Night of the Fireflies

Chapter 10

Cherry’s Ranch, Appleloosa (The Morning of the Festival)

Spike sat on the edge of his bed, grasping the very necklace that had given him his human form. After a few moments of staring at the heart shaped sapphire, he was immediately reminded of Rarity…or more specifically her eyes. Ah yes, those beautiful blue eyes. Beautiful blue eyes that he would need to gaze upon in order to confess his most sincere desire. There was no better opportunity than this. A fun-filled day at the fair was the perfect set up for a romantic confession and it would all be topped off by giving her this necklace.

Despite his optimistic scenario, Spike couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge of sadness. It was not so much for his current situation but for the original reason he bought the necklace for in the first place. He spent, what felt like an eternity, earning the bits for this so he could express his love to the mare that his heart had so earnestly yearned for.

To Spike, this trinket was so much more than mere metal and stone…it felt like it was part of his very being. That’s why it was important that he give it only to someone he truly cared for. And even though he hadn’t known this world’s Rarity for long, he cared for the woman as if he’d known her for years.

Spike chuckled to himself. The irony of it is: I really did know her for years…at least the mare version anyway. It never ceases to amaze me how similar those two are despite the species difference. Maybe…that’s why I still love her, n-not that this world’s Rarity isn’t any less beautiful. It’s just in a more…human way, I guess. Geez…now I’m even THINKING like a human.

With a deep breath, he focused his mind once more. The choice was so obvious now. He needed to give her this necklace, regardless of whether she had feelings for him or not. It was the very least he could do to repay the generosity she’d shown him. And this time there would be no sadness or heartbreak to question his resolve! This necklace was always destined to be in Rarity’s possession, so who was Spike to deny fate any longer?

The young man was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he failed to hear someone enter the room. To be fair though, it wasn’t as if his door was locked or even shut for that matter so anyone could’ve taken the open door as an invitation to enter. Only after a few seconds did he hear the bed creak as someone else sat next to him. Much to his surprise, it wasn’t Rarity but Cherry for some reason. Noticing the look of shock upon his face, she carefully placed her hand on his leg.

“No need to look so spooked, hon. I just came in to check up on you.”

Spike cleared his throat. “Oh…sorry I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Ha ha ha! Well that much is obvious! Say, that’s a real fancy necklace ya got there. Is it a present for someone? Perhaps…it’s for a special someone?”

“You could say that.”

Cherry chuckled. “Well now, that would certainly explain why you weren’t paying attention to the world around you. Men always get so caught up in their romantic musings. So who’s the lucky gal?”

“Uhh…I don’t know if I should even be talking to you about this. No offence, but I just don’t know you very well.”

“None taken. But bear in mind that I was married at one point. So…I kinda have some experience with relationships, kiddo.”

Spike rubbed his neck. “I suppose that’s true. If you must know…i-it’s for Rarity.”

“So the dressmaker’s got your eye, huh? She’s definitely a looker. I’ll bet she’s got legions of men bending themselves over backwards just to please her all the time. What makes you think she’ll notice your advances?”

Spike nodded. “I don’t want to give her this necklace because I think it’ll impress her or anything like that. I want to give it to her because of what she’s done for me. She let me, a complete stranger, stay in her house because I had nowhere else to go. She bought me clothes when I didn’t have any more to wear. She offered me her friendship without hesitation. I’m giving her this necklace because she deserves it. Even if she rejects my feelings for her, I’m not going to regret giving her my most prized possession.”

“If you ask me, Rarity would be a fool not to snatch you up. It’s rare to find a man who’s so devoted to a woman that he wouldn’t ask for anything in return. And just between you and me, I don’t think your feelings are as one-sided as you think. That gal wouldn’t be dolling herself up so carefully right now for a guy she didn’t care about. Have faith, Spike. I have feeling that everything will work out just fine.”

“You really think so?”

“Mhmm. Call it woman’s intuition.”

Right as Cherry was about to leave, Rarity entered the room. She was wearing a light blue sundress that went down to her ankles and a pair of ebony colored cowboy boots. In the spirit of the festival, she chose to style her hair into pigtails that tapered off with a pair of ribbons that matched her boots.

The fashionista looked somewhat confused when she noticed that Cherry was in the room but didn’t comment otherwise. Once Cherry left, she daintily folded her dress underneath her legs and sat down next to Spike.

“I’m terribly sorry for taking so long. I had to help Applejack with her ensemble and take care of my own as well. Is…everything alright? You looked rather somber when Cherry was sitting next to you.”

Spike smiled. “Yep. Everything is alright. We were just discussing a few things. It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

“Well, alright. But don’t hesitate to tell me if something’s wrong. I don’t mind offering advice or lending an ear to listen.”

“I appreciate that Rarity. I honestly do. But this was something I had to ask someone older about. You know…somebody who’s been around the block a few times.”

Rarity frowned slightly in disappointment. “I suppose so. In any case, are you ready to depart?”

“Ready as I'll ever be, I guess. Hey…uhh sorry I didn’t dress up more.”

“It’s alright darling; the important thing is to enjoy the festivities.”

“I know but you really outdid yourself. I think you’d give AJ a run for her money with the whole country girl look. I especially love the cowboy boots. They’re down on the farm but sexy at the same time!”

Rarity blushed. “Ah well…it seems that great minds think alike! And if I may say so, you look quite dashing in that leather vest and cowboy hat.”

Spike tipped his white Stetson. “Why, thank ya kindly miss. How’s about we saddle up and git on outta here?”

The Festival Grounds, Appleloosa

After a light lunch, Spike and Rarity walked amongst the various snack stalls the festival had to offer. The one in particular that caught Spike’s eye was a vendor selling something called “funnel cake”. From the looks of it, the cake resembled a mass of doughy spaghetti with a liberal dousing of powdered sugar. And to top it all off, the damn thing was deep fried!

He had no doubt that Pinkie would’ve gone ballistic over such a decadent treat, were she here right now. But since she wasn’t here right now, it was his duty to try it for her. For a mere two dollars and fifty cents the vendor handed him a piping hot cake buried in powdered sugar.

Spike nibbled on a strand. “This…is AMAZING! Rarity you have to try some of this!”

“Oh I don’t think so darling. But thanks for asking.”

“Why not? It’s delicious!”

Rarity scrunched her nose. “I’m sure it is…to some people. But I’m afraid I can’t partake. It is simply far too greasy for my tastes.”

“Oh for Celestia’s sake, we’re at a festival! You’re supposed to eat unhealthy stuff. One little bite isn’t gonna kill you.”

“How can you be so certain? That thing you call a cake is loaded with an unholy amount of saturated fat and sugar! Why, I can see the oil soaking through the paper plate as we speak!”

“But fat means flavor! Delicious, artery clogging FLAVOR!”

“I prefer my arteries unclogged, thank you very much.”

Spike groaned. “Fine. Is there anything here that you’ll actually consider eating?”

“Well…there is one thing. Oh but I really shouldn’t.”

“C’mon Rarity just tell me! I promise that I’ll pay for it. What do you have to lose?”

Rarity huffed. “Aside from my trim waistline, nothing I suppose. Very well. If you must know, I’m rather partial to cotton candy.”

Luckily for Spike, there just so happened to be a vendor a few stalls down who sold cotton candy. Now, you’d think that anyone selling this particular product would have a certain look about them. A look that screamed “look at me I’m a candy maker!” or something to that effect.

Considering that Spike had been exposed to such individuals as the Cakes, Bon-Bon and Pinkie Pie, his assumption was completely understandable. However, this was not the case. The blonde haired man running the stall looked like he was about twice the size of Big Mac with enough muscle to make even the most seasoned body builder weep in shame. He stared at Spike with his fiery red eyes expectantly.

Spike twiddled his fingers. “Good day to you mister! I was wondering…if I could get some cotton candy.”

The burly man smiled. “Sure can do buddy! What flavor do you want? I’ve got plenty to choose from. Let’s see: there’s grape, cherry, orange, regular and maple!”

“Heh, uhh…maple sounds good.”

“YEEAAAAAHHHHH! That’s my favorite flavor too. You owe me two bucks, buddy.”

“H-here you go. Say, I don’t mean to be rude but how did a guy like you end up selling cotton candy?”

The burly man bellowed with laughter. “I get that question a lot. I’m usually a body builder during the pro season but I’ve always enjoyed making candy as a hobby. It helps bring in some extra CAAAAAASHHHHHH!”

“That’s cool. I can totally respect that. My name’s Spike, by the way, and the lady over there is Rarity. We’re in town for a few days to enjoy the festival.”

“Bulk, nice to meet you. I hope your lady-friend enjoys the candy. Here’s my card if you’re interested in catering for parties.”

Spike took the card and shook his hand. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Later, Bulk.”

“Enjoy the rest of your DAAAAAAYYYYY!”

Despite her earlier protests, Rarity looked as if she was in a state of pure bliss as she nibbled on her sugary treat. Spike couldn’t help but start giggling when he noticed several clumps of candy sticking to her face. Realizing this, Rarity blushed and tried her damnedest to wipe the offending confection from her face but it only ended making her situation even worse. By this point, Spike graduated from giggling to full out belly laughing while Rarity gave him the death stare.

Rarity puffed out her cheeks. “It’s not funny Spike!”

“Bwahahaha! S-sorry—hahaha! You looked just like a little kid!”

“Well I’m terribly sorry that I enjoy cotton candy! It happens to remind me of my childhood. Hmmph!”

“It’s ok Rarity, calm down. I wasn’t trying to insult you. I thought it made you look really adorable…for some reason.”

Rarity coughed awkwardly and blushed. “F-fine! But I really don’t appreciate being laughed at.”

“Ok, ok. I’m sorry I laughed at you. I’ll try not to do it again. But at least you enjoyed the candy, right?”

Rarity sighed. “Yes, I will admit that it was delicious. In fact, I was surprised that such a muscular looking man could craft such fine confections.”

“Yeah, me too. I thought he was going to break me in half just for looking at him funny. But he seemed like a pretty cool guy.”

“Mhmm. It’s true what they say. One mustn’t judge a book by its cover!”

Spike kicked a pebble. “That’s certainly true. So uhh…is there anything in particular you want to do?”

“I didn’t really have any concrete plans, no. However, I wouldn’t mind if we tried out a few games. Specifically, the ones where you can win prizes if you achieve a certain goal. Applejack is always rambling on about how good she is at target shooting games, so I’d like to check out at least one of them…if for no other reason than to sate my curiosity.”

Spike let out a soft sigh of relief because he didn’t have anything planned either. Granted, he wasn’t exactly experienced with this whole “going on a date” thing but even he knew that a lack of activity led to awkward silence and eventually boredom. And boring was never an adjective anyone wanted used to describe their date.

As luck would have it, the area where the games were located wasn’t very far from the snack stalls. Spike had to wonder if it was set up that way on purpose. After all, when people were done eating they tended not to think about food anymore. When you don’t think about food, your mind craves other things to occupy itself with. During a festival, one of the best ways to occupy one’s mind (and in some cases wallet) was with carnival games.

When Spike started walking again, he was surprised to feel Rarity grab his arm and intertwine it with her own. He paused for a moment just to see if it was perhaps a mistake or maybe she lost her footing and needed him to prevent her from falling. As time wore on she didn’t relinquish her grip, providing evidence that she was holding onto him of her own volition. Granted, it wasn’t as intimate as a kiss or even a hug but it proved that the young woman was comfortable around him. This was definitely a good sign.

Speaking of good signs, Spike happened to notice a promising game that offered prizes that he was fairly certain Rarity would like. The premise was simple: all you had to do was hit some little metal plate as hard as you could with a hammer and depending on the score you got, you could choose a prize. Most of the lower end prizes were comprised of various stickers and posters while the higher end prizes consisted of a plethora of plushies that would please even the pickiest person.

Rarity squeezed his arm. “Why don’t we try this one?”

“Sure, why not? Is there any prize in particular that you want me to win?”

“Oh…well it doesn’t matter, I suppose. As long as you try your best and have fun.”

Spike chuckled. “I’ll be sure to aim for one of the plushies!”

Rarity rolled her eyes when she saw Spike grab the largest and heaviest hammer available. Men. Always trying to show off in front of others, if only to prove their own machismo. I mean…it’s not that I don’t appreciate that he’s trying to win me a good prize but that’s no reason for him to potentially hurt himself. Oh dear…that hammer does look rather heavy. I hope he doesn’t pull a muscle…

With practiced ease that surprised everyone, Spike effortlessly whacked the tiny metal plate. A few seconds later the digital meter next to the strength test read 990 (the highest possible score was 1000). The slack-jawed owner of the stall quietly congratulated the young man and allowed him to pick any prize he wanted. Naturally, he picked the cutest stuffed animal he could find. It was a green dragon with purple wings and adorable mismatched googly eyes. He presented Rarity her prize with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“I hope you like it.”

Rarity squealed and hugged the dragon. “It’s soooooo adorable! I absolutely love it! But if I may ask, how in world did you manage to score so high on the strength test?”

“Eh? It wasn’t really that hard. I used to haul stuff around a farm all day, back in Equestria. I guess I must be pretty strong then?”

“I would certainly say so, darling. The same likely applies to Big Mac, considering that he is in a similar line of work…and AJ as well, I imagine.”

“Huh, you’re probably right. I guess that’s why I have so many muscles as a human.”

Rarity bit her lip. “Indeed…not that it’s a bad thing. Anyway, what else would you like to do?”

“Well…I’d like to do something a little off the beaten path, if you don’t mind.”

“Like what?”

“The sun’s going to set soon and uhh…I’d like us to spend some time together just watching the fireflies. Is t-that alright? Heh, I mean I can totally understand if you don’t want to. You know, since it’s kind of boring and all…”

Rarity smiled. “I’d love to. And please don’t fret. There is nothing boring about enjoying nature in the company of a good friend.”

“Thank Celes—errr I mean that’s cool. Shall we get going?”

“Lead the way, darling.”

Rarity and Spike sat on a wool blanket they purchased from one of the local Buffalo Tribe weavers and watched as dozens of fireflies lazily hovered around them. Since the blanket was relatively small, the two of them had to sit pressed up against each other’s shoulders, but neither of them minded. For a half hour they didn’t utter a single word. They were content to bask in one another's presence and simply enjoy the nature around them.

Rarity rested her head against Spike’s shoulder. “It’s so beautiful Spike. I feel as if I could sit here and watch them fly around forever.”

“They are something, aren’t they?”

“Mhmm.”

“Hey Rarity, do you mind if I tell you something…a little personal?”

“Go on darling, I’m all ears.”

Taking a deep breath, Spike reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace. It didn’t shine as brightly as it would have had the sun still been out but it still glimmered in the late evening moonlight. As soon as Rarity saw it, her heart skipped a beat.

“Rarity. This is the only thing I have left from my world. I consider it my most prized possession and I truly believe that it was responsible for transforming me into a human. That being said, I want you to have it.”

Rarity gasped. “I-it’s beautiful. But I can’t possibly take it! It’s far too precious to you!”

“I know, but it’s important that you accept it. I want you to have it because I think there is no one more deserving of it than you.”

“W-what exactly did I do to deserve such a fabulous gift?”

Spike laughed. “Everything, Rarity. You provided me with a home when I had none. You clothed me when I didn’t even have a shirt to place upon my back. But most importantly…you offered me your friendship and believed my story when you had absolutely no reason to trust me.”

“I…w-was only doing what I thought was right. It’s not really that big of a deal…”

“IT’S A BIG DEAL TO ME! I know I can’t possibly repay the kindness and generosity you’ve shown me but the least I can do is give you this necklace. Please, just accept it.”

Rarity gently grasped the necklace. “This isn’t just a token of gratitude…is it?”

“Rarity…I know we haven’t known each other for very long but I’ve grown to love you. Maybe it’s your silky hair or the way the sun reflects in your beautiful blue eyes…or that melodious laugh you make when you’re happy. I can’t really narrow it down to any one thing. I just…love everything about you! Even if…you don’t feel the same way about me, I still want you to have the necklace.”

Rarity stared at the necklace in her hands while hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Never in her entire life had she ever heard such a passionate, honest and moving confession. She had to admit that she did, in fact, feel attracted to Spike. But now, after hearing his confession, it was hard to say if her crush hadn’t evolved into something…more serious.

How could she possibly refuse him? It would break the poor man’s heart if she didn’t return his feelings in earnest. Here was her knight in shining armor, ready to whisk her to a faraway castle. All she had left to do was offer a token of her affection and hope that it was enough.

After taking a deep breath, Rarity tackled Spike to ground and jammed her lips against his. At first, Spike didn’t respond because he was so surprised but he eventually returned her affection by slowly caressing her tongue with his own. Rarity eventually (and reluctantly) broke off the kiss but not before nibbling on Spike’s lower lip. Once she composed herself, she grabbed Spike’s hand and laid her head on his chest.

“I don’t know if my feelings for you are quite as strong, but rest assured I will try my hardest to return them.”

Spike kissed her forehead. “That’s all I ask.”

Author's Note

Whew~ I think I maxed out my feels-o-meter writing this. I really hope that the Sparity shipping feels natural. I didn't want it to feel abrupt or awkward. As for the next chapter I'm going to be focusing back on Ponyville (The one with Humans in it) and what's going on around there. Oh and trust me, it's going to be hilarious because some surprise guests come to visit Rarity's house.