he could not do is duplicate his mannerisms nor his words and he definitely had no way of cloning Gem’s golden singing voice.
Discord was trying to think of a way out of this tight spot when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Ebony’s excused herself to go and look and see who was at the door, it seemed urgent. Discord could hear whispering but he could not make out what they were saying. A few moments later Ebony closed the door and asked, “Now where were we?”
Discord thought that the knock had saved him but it only delayed the inevitable, Discord was going to have to sing. He cleared his throat and began to warm up with scales in order to buy him some time. Ebony laughed , smiled and said,
“Please get on with it Sweetie, youre killing me, ha ha ha ha”.
Discord was left with no choice and began to sing

♪ “You'll never find ….”♪

Discord wasn’t even half way through the opening line when he felt it , The zapp was sharp, powerful and painful. The attack was relentless; Discord knew that only in his true form could he stand a fighting chance. Unfortunately this was a chance Discord was never afforded as he was quickly drained of his energy and close to passing out.
It had to be his appearance that saved him. Ebony looked on with sympathy in her eyes as her assistant subdued Discord.
“STOP!!!” She shouted.
Her assistant ceased the attack, there was a long pause and silence filled the room. Her assistant turned to her and said
“Im sorry, are you asking me or are you telling me?” She asked with a sharp stern tone.

“Asking, Master” she replied trebling with fear in her voice.

“WELL I DIDN’T HEAR YOU SAY PLEASE!!!”

“IM Sorry, Please, Please, Thank You, Forgive me” Said Ebony groveling to her master.

“I just don’t want you to kill him , he may be useful to us”

“Useful to US or useful to YOU?” She asked as she walked away leaving a battered Discord in disguise weak and helpless. Ebony approached him , looked him deep in the eyes and asked “Who are you?”
Discord had little strength left and couldn’t really stand to be his usual witty self but he still found enough energy for a clever retort.

“Who am I ? Well Who are You ,If you tell me Ill tell you”

“Bwaha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaa” Ebony and her Master laughed hysterically at his rhyming exchange, they were so pleased by the response they even took him up on the offer.
Ebony’s Master began to reveal herself, The form visible to the world was a timid looking mare with a yellow mane and a sandy brown coat, however in her true form she was far from timid, she was intimidating. Her brown coat would soon turn from sandy brown to Red and her mane jet black.

“My name is Nmphidia, but you may call ne Nymph”
Discord look on completely flabbergasted to what he had witnessed, if the legends are true then this would mean that Nymph was probably older than Princess Celestia.

“Who are you? We know youre not the real Gem, so who are you ?” She demanded

Ebony attempted her had at persuasion, something she was quite good at doing and said.

“We know the truth”

“I have no Idea what’s gotten into you guys, Its me Gem, The real Gem”
Discord hadn’t forgotten that there was a strong possibility that the paparazzi may have taken pictures of the real Gem, and that they probably found out, which is why they’re torturing him. He somehow managed to put those thoughts in question form and asked, the two proudly confirmed his suspicion and went on to compliment him.”Youre good.”
He also went on to inquire about the legend, however mid way through his inquiry Nymph got really short with him and cut him off, thus confirming his suspicions. There is a legend that tells the story of a mare and her husband. The mare was beautiful and –young and fell victim to the pursuits of a loving prince. They Prince married her and they spent many happy years together. One day the prince leaves for war , she later learns that the cause of the war was the prince’s gorgeous young mistress. The prince leaves his wife for his mistress only to be defeated in battle and sent home back to his wife. Scorned by his past transgression she cannot find it in her heart to forgive him and does not take him back. The story goes on to say that after she rejects her husband she vowed to regain the youth she wasted and remain young and desirable forever.
Nymph was that very same scorned mare from the legend of old. She went on to explain to Discord the intricacies of her deception. Their plan was simple enough, Using magic Ebony could attract thousands and millions of fans and when they came out to select shows Nymph could steal the energy they were giving off through their infatuation and attraction of Ebony.
“Now that we have shared our little secret I think it’s your turn” said Nymph with a sinister grin.
Discord thought about it , and it actually may present a great opportunity to transform and get out. Discord began to talk in an attempt to stall while he transformed . Ebony and Nymph weren’t foolish enough to allow him to neither transform nor allow him to roam unchecked. Nymph trotted over to Discord and before he could transform gave him a Big kiss. The magic from her kiss enchanted him giving her control over his actions. Discord could do nothing as he began to spill the details of He and Spikes plan. After a lengthy interrogation Ebony had all the answers she needed and began to get ready for her show. Discord finally passed out from exhaustion but Nymph made sure to keep him under control and close by.

With most of the hours of daylight burned out, it was almost time for the crew to meet up at the show. Rarity contemplated not going to the concert at all , but could not afford to breach the contract and besides it was always a treat to hear Gem sing. Rarity began to get ready and Gem thought it would be a good idea to check on Discord before he went to the show just to see what the word on the Ebony was.

Gem and Rarity shared a passionate good-bye kiss and Gem was off. Gem made his way through the crowd of photographers and galloped down to his suite in his effort to meet up with Discord. Gem trotted as fast as his hooves could muster and arrived back at his suite in what seemed like no time. Gem looked around for Discord but there was no sight of him, perhaps he had not even come back he thought for a moment. There was nothing he could do to contact Discord so Gem gathered his accessories for the show and was out the door within minutes. Before he left he noticed a paper at his door steep with a headlining reading “Two Places at Once.” Bellow the caption there was a photo showing him and Discord In disguise, his only salvation was the fact that this was a tabloid; but it did raise the question What Happened To Discord?
Gem left and headed towards the arena and made it there about the same time Rarity arrived.

“Darling, you look exhausted, Is everything okay?” Rarity asked with concern.

“Im fine, Perhaps I just need to rest for a bit.” Gem leaned in to Rarity for a hug , however Rarity stuck her hoof out in an effort to not get sweat on her.

“Darling, U need to bathe NOW”

“But….”

“No buts Darling, this simply cannot wait, were not far from ShowTime.”
Gem’s head hung low as Rarity’s rejection made him down, she saw this however and trotted to him and gave him a sweet peck on his cheek. With his spirits lifted and breath back in his lungs Gem trotted off to take a quick bath before ShowTime.
Rarity was headed to Ebony’s dressing room when she passed by her assistant creeping in one of the doors, something was just not right so she decided to snoop around a bit. Rarity carefully trailed the assistant making sure not to get caught when suddenly.

“Rarity? Sweetie, where are you?”

Rarity heard her name called and had no choice but to head over to Ebony, but she wasn’t going to let it slide that easily. Rarity arrived at Ebony’s dressing room and began to assist her with getting dressed for the show. Ebony was in a great mood and although she didn’t say much to Rarity, but she was all smiles.

“Sweetie did you happen to see these?” Said Ebony as she tossed a paper to Rarity. Rarity saw the headline and was baffled, how could there be two Gems? Rarity giggled and brushed off the notion carelessly. Ebony would applaud her stubbornness but that did not change the fact that Rarity was enemy number one and her time was almost up. Ebony began to talk about Gem and this began to bother Rarity, maybe it was the affect Gem had on her maybe it was just in her nature but Rarity was territorial and possessive and this was unacceptable. Rarity figured it was time to quit going in circles and get straight to the point.

“Darling, I do think you are a wonderful performer and I can tell of your great personality on the inside; however I would much appreciate it if you would cease advancing on Gem. You see it just makes things kind of awkward. SO do forgive me for being so forward, but I hope you understand.”

Ebony’s smirk faded and her expression changed to an angry scowl.
“Its all about you isn’t it?”

“Beg your pardon?” inserted a confused Rarity.

“Its always about you, I, I ,I, My, My, My, no pony ever gives you No for an answer do they?”
Fear filled Rarity’s eyes as Ebony’s anger began to grow.

“Well you see I….”

“SHUT UP, You Little spoiled BRAT”

“Brat !?, Ohhhhh noooooo,” Said Rarity asserting herself.”
No Pony Talks to me that way . I am a lady and I wish to be addressed as such. So do show some manners and home training and cease these petty accusations.”
Just then Ebony couldn’t contain herself and she zapped Rarity forcing her against the wall and thus confining her to it and she also covered her mouth.

“Can I tell you a story Rarity? Well Once upon a time there lived a Donkey, he wasn’t the most handsome thing in Equestria, but he had a great voice and a slick tongue. One day the Donkey meets a beautiful Mare and he said to himself “She’s the one.”

So try and try as he might the Mare never gave him the time of day. One day his advances finally paid off and the mare agreed to go out with him. After many encounters together the Donkey asked the mare for her hoof, she agreed and they lived happily ever after. Together they raised their one and only daughter; a mule named….ME”
Ebony’s eyes began to glow and magic smoke filled the room, Within moments Ebony was back in her true form, she was actually not a Mare at all but really a Mule in disguise. She Continued…

“This is my wretched original form”

“Confined to the wall, Rarity looked on with amazement at what had unfolded before her eyes. “

“You know my family use to tell me I was beautiful and special everyday. You see my mother was very beautiful, she was one of the most beautiful mares to ever exist, but Donkey’s and Mares don’t mix and when they do you get mules. The funny thing about me was when I was a young filly I actually got a Cutie Mark. No one ever heard of a Mule with a Cute Mark, but music and signing were my talents so I proudly worked on my craft daily. I remember My parents encouraging me every step of the way.”
Rarity was constantly squirming, and was finally able to get the seal removed from her mouth and began to ask. ” So Why are you doing this? “
Ebony walked to Rarity reaching out one hoof to her face. She gently caressed the side of Rarity’s white face before leaving it red with a hard SMACK.

“NO ONE TOLD YOU TO SPEAK”
Ebony continued…
“BUT Since you asked I will tell you…..My parents were loving and nurturing there was nothing I wanted for my entire life, except one thing. Love. Real love. True Love.
You see there was not a day that went by where my parents didn’t tell me I was beautiful, so I spent my life assuming everyone felt this way. I use to marvel at how other ponies loved my mother, she was so magnificent, but as for me all their smiles were hollow and fake. They only pretended to act like I resembled my mother. One day I remember meeting this colt, he was the most handsome Colt I had ever seen. He had a white coat, blue hair and was strong and sweet. I attempted to get his attention but he never noticed me. Well one day a couple of hoodlums were harassing me and he came to my rescue. I was so taken by his heroic gesture I fell for him completely. I remember every day I would write him letters, try to cook him lunch and show him how I felt, however my love went on unrequited. He understood who I was and accepted the real me, but ended up choosing some pretty bimbo of a mare. Was I not good enough? Or perhaps I was just Ugly!!!”

“I don’t know this Colt but Im sure he is quite the gentlecolt you say he is ,I doubt that somepony so heroic could be so cold” Interjected Rarity.

“Silence…What could you possibly know? You with your beautiful white coat, and bouncy hair, I bet you were a pony every pony wanted to know when you were a filly. You cant possibly convince me that nopony’s love for you has gone unrequited”
Ebony was spot on but now was not the time to boast this truthful tidbit so Rarity turned her head and said nothing.

“Even after that colts rejection I tried to get back out there and date. Every pony loved my voice, but when they saw me the real me, they ran in disgust and never looked back, some would even leave while we were out on dates. IT’S NOT FAIR”

Although she was being held captive Rarity could not help but feel sympathetic towards Ebony, she was but a mere Mule who never found love and became scorned after years of rejection.
“SO you see that brings me to today. One day in Cantorlot I came across a beautiful mare, who said she could make me beautiful, just as beautiful on the outside as I was on the inside. I originally laughed at the notion, but I was hardly in a position to do without, so I took her up on the offer and poof. There were a few other odds and ends but you get the gist of it.”
Nymph appeared in her true form bringing the reality of the situation fill surface. Rarity was shocked that this was even real.

“So why Gem, why this charade, Why me?” Rarity asked

Nymph decided to do some explaining this time and filled Rarity in on the details of her demise.
“Why? Ill tell you why.. Survival! The purpose of our little charade is survival. I may not look it but I am as old as Princess Celestia, and DO you know how I’ve been able to stay so fabulous all these years? L-O-V-E.”

“Love? Who could ever love someone as evil as you?” Rarity snapped

‘”Who said that they had to love me directly…? Ebony was the perfect choice, look at her she is a star, her passion and inner beauty,when physically manifested, displays a proud and rather unmatched beauty. Her fans love her, but at some shows they are certain fans who go beyond love and infatuation; some fans are obsessed. They want to be her, they want to be with her, they stalk her, they mimic her and that passion, that OBSESSION is what I am drawn to. The energy I get from those adoring-yet unfortunate fans is what sustains me., ha ha ha ha ha.”

“So that explains the fainting and comatose attendees.” Rarity blurted out.

“Precisely… “
Ebony couldn’t hold it in any longer, she had to get something off of her chest. She approached the subdued mare and went off.

“ Rarity , don’t get me wrong , I like you , I think you really are the most talented designer in all of Equestria, however at the moment I simply cannot stand you! Everything was fine, until that night Gem trotted into the picture. He was handsome, strong and talented. He is soooo my type and there was no way he could resist my charm, or so I thought. However things didn’t turn out the way I had imagined because Gem fancied YOU of all ponies. Not me the star, but you a lowly fashion designer. Why? What was so special about you? He sang for you, every song he writes is about you, even when I finally had him all to myself you were in his thoughts. You had his heart way before I could even Get his name. I hate you for that. ” Rarity snickered and replied “It is not my fault he could not resist one so Fabulous such as I…”
Nymph stepped in and picked up where Ebony left off.

“He not only loves you but he was obsessed from the beginning, I could smell his passion and I could see the aura of his obsession the moment he walked into the building. I have never came across a creature with such a loving, devoted and obsessed passion for another. He looked delicious.”
Ebony interjected.

“So Nymph and I made a deal. If I could somehow seduce and win Gem over with my affections and make him mine, then all the passion he had for you would be directed towards me thus feeding us for ages. “

Nymph and Ebony boasted so much about their plan they ended up telling Rarity almost everything. It was all too much to take in, she couldn’t even believe this was happening let alone process the concept. Rarity fainted and Ebony sent Nymph to go and fetch Gem so they could move forward with their diabolical plan.

After transforming back a disguised Nymph found Gem as he exited the gentlecolts room and relayed a message informing him It was time for sound check. Considering all that had happened in the past 24 hours Gem was reluctant to go but being a colt of his word he made up his mind to do it. Gem trotted to Ebony’s suite while Rarity’s unconscious body was hidden backstage. Gem made it to Ebony’s suite with plenty time to spare for practice however Ebony had no intention of going over the duet, her plan was seduction and interrogation. Upon entering Ebony slammed the door shut and pounced on gem like a lion to an antelope. With Gem pinned down she began to force herself onto him. Gem had fallen for this trick several times in the past but tonight something was different, he was in control and wasn’t going to take her advances lying down.
Prior to leaving the shower Gem made sure to keep his cologne on him. Gem used his words to convince Ebony to allow him to get up. He asked if it would be okay to freshen up and she agreed however unknown to her he took this opportunity to spray on his cologne. With the cologne serving as his armor, Gem was prepared. Ebony needed Gem under her control and, due to Discords intervention Ebony and Nymph had to push their plans up. This would mean that tonight’s show would be the finale nd there would be no show on Sunday evening. Ebony was up to her usual tricks, however with assistance from the double coat of cologne Gem was able to keep the upper hand. His magic was as equally as effective as hers was and this led to a stalemate. Ebony began to get frustrated, as her plan was not working the way she intended it to. Seeing that things weren’t working out the way she would have liked, Ebony asked him to meet her backstage and saw him out.

“What was that about?” asked Nymph

“I’m not sure Master, My charms had no effect on him.”

“Its no matter, Its too late for that one anyway”

Ebony and Nymph conversed amongst themselves putting the final touches on their sinister endeavor and with the opening curtain the final act of their affair was amidst.
The crowd roared and cheered shaking the walls of the arena. They were eagerly anticipating the entrance of their idol. Due to the reviews and the most recent scandal to rock Manehattan not one seat was left unfilled. The fire marshal was on high alert also because the venue was filled to capacity; but even he was a fan. The lights grew dim and with it the crowd’s volume. “Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”
Not one peep was heard for those few moments, and suddenly in a burst of lights, and magic Ebony made her grand entrance.

“Hellllllloooooo Sweeeeetie”
The crowd was now more lively than ever.

“4321….”

Ebony began to perform, putting on a show that was surly to be remembered, especially to those who would survive. 1 by 1 members of the audience were falling unconscious from having their energy drained. Gem watched from backstage. He awaited Rarity to come but she never did, but whenever he asked about her whereabouts they assured him that she was on the way. It was about halfway through Ebony’s show when he realized that Rarity might not be coming. Not only was Discord unaccounted for but also Rarity had gone missing. Something was not right and Gem could feel it. He knew he would be needed for the encore so he had a good 45 minutes to investigate, or so he thought.. Gem charged towards the hallway exit but was intercepted by security. He informed Gem that he was under strict orders not to let you leave the stage. Gem was appalled. “Orders? From who?”

“From Me.” Interjected the assistant.

“Is there a problem? Spike?”

“Yeah! I need to get by butttt thi thi thisss…”

Gem turned slowly to the source of the name and with his chest out and voice said.
“Who are you? And where is Rarity?”

“Oh don’t worry she’s fine, she’s resting comfortably back in her dressing room”
Gem lowered his stance and began to breath heavily. He was ready to charge, buck, fight, and bite if he had to.

“Psyche…ha ha ha ha ha ha.

She’s right over there. ”
Gem looked in the direction she was pointing only to see Rarity in chains, on stage.

“Now why don’t you be a good little pony and do as youre told. Ebony needs you on stage for this next number and I would hate for something to happen to your precious beloved Rarity. “

Gem was reluctant to agree and refused to give in , even with Rarity hostage.
The crowd thought it was all part of the act; some even found it symbolic. Rarity was in chains and dressed as a dragon, Ebony was the heroine and would zap the dragon; but unknown to the audience this was actually draining Rarity’s youth. Ebony was on stage putting on a theatrical show, and the audience ate every bit of it. Gem didn’t know what to do, his first instinct was to charge on stage and save his damsel in distress, however the assistant was beginning to make it clear that he wasn’t doing anything. Nymph took offence to Gem’s insubordination. Feeling frustrated and angry the assistant transformed to her true form. Gem’s mouth hit the floor as couldn’t believe his eyes, and just when things looked their worse, the unthinkable happened. Standing behind her was another him, he knew who it was but didn’t know what was going on. It was Discord, and while he was still in disguise he was very much under the heavy influence of Nymph’s magic. Gem attempted to reason with him, but he wasn’t hearing it, he wasn’t hearing anything that didn’t come from his mistress.

“Sick Em’” She shouted.

Discord charged at Gem tackled him but Gem rolled it off and stood back on his hoofs. Discord charged again and again, each time Gem dodged as if a matador taming a bull. Discord charged again only this time Gem kicked him square in his chin. This made Discord angry, suddenly he began to grow wings, and his eye lit ablaze with a bright red. His single fang grew long and sharp and so the rest of his teeth. He was fierce looking. In a rage Discord trashed the backstage area and eventually made his way to the stage. Nymph attempted to control him but to no avail. The crowed looked on with fear, but this wasn’t the fear of a life threatening catastrophe it was similar to the thrill you get as you go up a roller coaster. The crowd by now was fully convinced this was the greatest show of all time. The excitement from the crowd reached its peak and drove Nymph to drain a few unfortunate audience members completely unnoticed. Once full Nymph’s powers were at their maximum level. She used only a portion of her power to lock down the arena and destroy all cameras. Ebony went on singing as if it were all part of the act. However there was one pony in the crowd who watched it all and was positive that this wasn’t part of the show.
Discord was now onstage and out of control, Ebony didn’t even know what to do to control him, she tried to subdue him and was smacked across the stage landing all the way on the other side. It was at that moment when the crowd began to panic. In this panic one pony approached the stage. Normally she seemed timid and quiet, but tonight she was stern , assertive and pissed off. Fluttershy was in attendance and conveniently so, because she was the only one who Discord may even listen to. Fluttershy didn’t waste anytime trying to get Discord in line. Her first attempt was her signature Stare it made him flinch but that was about it. In retaliation for provoking him Discord took a swing at Fluttershy. Fluttershy avoided the blow but was so hurt by the attempt she pulled her foreleg back as far as she could and slapped Discord.

*SMACK* “Snap Out Of It”!
Discord paused and raised his left hoof to his face.

“Owwww, That hurt ya know”

“Discord quit playing around and do something. Quick”!!
Discord quickly assessed the surroundings and transformed back to his original form. This transformation did not go unnoticed by Nymph who rushed over and confronted Discord.

“So this is your true form I take it?” Asked Nymph.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuummmmmm” Discord stretched as if ignoring Nymph completely. When he was don’t he looked at her and said.

“Ok Im done talking”
ZAPP
Discord blasted Nymph with a powerful beam that knocked her to the ceiling. When she finally came down she was thoroughly pissed and charged Discord blasting a powerful fire spell at him. Discord defused it with Ice and spent a few minutes toying with her until Nymph got the urge to take a hostage. “Fluttershy RUN!” he yelled but it was too late, Nymph moved faster than Fluttershy could even react and just like that Fluttershy was in her grip. Gem used this time to rescue Rarity who had began to age and weaken. Gem was able to get her free from her chains but she was too weak to move and could barley talk.

“Hello Darling…cough…Im ready for my close up”

A deathly look of concern took over Gems face as he look at Raritys aged and withered appearance; this was followed by a boiling rage.

“No my dear , its okay . Don’t scream you’ll ruin that golden voice of yours, then I wont get to hear you sing.”

Gem lowered his head and smiled. Even though Rarity was old frail and weak he held her tightly as he always would if given the chance and as he cradled her body he began to softly sing in her ear.
Across the stage Ebony was just recovering from her attack, she had never seen Discords true form so she had no clue who he was, but by the time she figured out who was who and what was what, Discord said…

”Check mate.”

With just a snap Discord had Ebony in his grasp, he wasn’t foolish enough to negotiate mare for mere, oh no he was far too clever for that. Discord began to explain he had read all about her magic and knew what needed to be done to bring the game to an end. With his paw Discord grabbed Ebony’s horn and snapped it off.
Ebony Howled in pain as at part of her body was just torn from her and with it all her magic and energy she had stole. The magic from her horn flowed out uncontrollably; Discord also used the distraction to rescue Fluttershy. Once she was safe he created a force field over Fluttershy ,Rarity Gem and himself and watched as Ebony wept in agony as the magic spewed from her body. Once the magic was out and the dust settled the gang was in an arena full of thousands of sleeping fans and an awaken Rarity. Rarity was back to normal, but something was going on with Ebony. She was still undergoing some sort of transformation. Once she was done Ebony stood there a mere mule her cutie mark even disappeared. Gem looked on completely shocked, even though the two had this in common Gem still could not find it in his heart to forgive Ebony and gave her no sympathy. Nerly defeated and out numbered Nymph decided to pull a desperation move. She made the entire arena go black, snatched a beam from the falling curtain and launched it toward Rarity.

“Ahhh”

There was a thud. The body hit the floor with enough force to cause it to slide several feet. Rarity used her horn to generate light and Discord just tore a hole in the roof . It was a cool moon lit night and with enough light to see their surroundings the gang found Gem bleeding on the floor with a metal beam lodged in his side. Rarity ran over to him with no delay. Nymph laughed at Gems misfortune and used a powerful blast to set the arena ablaze.
“Ha ha ha ha Poor , poor Gem, Don’t let him fool you , he is just as guilty as Ebony or myself. So how about I let you in on his little secret… he’s not who he says he is, ha ha Oh no, in actuality he is….”
Rarity couldn’t take it anymore, she was hurt, confused and had been though too much.

“SHUT UP , SHUT UP SHUT UP !!!”. Just then she took a deep breath and with all the might she could muster she screamed

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.”
Suddenly a big blue light came from her horn and with it she zapped Nymph before she could escape turning her body into crystal. Her crystal body fell from the top of the arena and shattered to a million pieces the moment it impacted the floor. With the place coming down around them, there was no time to waste, everyone had to escape. Discord used his magic to put out the rest of the fire and transported the crowd outside.

“Where’s Ebony?” asked Rarity

“Pfffff , The heck if I know” replied Discord.

“Discord? Fluttershy… why ARE You two here? “
Discord Shrugged his shoulders an replied

“Royal Business”

“Royal Business you say?...Right anyway; we have to go back and save her” Pleaded Rarity.

“Good riddance I say.”

“Ill do it” said Gem is he tried to stand.”

“Youre in no condition darling, Please stay and gather your strength.” She continued.

“No I’m fine”
Gem stood up and limped back into the falling building.
Rarity tried to run after him but was held back by Fluttershy. She kicked and begged for them to let her stop him but they could not let her go. Gem ran back inside and found Ebony in the back corner of the stage. She was alive, conscious but not for long. She had planned to commit suicide as she couldn’t go on living the lie anymore. Maybe it was the pain , maybe it was the defeat but Ebony felt the need to atone for the lives she’s taken.
Ebony summed up her tragic past as she ran away from Gem in attempt to martyr herself.
Gem wasn’t having any luck so he decided to talk things out.

“Look I’m sorry, Truly I am. See I know what its like to not fit in, to go un-noticed and to sit back while the world gets to be happy while you suffer. I know what its like to want somepony. To want them; have them so close, but yet so far away. Who doesn’t want to to be happy? To love and be loved in return?”. Gem’s words were beginning to get through to Ebony as she stop trying to get away from him.

“I lied and lied and got other wrapped up in this whole mess all because of my obsession. I was so caught up in my own selfish desire to achieve my own happiness, that I didn’t even consider the pain and chaos I could inflict on those around me. I even ended up hurting the one mare I did all this for. “
Gem was feeling the full weight of the consequences of his actions and with remorse in his heart , he made Ebony an offer.

“Ebony you are very talented and passionate about your craft, Im so sorry I hurt you and caused you this pain, so to atone I would like to offer you my life.”

“Your life what do you mean?”
Gem sighed deeply “ As you know this is not my true form so maybe I can use the magic stored up in this body and you can get your body back. Im sure Discord could make that happen.”

“You would really do that for me?”

“Yes , See the thing is , I don’t belong here, in this form in this life, in this lie. I have to correct things, It wouldn’t be fair to Rarity to continue to lie to her.”

“You really love her don’t you Spike.”
Ebony limped over to Gem when suddenly a s large beam began to fall from the ceiling . Ebony and Gem covered their heads and were saved by Discords intervention.

“What’s going on here, Don’t you idiots see this building is coming down, we have to get you guys out of here.”

“Wait” said Gem.
He went on to fill Discord in on his plans for atonement, Discord wasn’t all to pleased with the notion of assisting Ebony, but he understood that this may be the best way to mend the situation and get things back to normal.
Discord poofed out of the falling building with Ebony Éclair in hoof. She was just as beautiful of a mare as she’d ever been, but somepony was missing.

“Gem, Where is Gem”

“He saved me” replied Ebony

“Saved you, so where is he? Discord where is Gem?”

“My dearest Rarity, I am sorry but this is all I found when I went back in.” Discord gave Rarity his emerald bowtie . Upon receiving it , Rarity feared the worst and began to bawl uncontrollably..

“There , There” Said Fluttershy as she attempted to console a Devastated Rarity

“C’mon now leta get you back to your room.”

“Gem!!! Gem!!!” Cried Rarity as Fluttershy waved down a cab forcing her inside.
Rarity was torn up inside and eventually cried herself to sleep.

“Well its been fun , but got to go” Discord snapped and within seconds was back at his suite and along for the ride was none other than Spike.
The following day Discord and Spike took one more look around before leaving to Ponyville. Spike found a paper at the door with a headline reading “Explosion Cancels Encore: Greatest show of all time cut short” The article went on to explain how Ebony was saved by Gem Jagger who went missing during the rescue. Just like that Gem Jagger was put to rest. Ebony still had her career and with none of Nymphs manipulative magic influencing her went on to atone for her past by going on dates with less privileged young gentlecolts. Back at her suite Rarity was still in awe over the previous night, suddenly there was a knock at the door. Fluttershy answered for her devastated friend and at the door found a letter address to her.
“Rarity it’s a letter for you” Rarity could careless that was until she was informed who it was from. Rarity levitated the letter to her, unpackaged it and began reading.

“My Dearest Rarity, I hope this letter finds you well. It was never my intention to cause you any hurt or pain so if I ever did I apologize. I have loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you and ever since that day I could not stop thinking of you. Being with you and making you smile became my ultimate goals, and while our time together was short I do believe I have accomplished that. It is not my wish to tell you good bye, unfortunately it seems as though destiny only intended our hearts to cross paths and not walk side by side. You will forever have my heart and I will always love you. Thank you for just being you and making our moments together magical. Farewell my love Adeu…
Sincerely, Gem Jagger”

Rarity smiled as tears of joy began to swell in her eyes. With the best smile she could muster Rarity turned to her friend and said “Lets go home”.
About an hour later Rarity and Fluttershy were on the first train back to Ponnyville and spent most of the ride quietly taking in all that had just happened. When Rarity and Fluttershy arrived back in Ponyville they were greeted by Twilight who had just made it back from her tour with a few days to spare. She expressed how she missed her friends and also strange activity was happening in Manehattan and Princess Celestia had to check it out. Twilight saw Rarity’s melancholy expression and asked

“Rarity whats the matter? Is everything alright”

Twilight trotted to Rarity giving her the biggest hug she could.

“Why don’t we go to the spa and you can tell me all about it, Oh before I forget, look who’s here to see you.”
It was Spike, he smiled and waved to Rarity and also presented her some flowers.

“Awww thank you Spikey Wikey , you know just how to make a girl smile”

“Hey I’m the one who’s been gone for about a month, where are my flowers?”
The gang all laughed, enjoying the bliss of their reunion. Rarity Looked at Spike and then got closer and closer.

“What’s wrong Rarity?” asked Twilight

“Oh nothing … ya know Spike Ive never noticed before but your eyes remind me of gems”
Fluttershy gasped causing a very awkward moment.

“Are you okay too Fluttershy?” asked Twilight

“Oh, no Im fine I just thought of something I forgot to do, but its fine”

“OK Great , but yes Spike your eyes remind me of gems more specially emeralds”

“Wheew…” Spike whipped the sweat from his forehead. Relived and content Spike hopped on Twilights back and the gang trotted off to the spa to enjoy a beautiful day of catching up.

The End