The Rarest of Them All

Chapter 1

Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville

The blazing summer sun shone brightly against Spike’s violet scales, as he hefted yet another basket of apples into the storage cellar of the Apple family barn. Apple Bloom trotted close behind him with a basket of her own apples perched upon her back. Spike placed his own basket down and blew a short puff of air out of his nostrils. It had been five years since Twilight had been crowned as Equestria’s new princess and many of the ponies he knew and loved changed just as drastically as his big sister did.

Apple Bloom had grown into a beautiful mare, now sporting a red bandana instead of her trademark red bow. Her flanks proudly displayed an apple blossom with a pair of crossed wrenches in the middle. She still helped out on the farm from time to time, but she usually worked in the Manehatten ship yards as a mechanic. Spike had to admit that she possessed the same sort of rustic beauty her sister did but…he only had eyes for one mare.

It all came down to that mare. She was Rarity, the alabaster goddess with eyes that shined like sapphires. She was the very reason he was working on the farm today. In fact, ever since he reached his growth spurt a little over a year ago, he had taken it upon himself to work odd jobs around Ponyville to earn some extra bits.

What did Spike wish to use all those bits on? While doing a bit of window shopping, he just so happened to find a dazzling sapphire necklace during the time he was visiting Twilight in Canterlot a year ago. This necklace was crafted from the finest white gold and had an exquisitely cut sapphire in the shape of a heart set in the middle. On that day, Spike decided that he would confess his feelings to Rarity, and present her that necklace as a token of his affection.

He had just recently purchased the necklace and was merely waiting to complete his work day at the farm. Spike’s precious treasure lay neatly packaged in a small velvet box, tucked away in his pleather satchel. Despite his determination and excitement, he still had one place to go before he could visit his beloved Rarity. He needed to stop by the library to visit his big sister.

By this point, Twilight had taken to living in Canterlot for most of the year. However, summertime was when she was allotted a short reprieve from her duties as princess. For two whole weeks she would stay in Ponyville, relaxing and catching up with friends. Spike felt it would be a nice to bring over a few apples and spend some quality time with his sister.

Just as he exited the cellar, AJ and Bloom stood in front of him with satisfied smiles on their faces. The both of them proceeded to give each other a congratulatory hoof-bump and then sat on the cool grass.

AJ popped her neck. “Celestia almighty! We sure did get a lot of work done today! Thanks for all your hard work Spike, we couldn’t have done it without ya.”

“Heh…aww it was nothing AJ. Just doing my job.”

“Maybe so, but ah still wanna give ya a bonus. How’s about ya join us in the kitchen for some cider?”

“Alright, I guess a little cider wouldn’t hurt. But don’t let me drink too much because I don’t want to be drunk when I go visit Twi.”

AJ waved her hoof. “Spike, you’re a dragon not a dainty little filly. It’d probably take at least five barrels of cider just to get ya tipsy. So quit your belly achin’.”

Once the three made their way inside, they found Big Mac sitting at the table, slowly sipping a cup of tea while reading a book. Bloom got out the mugs, while AJ hefted a small keg of cider from the ice box. Once she was satisfied that everyone had gotten their fill, she took a big gulp from her mug and slammed it onto the table, letting out a sigh. Spike only took small sips from his own mug, staring out the window.

Mac cocked his eyebrow. “You look like somethin’s on your mind Spike.”

“Huh? Oh, sorry I was just thinking.”

“Thinkin’ about mares? Or should ah say a particular unicorn mare perhaps?”

Spike blushed. “I wasn’t…fine you caught me. I’m just really nervous Mac.”

“Why’s that?”

“I finally bought that necklace I saw a year ago. I’m gonna do it Mac, I’m going to tell Rarity how I feel about her tonight!”

Both Bloom and AJ smiled, letting out a soft coo that was combination of amusement and warm-fuzzy feelings. Mac, in the meantime, put down his book and patted Spike on the shoulder. The dragon finished the remainder of his cider and smiled at all of them. Now, more than ever, he felt like the Apples were his second family.

Bloom chuckled. “Well it’s about time ya told her how ya feel! Sweetie and ah were placin’ bets on how long it was gonna take ya. Looks like ah won!”

“Seriously? Ughh…that’s so wrong! I can’t believe everypony treats my love life like it’s some kind of game.”

“Now, now calm down Spike. We didn’t mean any harm by it. Although…lookin’ back on it, it does seem a might immature. I’m sorry Spike. You deserve to be happy with Rarity and ah hope everythin’ works out for the both of ya.”

Spike wrapped one of his wings around Bloom’s side. “Thanks Bloom, that means a lot to me.”

Bloom wrapped her fore-hooves around the young drake and returned his affection with a hug of her own. AJ trotted up to him and offered a gentle muzzle of her own. With a glint of steel in his eyes and a fire in his belly, Spike waved goodbye to the Apples and took off for Golden Oaks Library.

Spike landed in the middle of the town square, near Sugarcube Corner. It was still mid-afternoon and he felt that a quick pastry run wouldn’t spoil his dinner. So the drake made his way into the bakery to buy some specially made turquoise cupcakes. Mrs. Cake was busy stocking bread behind the counter, while Pinkie and Pumpkin were sitting at one of the tables by the door, playing a game of go-fish. Spike barely uttered a word before he was glomped from behind by a certain rambunctious pink party machine.

“HI SPIKE! Ooohhh I’m so glad to see you. *Gasp* My lower intestine is twitching. Do you know what that means!?”

“Uhhh…you have gas?”

“Hmm well yeah that happens sometimes, but NOPE! Thaaaat means you bought something for somepony. I’m guessing it’s a finely crafted 24 karat white gold necklace with a heart sapphire.”

“Yes, actually. How did you?” Spike just chalked it up to be Pinkie being Pinkie, “It’s a gift for Rarity; I’m going to confess to her tonight.”

“Awww that’s so sweet. I wish somepony would sweep me off my hooves like that. Rarity’s one lucky mare to have you chasing after her.”

“Y-you really think so?”

Pinkie nodded. “Mhmm. I sure do! But…”

“What? Is there something wrong?”

“I dunno Spike. I just have a really bad feeling. It’s kind of hard to explain. Sometimes my Pinkie Sense can be a little vague, even for me. All I can say is that I think something bad is going to happen and it probably has to do with you.”

Spike grabbed Pinkie’s hoof. “Are you sure can’t be any more specific than that? What if it’s something really bad like losing my wings or I end up burning somepony’s house down!? PLEASE TELL ME!”

“I-I’m sorry Spike but I can’t really tell you anything more than that. I just don’t know…”

Mrs. Cake, hearing the alarmed tone in Spike’s voice, trotted over to him and placed her hoof on his shoulder. Realizing that he might have unintentionally hurt Pinkie’s leg, the drake released her hoof and rubbed his forehead. Pinkie managed to smile, even though she rubbed her hoof lightly.

“Pinkie, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I got a bit carried away. I’m just so…damn nervous about all of this!”

Mrs. Cake rubbed his back. “It’s alright dear. We all know that you didn’t do it on purpose. If it makes you feel any better, I was a nervous wreck before I asked Carrot out on our first date.”

“Really?”

“Oh heavens yes! Carrot and I both attended the same culinary school back then. You might not believe it, but he was quite the looker and he was the best pastry chef in the whole class to boot. I really thought that I didn’t stand a chance, since a lot of the other mares had their eyes on him.”

“So what did you do?”

“I poured my heart and soul into making his favorite pastry: a triple layer lemon sponge cake. Heck, I even made into the shape of heart. The next morning I presented it to him and gave him the best Prench kiss I could manage. He went stiff as a board afterwards and didn’t say anything for a few moments. But then he started to laugh and kissed me back with just as much passion, if not more. And the rest is history.”

Pinkie wiped her eyes. “*Sniff* that story gets me every time.”

“Spike, my point is that you need to be confident and tell Rarity your feelings, regardless of if she feels the same way about you or not. I was lucky that Carrot liked me just as much but even if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have regretted confessing one bit. Now, go out there give Rarity your best million bit smile!”

Spike strode towards the Golden Oaks library with newfound confidence swelling in his chest. Tonight was going to be perfect, he just knew it. But that same nagging little thought wormed its way into the back of his mind. What if Pinkie’s bad feeling had to do with Rarity? Was it possible that she already had a special somepony? No, it couldn’t be that. Spike had known Rarity for years and he never saw her with anypony or give the slightest hint that she was in a relationship.

But…what if she didn’t see him in the same way he saw her. It wasn’t entirely unheard of for ponies to be in relationships with buffalos, griffons, or even zebras. However, Spike couldn’t recall anypony being with a dragon or even finding them attractive for that matter! Dragons, if they were mentioned, typically took mares (and the occasional stallion) as part of their hoard. Ponies were not seen as sapient beings, but rather as mere trophies or playthings.

Spike let out a morose chuckle. It all made sense, now that he thought about it. Before his growth spurt he had been a diminutive, baby dragon that most ponies found adorable. But now…he looked more like the proper gem-crunching carnivore that would raze cities without a second thought. Many of the ponies in town still treated him as they did before, considering that he was a staple fixture in Ponyville for years. Still, he couldn’t help but notice that sometimes the occasional pony would show that telltale hint of fear in their eyes, as if he would eat them on the spot. This was especially the case when he visited Canterlot.

Spike violently shook his head. Rarity had never been like that. She had always treated him with the utmost kindness and respect and that was one of the many reasons he loved her so dearly. That glorious goddess of fashion with the generous heart would never look at him as a monster. She had already proven that after his rather embarrassing greed induced growth spurt, all those years ago.

The young drake took a deep breath, pushing away any shred of doubt that still lingered. He was going to do this, whether he failed or not. It was always better to fail at something, rather than live with the regret of inaction. In any case, he didn’t want to visit Twilight as a nervous wreck. She would want him to talk about it and try to comfort him, like any good sister would. Twilight didn’t deserve to have all of his anxieties unloaded onto her. He was going to have a pleasant afternoon visit with his sister, even if his stomach felt like a cauldron full of flaming butterflies!

Spike knocked on the door. “Hey Twi, its Spike! Are you home?”

He waited for a few moments and tried calling out to her again. Several minutes went by and still no response. He checked the door and found that it was unlocked, which meant that Twilight was home. She was kind of the mare who ALWAYS locked the door before she left the library. Still, it wasn’t entirely odd that she didn’t answer the door. Sometimes Twilight would get so wrapped up in a book, that she barely paid any attention to the world around her. Perhaps she was just taking a shower. There were a myriad of different reasons for why she didn’t answer the door.

Spike stepped inside and found that Twilight wasn’t in the library. Next he checked the kitchen, she wasn’t there either. He went upstairs and found that the bathroom was also unoccupied. That could only mean that she was in her bedroom. As he approached his sister’s bedroom, he heard what sounded like…moaning? It most certainly sounded like Twilight and she didn’t sound too good. Maybe she was sick. Spike slowly cracked open the door, so as not to disturb her if she was trying to sleep.

What he witnessed in that room made his heart plummet straight into his stomach. Oh he had found Twilight that was for sure, but he also found Rarity. Under normal circumstances seeing both mares in the same room wouldn’t have been that unusual, considering that they were close friends. However, this was most certainly NOT normal circumstances.

Twilight was spread eagle on her bed, while Rarity hungrily licked her marehood. With one final lick, Rarity removed herself from her lover’s honeypot and planted a deliberately slow kiss onto her lips. After their tongues wrestled for a few seconds she broke off the kiss and placed her head in the crook of Twilight’s neck.

“I do hope you enjoyed that, my little sparkle kitten. There’s nothing like a good orgasm to melt one’s cares away.”

Twilight ran her hoof through Rarity’s mane. “I sure did. Hah! If anypony had told me that you and I would become marefriends, I would’ve said they were crazy. But I’m really glad that we did. I know you didn’t exactly find your prince but…hopefully a princess is a fair substitute?”

Rarity nibbled her ear. “More than fair darling.”

“I just…feel kind of guilty.”

“Now, why on Equestria do you feel like that? I made it perfectly clear that my feelings for you were mutual.”

“I know Rarity and believe me; I love you with all of my heart! But, what about Spike? He’s been in love with you for years and I feel like I’ve stabbed him in the heart for…making you my mare.”

“Shhh. Let’s not dwell on that.”

“B-b-but if he ever finds out…”

Rarity placed her hoof on Twilight’s lips. “Sparkle kitten, you know I admire Spike and treasure him as a dear friend, but I’m simply not attracted to dragons. I tried my best not to lead him on…but he was always so adamant with feelings towards me. That is why I agreed to keep our relationship a secret for this long. Unfortunately, we will have to tell him and his heart will be broken. There’s no avoiding it.”

Both mares looked towards the door when they heard it swing open. The drake before them was a lifeless husk, compared to his normally positive demeanor. His wings hung limply as if they were soaking wet. Spike stared at his sister with glazed emerald eyes, desperately searching for an explanation…but there was none to be found. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.

“Twilight…how could you?”

Twilight’s ears flattened against her skull. “Spike, I swear I didn’t do this to hurt you! Please, you have to believe me.”

“Why? Just tell my why. Why, of all ponies, did it HAVE to be HER?!”

“It’s not like I planned it! Rarity…s-she was there for me when I needed her. She helped me relax when I having troubles with my new duties. At first it was only tea and a quick massage but…we started talking more and then our visits started to get a bit more intimate.”

Rarity put her hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Spike, please don’t get angry at Twilight. The feelings that I developed for her were rather spontaneous and I’m still coming to terms with the fact that I find mares…attractive.”

“Don’t you dare try to console me! Why couldn’t you have told me sooner that I wasn’t good enough for you?”

“Darling, you’ve been nothing short of an exemplary gentledrake for as long as I’ve known you. I just don’t find dragons attractive. Please don’t take it personally, but I wanted to be with a pony. I’m truly sorry Spike. I knew it would break your heart, so that’s why I wanted to avoid telling you.”

“It was never going to work out, was it? Ha! Hahahaha! What a waste…”

“I , for one, don’t believe it was a total waste. We had a perfectly wonderful friendship. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“Oh so that’s what you want to call it? You knew about my feelings! You knew that I would do anything you asked. SO you just strung me along to do your bidding, like some servant! Is that what you call friendship?”

Rarity bit her lip. “I…. “

“That’s what I thought. I’ve had it. I’m done with everything! I think it’s high time that I leave. Oh and I don’t just mean the library. I’m done with Equestria! I’m tired of being a dragon in a pony’s world.”

Twilight frowned at Rarity and pulled herself out of bed. She slowly trotted over to Spike and wrapped her hooves around his neck, encircling him in a tight hug. The drake ceased his tirade for just a moment, but did not return his sister’s hug. He gently removed himself from her grasp and walked over to the window.

“You guys don’t know what it’s like to be a dragon. Sure, most of the ponies in town know me. Heck, I’m good friends with some of them. But…no matter where I go, ponies have that look of distrust in their eyes. It’s like they expect me to eat their foals or burn their house down. I just…can’t live like this anymore.”

“Spike, please don’t go! It doesn’t matter that you’re a dragon. You’ll always be my baby brother. I love you so much Spike. Please…just stay here. We’ll find a way to get through this!”

“I love you too Twi, but I have to do this. There’s too much heartache here.”

Spike took a deep breath, allowing a few hot tears to drop onto the wooden floor. He clenched his fists, trying to gather as much magical fire in his throat as he possibly could. The two mares in the room watched with a mixture of horror and amazement as Spike bathed his entire body in emerald flames. When he finally disappeared, Twilight collapsed onto the floor, sobbing into her hooves.

Spike materialized in a small room, filled to the brim with antiques and various heirlooms. He felt an intense wave of nausea overwhelm his senses, as he stumbled into a wall. The dragon tried to fight it but ended up vomiting all over the floor anyway. Living creatures were never meant to travel by magical flame. In fact, Spike was surprised that he even survived the journey intact. After wiping his mouth, he mustered as much strength as he could to look around the room. He let out a sigh of relief when he found what he was looking for. In the center of the room was a large, ornate mirror.

To anyone else looking at it, the mirror wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. However, Spike knew better. Five years ago, both he and his sister had found out that it was actually a portal to another universe. A universe that was full of creatures called “humans”. Oddly enough, this alternate universe had humans that mirrored all of his friends from Ponyville. The first time he had stepped through the portal, he had been transformed into a dog…much to his dismay. It was a long shot, but he held a tiny sliver of hope that perhaps this time he might become a human instead.

Spike ran his claw over the mirror’s surface and was surprised to find it rippling in response. He had nearly forgotten that the portal was only active every thirty moons. It was an extremely fortunate stroke of luck, in spite of his impulsive plan. He whispered a prayer of thanks to Luna and steeled his nerves. Spike bit his lip, realizing what cycle of the moon it was tonight. If he were to enter the portal, he would likely be stuck in the human universe for the duration of the thirty moons.

The drake reached into his satchel and pulled out the necklace he intended to give to Rarity. He clenched it tightly to his chest, pooling all of his thoughts into a singular desire. Just this once, I want to fit in. I want to be like everybody else. I want to be loved, not as a sibling or a friend but as myself. Spike closed his eyes and jumped into the mirror.

Spike opened his eyes to find that he was inside someone’s home. The first thing he noticed was how odd his body felt. He held up his claw to find that it was actually no longer a claw. It was a human hand! Spike laughed like a madman, thanking whatever bizarre power gave him this wonderful gift. Once he settled down, Spike noticed something odd. The room seemed incredibly drafty for some reason. Just as he was about to contemplate the reason why, he heard something rustle behind him. Spike took a few steps toward the sound and shouted in surprise as he stepped on something. This led him to fall straight on his ass, creating a loud thump. A few seconds later he heard a feminine voice call out.

“*Yawn* Sweetie is that you? Do you have any idea what unholy hour of the night it is? I’ll have you know that my beauty sleep is very important and I…”

Spike slowly stood up. “Umm…hi?”

The woman screamed. “WHO ARE YOU!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE AND WHY ARE YOU NAKED!?”

“C-calm down! I don’t mean you any harm.”

The woman grabbed a pillow and began pummeling him with it. “You expect me to believe that? You’re just a dirty exhibitionist pervert, intent on having your way with me! I’m warning you, I KNOW JUJITSU!”

Spike waved his hands. “I know this looks bad but just give a minute to explain!”

“Fine…but that’s all you get. You stay put while I grab you a towel. I refuse to have a conversation with a naked stranger.”

A few minutes later the woman returned with a fluffy pink towel, throwing it towards Spike. She then proceeded to turn on a lamp that was sitting on her bed stand. Spike’s mouth practically dropped to the floor when he saw her. There was no mistaking it. She was the human version of Rarity.

“Good, you’re covered up. Would you care to explain why you were prancing around my room in the nude, at two in the morning?”

“Do you happen to remember a girl named Twilight?”

Rarity cocked her eyebrow. “Yes…but what does she have to do with any of this?”

“I know this is going to sound really weird but I’m her dog, Spike. Errr…well I used to be her dog. Now I’m a human!”

“I can see that quite clearly darling. Normally I would classify you as a lunatic but due to recent events, I am slightly more inclined to believe in strange occurrences. I take it that you arrived through that magical mirror Twilight spoke of?”

“Yeah but for some reason I wound up in your room, instead of Canterlot High. Maybe the mirror just randomly picks where the portal shows up.”

“Perhaps. I know nothing of magic so I can’t really say otherwise. You know, you’re actually fortunate to have wound up in my home instead of Canterlot High. Otherwise, you might have been arrested for indecent exposure.”

Spike scratched his head. “I’m sorry…but I don’t really get why it’s such a big deal that I’m not wearing any clothes.”

“Oh right, you were a dog. Humans do not frolic about in the nude. We wear clothing for warmth, just as much as we do for modesty. And style of course! The only times when we do get naked is when we bathe or….*ehem* want to get intimate.”

“I guess that makes sense. No wonder I’m so cold.”

“I take it that you don’t have anywhere to stay or any clothes for that matter?”

“Nope, sorry.”

“Very well. I suppose I’ll let you stay in the guest room for the time being. As for clothes, there should be one of my father’s old robes in the closet. You may wear that until we get some proper attire for you at the store.”

“Thanks for being so understanding.”

Rarity smiled. “You’re quite welcome. *Yawn* Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading back to bed. Goodnight Spike.”