Author's Note

READ ME

This is the first of what I hope will be many 'reader request' additions to the Red Shoe Diaries series. My thanks to the requestor, and I hope everyone enjoys the finished product. :)

Timeline Note
This chapter occurs approx. 20 years later in the show's universe. As a result, both Rarity and Spike have been aged up from their in-show appearance.

Rarity is now in her early 40s
Spike is now in his early 20s

Episode 10 - Parting Gifts (Rarity-Spike) [Reader Request]

Dear Red Shoes,

It's one thing to lose a love that was already safely in your hooves. But ignoring a love that was right in front of you, and then only recognizing it when it's nearly gone... I'm not sure which is worse. Either way, it wasn't easy then, or now. Then again, if it was easy, you wouldn't have placed that ad in the paper, and I wouldn't be adding my own heartache to your mailbox.

The ironic thing is, I spent the prime of my life searching for some prince charming when the love of my life was literally next to me nearly every day. He pined for me from the moment we first met, but I never returned his feelings in kind. At least not in the same way. It wasn't like I was opposed. I... I guess I thought it wouldn't work, or it was just a phase, or any number of excuses that I clung to as time went on.

To my shame, it wasn't until he was set to walk out of my life forever that I gathered the courage to say something. I had let us both linger for far too long, words unsaid, actions not taken.

I knew then that I couldn't let him leave without telling him the truth and, heavens willing, leaving him with something to remember me, and us, by...

The clock had just struck six o-clock when I heard a knock on the door. I set the teapot on the stove and lit the burner.

"It's open!"

The familiar sing-song of the door chime rang out a moment later, followed by a soft click as the door closed again.

"Rarity?"

That voice was so different now; deeper, smoother, and far less scratchy. It seemed like another lifetime ago when that voice could easily blend in with my little sister and her band of friends as they played outside. Now, one could easily assume it belonged to a smooth-talking stallion.

"Ah, there you are, Rarity."

Well, they'd have been right on the smooth-talking part, anyway.

"Spike! Please, come in, come in!" I checked the teapot to ensure it was heating properly and turned around. Spike was standing in the doorway, or, as much as he could anyway. His growth spurt had been slow to come on, but when it did, he filled out quickly. The small, pudgy welp I remembered meeting all those years ago was gone, replaced by a tall, lanky dragon who had to stoop a bit to avoid hitting his head on the doorframe.

Spike smiled warmly as he stepped through the door and dropped a small pack from his shoulder onto the nearby table. "Brought those old romance novels that I had borrowed from you." He opened the pack and spread out a half-dozen books on the table. "I didn't know if you wanted them back or not."

I had totally forgotten that I had even given them to him, but there was definitely no forgetting just how cheesy and contrived they were to read. "Oh, there was no need to, darling. You can keep them if you want."

"Sure thing. Wouldn't mind some reading material during my trip anyway." Spike sighed and picked up one of the books. I caught a glimpse of the cover, where a blushing mare was being ravished by some dashing stallion, the title Seduction in Seaddle emblazoned above them in bright red print. "Either way, these won't do me much good once I get there anyway."

"Why do you say that?" I asked, curious. "Don't tell me dragons give up reading when they grow up."

Spike chuckled and waved the book in his claw. "No... but they do like to use them for target practice."

"Target practice?"

"Fireballs. Paper goods don't leave much of a mess behind when they burn."

I took a moment to process that. "Ah, I see. Well, I suppose the world will not be severely deprived by the abcense of these particular books."

"Ha! Don't let Twilight hear this, but—" he stepped closer and lowered his voice to enhance the effect "—these might be the one set of books she'd allow to be harmed."

I tried to hold back a laugh but snorted instead, which sent us both into a fit of laughter that was broken only by the whistling of the teapot. "Oh, I'm afraid all I have at the moment is chamomile. Is that alright?"

"Sure," he replied, taking as much of a seat as he could in one of the kitchen chairs. "If you have any honey though, that'd be nice."

"No worries, darling. Give me just a moment." I set my mind to the task, magicking two cups, honey, and other accouterments from their respective cabinets. I poured the water slowly, both to keep the worn out catch spout on the pot from leaking, and to buy time to collect my thoughts.

You'd think I wouldn't have had the need. I only had the last decade or more to ruminate on things, and the last month or so rehearsing this very night in my head a hundred different ways. In my mind, it sounded like a fool-roof plan, a design that could do no wrong, as I like to say. But as I steeped the tea and stirred in a dollop of honey, I felt like I was nearly back at square one.

Whatever happens, happens... I put the kettle back slowly and stirred his tea a final time. At least he'll know.

"So, did they find somepony to takeover your apartment?" I set the steaming mugs on the table, quickly following with the silverware, sugar, and whatnot. "You gave Filthy plenty of notice, after all."

"Yep, finally." Spike took a small sip and set the mug back down. "But, yes, they found a tenant a couple of days ago. A newly married couple from Foal Mountain, I heard." Spike lifted his cup and blew on it a few times before taking another tentative sip. "Tea's great by the way."

"Good, I'm glad you're enjoying it." I took a sip of my tea and smiled, quietly thanking myself for not over-steeping it in the midst of my earlier fretting. "Hmm, I don't recall ever meeting anypony from Foal Mountain, especially way out here in Ponyville. Pinkie would know for sure though, since she has a record of every party she's ever thrown."

Spike chuckled over the rim of his mug. "I don't doubt it. Speaking of which, I need to stop by Sugarcube Corner before I leave. Gotta get some treats for the road."

Leaving. The thought sobered my heart instantly. Half the town was still recovering from the 'Farewell Spike and Good Luck in Dragonville Land' party that Pinkie had thrown a little over a day ago. Everypony had turned out and partied until dawn. Even Celestia and Luna traveled in from Canterlot to say their farewells. Left unsaid though was the fact that except for the princesses themselves, nopony present was likely to see Spike again. His first 'maturation nap' alone would take about eighty years, give or take a decade.

I asked the question that sat on my tongue, already knowing what the answer would, no, had to be. "Are you sure you have to go? You're already in your twenties, and you seem to be doing fine." If Spike picked up the hint of guilt in my voice, he never let on. "Sure, we may have to modify some doorways, but you know Ponyville would keep you forever if we could."

Spike leaned across the table, taking my free hoof in his claw. It had been a long time since I had actually held his claw for any reason other than a quick hoofbump or two, so I was surprised at how smooth the texture was. I guess I was expecting something rough and hardened, but it was quite the opposite. He looked at me for a moment, seemingly lost for words.

"If I had a choice, Rarity, believe me, I'd stay. You, our friends, everypony, are all a part of my life, and I'll miss you all." He sighed, his lips pursed. "But, how can any creature fight who they are? All dragons eventually journey to their ancestral home, no matter where they are..." his eyes began to move towards me before snapping back to the tablecloth. "...or what they have to leave behind in the process."

I saw a pang of regret in his eyes, but I never said anything.

I was about to let fly everything in my mind then, but I bit it back at the last moment. I at least had to get through the more practical reasons for my calling him here before I dove off an emotional cliff. "I know, Spike, and nopony blames you in the least. We'll all miss you terribly, but we'd be more upset if you stayed and suffered because of it." I reached out my other hoof and patted his arm; even in that brief contact, I could feel the warmth under his scales.

I let my hoof linger on his arm for a moment, but not so long as to imply anything else. For now.

"More tea?" A simple question, just enough to break the short silence, and get my mind back mostly on track.

"One sec—" Spike paused long enough to down the rest of his tea in one gulp and smile victoriously. "—yes, more tea please."

I gave him a mock glare before bopping him on the nose. "Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose." I returned to the stove with cups and saucers in tow... and a little extra hitch to my hips for good measure.

I took more time than was really necessary to refresh our mugs, if only to give Spike a few more seconds to try his best not to stare at my tail. I glanced at the curved reflection and allowed myself a faint smile. Not only are mirror-finished kettles more chic, they also make a great mirror when you need it.

Fresh tea at the ready, we fell into idle chatter for a while, rehashing memories of one adventure or another, sharing the latest gossip from around town, even debating the reason why Pinkie can seemingly pull any object out of her mane at will. More than two hours had passed by the time I glanced back to the clock, and suddenly, the cold dregs of tea in my cup seemed more a prod to get moving than an invitation to another refill. I glanced at Spike's cup, which had run dry as well, and began to rise from my chair.

"Uh-uh, you sit." Spike wagged a claw playfully at me. "Least I can do is pickup for you."

He grabbed the mugs and stepped past me towards the sink. I was about to follow him when I felt the tip of his tail brush my fetlock, sending a warm shiver straight up my leg. Either that was a coincidence or a very subtle payback... I swiveled in my chair just in time to catch Spike's head turning forward again, as if he had been peering over his shoulder. I gave no other reaction, but inside, I was nervous and excited at once. Perhaps this isn't a fool's errand after all.

After a quick clean up, I led Spike out of the kitchen and through the boutique's lobby area. I passed right by the showroom and turned toward the staircase, drawing a questioning look from Spike. "Oh, the items I mentioned are up in my room. Didn't want to risk leaving them out for a customer to find and mistakenly think they were for sale."

We reached the top of the stairs and Spike stopped for a moment. He was looking past me to my bedroom door as if it were a solid gate. That's when it hit me: Spike had never been inside of my boudoir. At least not in my presence, anyway, a few games of hide and seek with the crusaders notwithstanding. And in light of what had just transpired in the kitchen, I wondered if he was entertaining the same questions I was: Where could this lead? Was there still a chance? Was that even on the table right now?

Was it ever?

I beckoned him with a hoof and a disarming smile. "I won't try to give you a makeover, if that's what you're worried about."

He snorted and broke into a hearty laugh. "I— Ha! I'm sure that'll impress the elder dragons so much, they'll just put me in charge immediately. Any chance I can get my claws done too?"

"I'm sure Lotus and Aloe can squeeze you in before you go," I teased, reaching out to fluff the tufts of hair behind his ears. "Perhaps we can dye your hair a new color too—"

"Oh, no. Not again!" Spike twitched his head away playfully before pulling my hoof down. And for a second time, I couldn't help but notice how warm and surprisingly soft his skin was. I wonder how that might feel wrapped around me, or spread atop me, or— I shook my head a bit to refocus before my thoughts ran away from me.

We entered the bedroom, Spike a few paces behind me and walking carefully to avoid knocking anything down with his tail. If not for the Prench doors I had installed when I renovated the boutique, he might not have fit through the door at all. I was about to ask him to have a seat anywhere he liked, but I held back for a moment and just watched Spike's eyes roam the space around him. His eyes were wide but focused, like he was recording every detail he could and locking it away inside.

"You know..." Spike commented as he turned in a slow circle "...they say that the bedroom is a good reflection of the pony that sleeps there."

I moved to stand next to him, just close enough to ensure he could sense my presence without brushing against him. "So, what do you think? Are they right?"

He turned and smiled down at me. "Absolutely."

The glimmer in his eyes said everything his words did not, and I had to fight back a blush of my own. "Well, I'm glad you approve, Spike, and thank you. Now, just one moment while I get something."

A couple of minutes later, I emerged from my walk-in closet with two packages, which I quickly floated ahead of me and set down on the floor near Spike. "Wow, Rarity, yo—"

"Ah, yes I did, Spike." I shushed him with a wave of a hoof. "Chipping in for a group gift is one thing, which I was happy to help with, of course. But after everything you've done for me over the years—" I stepped closer and looked directly at him "—Not giving you something more personal was simply out of the question."

I grabbed the larger of the two packages in my magic and pushed it towards Spike, who made a show of shaking the box and inspecting its bright red wrapping paper. "Quality check", he said with a grin. After a moment, he set the box down in front of him and unwrapped it as carefully as his claws would allow.

"Oh, swanky!" Spike was all smiles as he lifted a stack of clothing from the box, each article separated by a sheet of tissue paper. He pulled a coat from the top of the pile and held it up in front of him. "This looks great, Rarity. Thank you!" He carefully sorted the other items, which amounted to a mini-wardrobe complete with shirts, pants, scarves, hats, and even a suit.

"Rarity, these are wonderful! Thank you so much!" He leaned forward and drew me in for a hug, which I gratefully returned. If his claws had been smoother than I expected, his chest was like hugging a heated blanket. So soft and warm, I could have wrapped myself in it for hours. And I still might I added in my head.

"I'm glad you like them, Spike." I leaned back after a moment, quietly savoring the warm spots that were lingering along my back and shoulders. "If nothing else, you'll be the most fashionable drake in all the land when you arrive." I added with a wink and a nod.

He chuckled at that. "Heh, probably, considering dragons wear clothes even less than ponies do." He lifted the suit up and turned it in his grip. "I just hope I don't outgrow these so fast that I can't wear them."

"Which is why I enchanted the stitching in just the right places." I pointed to the inside lining of the blazer to draw his attention. "So all of these will be able to grow along with you, at least to a point."

Spike looked again at the lining and smiled. "That's awesome!" He looked over again, eyebrows raised. "I know you put spells into your clothes all the time, but where'd you get this spell from?"

I offered a coy smile. "Oh, just a bit of research on dragon biology..." I looked away innocently "...and a little bit of spell-craft help from a certain princess." We shared a laugh and another hug, this one lasting a bit longer than the first. I felt one of Spike's claws rest on the back of my neck and I barely suppressed a warm shiver.

"You're quite welcome, Spike," I said as we broke our embrace, though I let my hoof linger on his shoulder for a moment longer. "Besides, I learned more about dragons' physical nature in the last few weeks than I ever knew before. And it proved quite valuable too."

"Oh? Expecting more fashion-conscious dragons in Ponyville in the future?"

"Not exactly." I let me tail just brush his side while I re-stacked the clothes and set them and the packaging remnants to the side. "Like I said, it was just good to know." I was still playing the tease angle extremely lightly, but I could already tell it was beginning to work, if the flush in his face was any indication.

But there was still one more package to go, and the butterflies were already starting up again in my stomach. I put on a well-practiced poker-face and slid the second package over to Spike. This one was much smaller and wrapped in deep purple and silver paper. "Now don't shake this one, please. It's a bit more fragile than the clothes." Much, much more fragile than you know, Spike.

Spike nodded and unwrapped the package slowly, eventually extracting a rectangular felt box. "Hmm..." He flipped the box open and gasped. "Oh— Oh, my gosh..."

He turned to look at me and I could see the question already forming on his lips. "Yes, it's exactly what it looks like, Spike."

I looked again at the pendant lying safely in the box... and the brilliant heart-shaped fire ruby that sat in its center.

"But, isn't this..."

My horn glowed and sent a string of magic toward my nightstand, from which I drew a second, larger jewelry case. "No, I'd never give that one up." I opened the case before him to reveal the fire ruby that he had given to me all those years ago. "But I wanted you to still have one of your own."

Spike's eyes bounced back and forth between the two pendants as he looked them over. "Y-you did an amazing job too." His eyes continued to appraise the two pendants side-by-side. "The gold frame, the facets, the coloring. Even I'd have a hard time telling them apart." He pulled the pendant closer to his eyes and stared at it like it was a new hatchling. "Let me guess, more research?"

"Yes, and lots of it. I wanted to do this one myself, so I borrowed the books from the library and went to work. It wouldn't have felt right to do otherwise." I set my jewelry case down, released my own pendant from its case and slipped it around my neck, taking care not to trap my mane in the clasp. The pendant's weight felt just as comforting and welcome on my chest as it had each time I had worn it. At the moment though, it felt like I was quite literally wearing my heart on my sleeve.

"Now, if you'll allow me." I slid the other pendant from its case and slipped it around Spike's neck. The chain was significantly longer and thicker than my own, but it sat about where I had thought and allowed the pendant to rest against his chest low enough to it would not poke him if he lowered his chin.

I stepped back to check my work, but I was immediately taken in by the look in his eyes. They were simply radiant. I had never seen them that bright, that focused.

That molten.

Even the most innocent of my friends would know that look and the intentions behind it. I had played these next moments out in my head dozens of times; sometimes with a hoof between my legs as well. But this was reality. Now. And I could only hope I wasn't reading too much into things.

Time to find out.

I shuffled forward and stood to my full height. The temptation to simply throw myself at him was nearly overwhelming, but there were still things that I had to say.

"Spike, you gave this gem to me in the spirit of friendship and generosity, and I'll always cherish that. But I know there was more to it." I heard his breath catch, but I placed a hoof to his mouth to stop him. "Deep down, you were trying to express your feelings towards me. I always knew you did, and in many ways I egged you on for years. I thought it'd pass, I thought—" I swallowed my heart back down my throat. "—I thought a lot of things, a lot of excuses, but as time went on, I never stopped to consider that I might actually feel the same way."

His eyes went wide. I could almost feel his skin growing warmer next to me. "Rarity?"

"The truth is, Spike, I waited too long. Far too long, as it turns out. I'm not so naive to not see how foolish this must look now. The gifts, the teary confession at the eleventh hour, the—"

My babbling was cut off by his lips. His soft, warm lips. My brain was so overwhelmed, by the time it processed what had just happened, it was over.

"I know, Rarity, and it's okay." Spike's voice was but a whisper, his hot breath washing over my muzzle like waves of steam. "I'm at fault too, you know. I could have said something myself, but I made as many excuses as you did, I promise."

I raised my head and nuzzled his cheek as best I could. "But all this time lost." I barely held back a few tears. "All these years we let go by."

"Shh, it's alright." Spike drew me into a deep embrace and I felt his arms wrap around me. One of his claws ran gently up and down my back. The slight pressure on my coat felt like a pinpoint massage. "I'd still have to leave eventually... and right now would hurt even worse for both of us."

With my ear pressed against his chest, the thrumming of his heart echoed in my head like one of those huge speakers that the local DJ uses for parties. I shifted a bit and gently kissed his chest before leaning back and giving him a half-lidded stare. "Then perhaps we should make the most of the time we do have."

A moment later, his lips were on me again, and this time I kissed him back with everything I had. His muzzle was longer and wider than my own, but I found it surprisingly easy to adjust. Though that may have been helped along by the hot tongue that was already exploring every inch of my mouth. I moaned through another kiss and thrust my own tongue out to meet his. I nearly giggled at the strange but pleasurable feeling as my tongue ran across his taller, more pointed teeth.

It was only when my mind began to scream from a lack of air that I forced myself to break the kiss. "O-oh, wow... I, mmhm."

My eyes never left Spike, who seemed as wowed as I was. "That... that just happened, right?"

"Hmm, let me check—" I raised my lips and kissed him again. "—yes, I do believe that it did, darling."

Spike brushed his cheek against mine and looked at me with equal amounts of awe and lust in his eyes. "Good, just checking."

He kissed me again, but more slowly than before. I sagged into his tight embrace and let my mouth meld to his. It was like kissing a hot stone wrapped in silk, and goddess I wanted more. I would have been content to let Spike kiss me forever, but the growing heat in my gut definitely wanted more than that. I released the kiss, took hold of one of his claws, and began to slowly back up. My rump hit the side of the bed and I reared up, pulling him closer to me. The extra height allowed me to drape my hooves around his neck and pull his lips to mine, a move he was all to glad to oblige with another fiery kiss that left my hind legs shaking.

I finally broke the kiss, adding a slight tug on his lower lip for good measure. "Hmm, let's move this somewhere more comfortable, shall we?" I let my hooves drop past his shoulders and I pulled him forward, letting his weight topple me back onto the bed. Spike did his best to let his arms fall either side of me, though I couldn't suppress a small squeak as much of his weight landed on top of me.

"Oh! Sorry." He lifted himself up a bit and blushed. "Didn't mean to do that."

I gave him a bedroom stare like none other. "But you can do it again if you like."

He smirked. "Yes m'am."

I scooted towards the center of the bed to give him more room, and soon Spike was laid out across my entire body. The difference in body length wasn't quite as extreme as I had feared, but my queen size bed still felt barely adequate. That didn't stop us though, as we began exploring each other's mouths once again. Lips smashed together, tongues intertwined, hoof and claw groping everywhere within reach, breath coming in heated gasps.

Soon Spike's lips moved from my lips down my cheek and onto my neck. Each kiss was punctuated with a shot of hot breath, enough to leave a steam-like effect on my coat everywhere he went. Between my growing arousal and the heat from his mouth, my bed began to feel like a carnal sauna. His teeth grazed my collarbone and I squealed with delight. "Oh!"

Spike stopped and looked at me, worried. "Too hard?"

I shook my head. "No, not at all. Though I'm sure my fur isn't quite as tough as a dragon's skin. Speaking of which—"

"Don't worry. I think I know what I'm doing," he replied before kissing my quickly.

"Mhm... oh, you do?" I said between panted breaths.

"Oh, yes. Remember, Rarity..." Spike brushed a claw up my neck and brought his lips within inches of my ear, his voice barely a whisper. "...you weren't the only one dreaming about how a night like this would go."

If there was any part of my mind still thinking of holding back, of not galloping off the edge with a dear friend who was still half my age, it was silenced by his words. I tilted my head towards Spike's ear and gave him the only response I could.

"Then show me what you had in mind."

Nearly everything became a blur of pleasure and emotion after that, and everything I thought I knew about dragons' native strength was turned on its head by Spike's gentle touch. I was more than prepared to be ravished like the mare on the cover of that trashy novel, but this was far, far from it. Spike wasn't just deliberate, he was methodical.

My coat was already damp with sweat, yet every touch of his lips felt like a hot stone massage. His teeth and claws worked an erotic torture on me, riding the razor edge between tickling me and driving me wild. I panted, I moaned, I arched my body into him, urging him to continue his tender ministrations. "Spike, th— Mhmm... that's wonderful. Keep going, please."

He looked up from my left side, where he was tracing more lazy circles in my fur with his tongue, and smiled. "I never could tell you no anyway." Spike went right back to teasing me some more, only now his free claw began caressing my stomach, gradually moving further and further down my barrel. By now the combination of his steamy breath and my arousal had filled the air with the heady, intoxicating scent of sex. I didn't know if dragons had pheromones like ponies do, but the still growing heat beneath Spike's skin told me he was definitely liking things as well.

Spike leaned up to capture my lips once more, but his claw continued to drift lower on my barrel. I could feel one of his talons feathering the tender skin around my nipples, drawing more lusty whimpers from me. I squirmed beneath his touch, trying to draw his attention further down my body. "D-don't stop, Spike— Oh, yes..."

His claw slowly encircled my nipples one at a time, playing with one while his lips teased the other. I shuddered and moaned as he continued to play my body like an instrument. "Spike, that's so good—" I sucked in a breath as his tongue wrapped around a nipple and sucked it gently between his teeth "—oh, wow! Yes, mmhm..."

It was all I could do but lay there and let Spike have his way with me, kissing, licking, and teasing my nipples, my skin, my inner thigh, my stomach, everything. He left no inch of me untouched, and by the time his lips made contact with the soaked flesh around my nethers, I was already seeing stars.

My eyes opened long enough to take in the scene, and it was better than I had ever imagined. Spike's long body was stretched out at a slight angle, giving me full view of his smooth underside – a view I was more than delighted to soak my lust-addled eyes in while he continued to tease and caress my haunches. I could feel my juices dribbling out of my pussy, soaking into my skin, the sheets, everywhere... though Spike's long tongue was doing a very admirable job lapping nearly all of it up.

That's when an idea hit me. Why is he doing all the work?

I reached out with a hoof and began stroking his belly. I kept it up for a few seconds before he turned back to me. "Should I stop?"

I took a second to catch my breath. "N-no, not at all... I–I just had an idea is all. Something I had thought about in those dreams, if you know what I mean."

His ears perked at that. "Oh? What was it?"

I let that specific scene play out in my mind again, thinking on how best to approach it. "Oh, you'll see, and I think you'll like it. Just come closer to me." Spike slid around so that he was laying fully on his left side, with his belly facing me and his tail poking through one of the spaces in the headboard. I mirrored his motion, rolling to my left and pressing my chest up against his belly.

I shifted my hips a bit and spread my hind legs, fully exposing my soaked marehood to him. "Now, where were we?"

Spike didn't answer verbally; he let his tongue do the talking, and soon I was a melted pile of flesh under his soft touch and his hot breath. The new angle let him explore every inch of me, while the growing heat from his underside bathed me in a radiant heat that put a summer day to shame. I gazed towards Spike's lower half, across his long, soft underside, until I found the general spot I was looking for. Now it's my turn...

I draped a hoof over his side and drew his lower body closer to my head, while my other hoof began rubbing small circles all over his belly. My lips touched his underside for the first time, I felt like I was kissing the surface of the sun. And I loved it. I began peppering him with kisses, some short, some long, all of them hotter than I ever imagined. My lips and hoof began exploring every inch of him that I could reach, and the slowly increasing hums and moans I heard from the other end of the bed told me I was hitting all the right spots too.

"Good?" I asked between kisses along the crease of his hip.

"Mmhm, yeah..." came his muffled voice, just before licking my pussy from top to bottom again, leaving me breathless. "If you're looking for something though, it's— Oh!"

"Right here, perhaps?" If only he could have seen the wicked grin on my face as I ran a hoof back and forth along the crease between his abdomen and his tail. I could see and feel the shudders racing through him already, to say nothing of the wild twitch in his tail.

"Y-yeah! Oh... Rarity, that's... how'd you know?"

"Let's just say I did a bit more research on dragon biology than was strictly necessary." I punctuated those words with a deep kiss right on that same spot, eliciting another long moan from him, and another lap of his long tongue against my lips.

We fell into a rhythm then, trading licks, kisses, and moans while we each explored the other's nethers. Spike's lips and tongue continued to lap up every drop of my arousal, while my own lips continued to nip and tease that soft, red-hot crease along his belly. After a couple of minutes, the seam began to open like an oyster, and the pearl I had been searching for emerged.

And what a pearl it was.

About as thick as an earth-stallion's penis, but a decent big longer... and much, much smoother. Where most stallions have a thick skin around their members, Spike's was sheathed like a velvet glove. The skin was taut and smooth, and nearly devoid of the ridges and creases that I was used to seeing on a stallion. Instead of a blunt, flattened head, Spike's member was tapered, coming to a soft, rounded point at the end. As a piece of anatomy, it certainly looked compatible, and as it quickly rose from its hiding spot, I had no doubt that it was 'ready to go', so to speak.

I ran the edge of my hoof up and down the shaft, relishing it's silky texture. I traced up one side and down the other, paying particular attention to the spots that made Spike's leg twitch, or his body tense. Those were the spots I came back to over and over again, touching and caressing, kissing and licking, and all the while, I whimpered and moaned through my own carnal pleasures, as his tongue continued to explore every soaked inch of my marehood.

The fire in my haunches had become an inferno, and I knew I couldn't hold out much longer. "I-I'm getting close, Spike, don't stop. Keep— Aahn! Keep going!"

I felt his free arm wrap around my rump and pull me closer, and I was more than happy to arch my haunches closer to his eager mouth. I shifted my upper body around a bit to get more leverage, and took the tip of his member in my mouth for the first time. He twitched hard, so I did it again. And again, and again, before slipping my tongue up one side of the long shaft and down the other. Spike shuddered against me and grunted.

"Stars, Rarity... that— oh, yes..."

I smiled and wrapped my lips around his head, and let my tongue swirl around it like an erotic lollipop. I brought my hoof over to caress his shaft while I licked and sucked every inch of it that I could, leaving him as much of a shuddering, moaning mess as I was. His tongue parted my inner lips and dove straight into me, before pulling back and wrapping around my engorged clit. My hips bucked on their own, grinding my pussy into his tongue over and over. "Yes! J-just like— Oh, yes! Don't stop!"

I wrapped my lips around his dick and sucked for all I was worth. A second later, his tongue found my clit again and I saw stars as an orgasm hit me like a lightning bolt. "Aahn! Aahn, yes! Mmhm!" I could feel the waves of cum flowing out of me, but Spike's tongue was right there to lap it up like water, and I rode the tidal wave of pleasure as long as I could.

When I finally came down from that high and opened my eyes, Spike was laying next to me, his eyes inches from my own. "That was amazing."

"Mmhm, that's putting it mildly." I leaned in and kissed him again, taking extra time to savor the taste of sweat and my own cum mixing on my lips.

Spike rested a claw on my chest. "I... I can't thank you enough, Rarity."

I glanced down the bed to his penis, which was still fully erect, and clearly ready for more. "Oh, you can thank me later, when I've repayed you in kind. Besides—" I swished my tail over my flank and brushed it along his erection, making him shudder and whimper "—I know neither of us envisioned a night like this ending quite that soon."

Spike smiled and pulled me closer, nuzzling me affectionately. "So," he whispered, "back to your dreams then. What did you have in mind?"

In truth, I had never felt more loved in my life than I did at that moment. Part of me wanted to just freeze time right there and stay in his warm embrace forever, but neither time, nor my haunches, would tolerate any delays. "Roll over onto your back, darling."

I rolled over to give him room to adjust, and once he did, I stood on the bed and carefully stepped over him, straddling his body with my own. He carefully held my sides as I lowered myself on top of him. My whole barrel was resting against his belly, and it felt like I had laid down on a hot stove. His body heat was amazing, and it felt even more so.

Our lips met in a slow, deep kiss, and from that moment on, I focused solely on treating Spike as gently and lovingly as he had me. I took my time lavishing his face and neck with kisses, licks, and nibbles. His claws ran slowly through my mane, across my withers, and down my back, holding me close while I drew on every seductive trick I knew on his body. The heat between us was growing once more, and the smell of fresh arousal soon flooded my nostrils.

Slowly, I shifted myself down his frame one kiss at a time, moving my rump closer and closer to his erect member. Spike's breathing grew sharper the closer I got, as did the thundering of my heart, and when I felt his long penis slide against my belly for the first time, I was nearly shaking in anticipation. A quick adjustment brought his head inches from my outer lips, and my pulse to a frenzy. I was about to lower myself onto him when his voice stopped me.

"R-Rarity?" his quiet voice drew my eyes. "I have to ask... are you sure?"

I was momentarily stunned. Not just by the question itself, but the sincerity behind it. Here he was sharing a bed with a mare he had loved from first sight — his every dream become reality — and still Spike was nothing but a gentledrake. I looked up at him, and at the glimmering fire ruby that still hung against his chest. I touched a hoof to the matching gem that rested against me, and that's when the completeness of our connection came together for me. We may have been far too late in opening up to each other, but in that moment, I think I felt what so many of my friends have called true love, or the touch of a true companion and soul mate.

My next words flowed from my lips like water, as if I had said them a million times before. In the back of my mind, I was already wishing that I had done so.

"I love you, Spike."

I'll never forget his joyous look in that moment, or the way his green eyes seemed to pierce my very soul, or the slight tremble in his lips when he said the words that I'm sure he thought he'd never be able to say.

"I love you too, Rarity."

I kept my eyes locked onto his as I pushed my rump down, and the moment I felt him enter me was like touching elysium. "Oh, w-wow... Mhmm..." My eyes rolled back in my head as a wave of pleasure rocked me like never before; even remembering to breathe was suddenly a chore. I just froze myself there for a moment, letting the sheer euphoria soak into me.

My mind slowly regained some measure of control over my limbs, and I began moving against his cock, gradually taking a little more of him each time. My hooves draped around his shoulders for support while my hips fell into slow, rhythmic motions. Spike's long arms wrapped around me like a cocoon and held me close, leaving no space between us. I cooed and whimpered as his claws drew long, wandering trails across my neck and down my sides, each little jolt stealing more of my breath and spurring me to take more of him inside of me.

Spike leaned his head up and drew me into a deep kiss, a move I repaid with a particularly deep thrust onto his cock. "Rarity, t-that's amazing." His grip around me tightened like a vice and he thrust upwards to meet me; I couldn't have held back a very unladylike groan if I had tried.

"Aahn, yess..." I lifted up and he met my downward motion again. I could outright hear the small squelch from my haunches as he slowly plunged into my dripping pussy again. "S-Spike, Spike, oh, don't stop..." My heart thundered against my ribs, my body felt like it was bathing in a pool of fire, but it just made every slow thrust, every measured flex of our bodies more sensual, more meaningful, more erotic, than I could have imagined.

I leaned up just enough to look at him with every bit of love and lust I could spare. "Make love to me. Please."

The next few minutes became a haze of sweat, arousal, and intense, all-consuming lust as we all but melted into each other. Words had failed us both, replaced entirely with stolen breaths, whispered nothings, and increasingly raw groans of pleasure. I could feel another orgasm bearing down on me, but there was one more thing I had to try. I leaned up and planted both forehooves on Spike's chest for balance before sitting back on my haunches as far as I could.

And my world exploded around me. "Aahn, yes!"

With my hind legs spread across his width and my back at a more upright angle, my entire weight dropped down onto his cock at once. I didn't need to see to know that every last inch of him was buried inside of me. I had never been filled so completely, so thoroughly. I made no attempt to stifle the almost feral groans coming from my mouth as my inner walls flexed and stretched around his rock hard erection. The tapered shape of his dick worked perfectly in that position, and every push down onto Spike felt like another firework exploding inside of me.

Spike could only stare up at me as I slowly, rhythmically impaled myself on his cock over and over again. His claws wrapped around my hooves and held them tight, while his eyes glazed over with lust at the scene before him. "Rarity... that— Yes, don't stop, don't stop!"

Another wave of arousal flowed past my lips, and instinct completely consumed me. My body began moving like a perfect wave, each pull a little higher, every push little harder, every moan a little more desperate. "Deeper, Spike— Aahn! Deeper!"

We pushed against each other hard, and we nearly roared like wild animals. Raw, unfiltered lust raced through me like lightning, sending me hurtling toward the edge instantly. I pressed my front hooves down on Spike's chest while my hips did their best to swallow every last inch of his member inside of my soaked pussy. "Yes, Spike! Harder! O-oh, stars, I'm so c-close!"

I felt him shudder like a mountain beneath me, and his eyes went wide. "R-Rarity, I-I—"

My eyes were blazing now, wholly consumed in the greatest joy I had ever felt. I shifted a hoof up his chest and wrapped his pendant around it. My entire body was on fire, mere seconds away from exploding, but I forced my voice down from its pleasured heights one last time. These last words, they were for him and him alone.

"Take me, Spike. Make me yours."

Spike grabbed a hold of my flanks right on my cutiemarks and pushed one more time. I clamped my inner walls around his cock with every bit of strength I had, and the greatest orgasm of my life hit me like a runaway train. "Aahn! Yes, Spike, yes!"

"Rarity!"

His whole body tensed beneath me for a second before Spike let go a thunderous growl and filled me like I had never been filled before. It felt like my core was being filled with molten lava... and it was magnificent. We cried each other's names into the night as wave after wave of pleasure rocked us both. And through it all, we never took our eyes off each other. Spike kept pushing – and my walls kept flexing – until we had exhausted every last bit of energy we had, and I had milked every last drop of fiery seed from his body.

My back muscles finally surrendered to fatigue and I collapsed onto his chest, panting for breath. Spike just wrapped his arms around me and cradled me like a pony-sized gem, his claws running through my matted and sweaty hair. "That was... I mean..."

I leaned up enough to just catch the edge of his lips with a kiss. "Everything you dreamed of?"

"And so much more." He kissed me back and slowly slid me off of his belly to rest my head against his shoulder. Out the corner of my eye I saw him lift his pendant from his chest and stare at it. "We'll never be here again, will we?"

The thought sobered me, and I snuggled closer to Spike, letting his radiant heat wash over me again. "Perhaps not, but we'll always have this moment to look back on. And that makes me happy."

He turned his head and kissed me softly. "You've given me more than I deserve, Rarity. Then, and especially now."

I chuckled. "Well, I am the element of generosity, you know."

"In that case," His claw ran down my side and rested against my cutie mark, sending a hot shudder down my back. "what was all of this then?"

I placed my free hoof on top of his claw and looked into the eyes of my best friend, my companion, and for one glorious night, my lover.

"Consider it a parting gift."

I joined my friends to see him off at the train station a few days later. I brushed off everypony's fawning over his new matching ruby pendant, but inside, I was bursting with pride and joy. To everypony else, the matching pendants were a thoughtful and fashionable gift.

But for he and I, they were symbols of a love pulled from the longest of shadows and consumed in a single magnificent, passionate fire, avatars of a bond that only our two souls would ever know.

A memento of a love that I know I'll never experience again.