SnapDragon

  What is love?

         I... don't think I know anymore. I think I used to know. I've felt that kind of warm shimmer that would race laps around the inside of my belly before. Felt my cheeks grow flush at the thought of that pony whom had captured my attentions. That...oh Celestia, that feels like someone else's life now. How did everything rupture the way it did. I suppose the only way to heal, assuming that is something still within the realm of possibility. Is to tell somepony this tale by writing it all down.

         "Spiiiike"! I said calling out for my best little assistant.

          "Coming Twilight" came the frantic response from my observation balcony. I use this balcony for my astronomy studies. It has a particularly powerful crystal and lens combination. Now I was curious to see what it was he could be viewing in the middle of an overcast day. I quickly headed up the stairs to the windows leading onto the observation balcony. As I was reaching the top of the steps the windows opened. I sighed and resigned myself to the inevitable collision with my little purple and green dragon assistant.

            "I said I was coming Twilight." "What are you in such a hurry for anyway?” I couldn't tell him that I wanted to spy on him to find out what he was looking at.

          "I just really wanted you to send this letter to Cadence". Oh shoot, I left it downstairs in the library.

          " Well where is it then Twilight?" he asked.

          "I left it downstairs on the table". He sighed exaggeratedly, and then announced.

           " Well then it's a really good thing you've got such an awesome assistant huh?" he exclaimed, positively beaming.

                 Now that Spike had left I could find out what he'd been viewing. It took no longer than my eyes coming into focus with the lenses to deduce the answer. The lenses were focused on a particular window that belonged to Carousel Boutique. Through the window I could see a certain white unicorn with three stunning diamonds making up her cutie mark. I drew my face away from the eyepiece of the telescope. I then proceeded to burst into a fit of giggles. It should have been obvious to me in light of the evidence. Ever since we first arrived in Ponyville, Spike had been rather obvious about his affections towards Rarity. In whatever crazy world we live in however, Rarity had been nigh oblivious towards the young dragon.

             I came back downstairs chuckling about my little stalker. I mean honestly, what did he intend to accomplish by simply watching Rarity from the top of my tree house? It was then that I realized he was no longer content just watching and hoping. This was made abundantly clear by two things; first the smell of homemade chocolate snaking its way slowly throughout the library and secondly, the dark, colored, box made of a fine wood and topped with a frosted glass lid . It contained no more than three of the most gorgeous gems that had been carved and crafted into flowers with Rarity's cutie mark lying in the very center of their petals.

                He was going to take the initiative and pursue his feelings. I had been waiting to see what he would do. To put himself out there and announce his intentions to Rarity. It seemed he was going to take a very important brave step forward. Hurrying out of the kitchen, his mind on important things. He froze as he saw me looking at the thoughtful gifts he had created for her.

       "I'd been hoping for Rarity to be the first to see those".

        "I gather based on the way you're looking you've figured out my plan then?" I looked over at him. Happy tears were brimming to the surface.

        "Yes Spike, I know what you're planning; you're finally once and for all, confessing your feelings to Rarity." She was finally going to hear the truth. Spike wanted Rarity and had always wanted her, to be his special somepony.

                I had just one nagging thought surfacing to the foreground of my mind. "Why have you been watching her all morning through the telescope"? I had just confessed to Spike that I had been spying on him.

"You knew I was watching her", he asked apprehensively? I could tell I was starting to make him nervous about confessing to Rarity. Then with an air of determination, he took a couple of deep breaths. He turned to face me.

              "I've been waiting till she leaves the boutique". I wanted it all to be a really special surprise. He was going to leave these beautiful and thoughtful gifts, at her door? It seemed back words to me. He was probably just really nervous for her to say yes.

         "Were you going to go and check again just now?” A sudden realization dawned. I could see a look of concern slowly etch itself onto his face.

             He dashed through the room. Bounded up the stairs, and out onto the balcony up to the railing. Spinning around he glued his face to the telescope's eyepiece. I watched as an exasperated sigh left his entire body, it left him looking almost deflated. I giggled slightly, and said. "Now if only you could move that fast when getting up in the morning". He simply rolled his eyes at my glib comment.

         "She's just getting ready to leave; I haven't missed my opportunity yet." Quick as a flash he was suddenly gone, presumably he was back near the gifts waiting until he thought it was safe. I decided to wait, and let him know when she had trotted out the door.

      "There she goes Spike I called down to him, she just locked the door."

     " Okay keep an eye out" he called excitedly. I watched as he dashed out the door and across the street and hid behind a trash bin. Darted to an adjacent tree, dove behind a fence, and crouched behind a row of shrubberies. He had the gifts tied to his back. He looked like a little ninja; all he needed now was one of Pinkies' outfits.

                   He had finally made his way over to Carousel Boutique and propped the gifts up against the door. He turned around, flashed his goofy grin and gave me a thumbs up. I gave him a return thumbs up. I started to wave him back over, and then spotted Rarity trotting back up the road towards the boutique. I threw my hand out with my palm facing him. He understood almost immediately what I was trying to convey. He jumped behind row of bushes to conceal himself from Rarity.

                I met him at the front door prancing gleefully. As the door opened I nearly shouted him back out the door. "YOU DID IT! She knows your feelings now." I was met by an unexpectedly sullen and downtrodden little dragon. "Spike, what's wrong?” I asked trepidatiously.

"Nothing everything's just fucking peachy. I'm just going to take a really long nap.”

              I sincerely hoped he would be okay. I had no idea what had happened to put him in such a frightfully bad mood. I'd rarely heard him use such language before. Usually such expletives were reserved for minor injuries. Little things like bumps, cuts, and scrapes. I was starting to worry a bit about his frame of mind. I grabbed a book and got comfy in one of my overstuffed chairs. I was just biding my time until he woke up, so that I could talk to him about it.

            I must have passed out while I was reading, because I became aware of the fact that Luna had already brought us night. I looked over warily towards the clock, dreading the answer. It was already 10 o’clock!!!  I got up out of the chair. Aches and pains surging through a body that had been cramped in one spot for far too long. It was time to get to an actual bed. I checked on him before I crashed for the night, stopping by his basket. His cute little tail fell slightly over the edge of the basket.

                     If I had known what was going on at that very moment in Ponyville. I would have checked the basket a lot better.