Lust at First Sight

Spike checked off another option on his list. He had spent a good portion of that day coming up with ideas on how he was gonna win Rarity's heart tomorrow; Tomorrow was Hearts and Hooves Day. So Spike figured if there was ever a better chance for him to confess his love to Rarity, tomorrow was it. But he was having trouble figuring out how he was gonna go about it. He couldn't just simply walk up to Rarity and shout his feelings for her. It might freak her out. He had to come up with a more calm and subtle approach. Thing was, he wasn't sure what would work. He had considered sending her a love letter but that seemed a little cliché to him. Besides, he knew it was gonna take more than a bunch of mushy garbage scribbled on paper to win her over. It might earn him a kiss on the cheek, but he wanted more than that. There was always the option of approaching her doorstep and handing her a box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses but once again, that was too stereotypical for his taste. He could try to serenade her with a melodic tune, but he didn't know how to play any instruments. Not only that but he felt that his singing voice wasn't up to par. If necessary, he would even be willing attempt poetry. The problem was that he didn't have a way with words. Sure, he could get Twilight to assist him with it, but he was certain that Rarity would figure out that he didn't write it himself given that the vocabulary would consist of words that only Twilight would use. Having grown tired of shooting down his own ideas, he crumpled up the paper and tossed it into a nearby trash can. In his mind, he knew he needed an expert's opinion on the matter. So he decided to ask Twilight about it. Usually if he couldn't figure something on his own, Twilight would give him some friendly advice. Though she wasn't necessarily somepony to go to about love advice since she herself had never had a coltfriend before or even been on a date. But Spike was desperate and he didn't really have any other alternatives.

* * * * *

He traveled up the stairs and stopped in front of Twilight's bedroom before he knocked on the door. A short while later, he heard her tell him to come in, so he entered. The intelligent mare had been seated at her personal desk, taking part in her favorite habit of reading a book. Spike wished that he had the same thirst for knowledge that Twilight possessed. If he were well-educated, then he probably wouldn't have resorted to asking Twilight for help in the first place. But no, he was forced to seek help from the purple unicorn since he knew next to nothing about love. Twilight put a bookmark between the pages she was currently reading before she turned around to face her assistant.

"Hello my loyal assistant." She greeted warmly.

"Hey, Twilight." Spike responded. "I need advice."

"What kind of advice?" She asked with a curious look.

He paused for a moment before he answered. To him, it was incredibly embarrassing to ask his adoptive mother for advice on how to express your feelings to somepony you like.

"Love advice." He finally said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh." Twilight blushed, putting a hoof to her mouth. She never would've thought that Spike would come to her of all ponies about the subject of love.

"Well, I'm not sure I can help you there." She stated with an unsure look on her face. "I don't know a whole lot about love, except what I've read in books. But the emotions shown in them are usually very intimate and I don't think you're old enough to learn about "that" kind of love just yet."

"What?" Spike asked with a blush of his own. "I'm not talking about "that". I mean how to confess your feelings for somepony."

"Oops." Twilight replied, blushing redder than before. "Sorry I assumed. It's just that, since you're a growing dragon, I figured you were already curious about mares by now."

"I'm not planning on doing that with anypony. I just want Rarity to know how I feel about her." He explained.

"The best advice I can give you is follow your heart." Twilight spoke truthfully. "I'm sure whatever you decide to do, Rarity will accept it no matter what."

"That's the other thing I wanted to ask you." He mentioned. "Do you think you could use some kind of love spell to help better my chances?"

This question made Twilight frown. "Spike, you know magic doesn't always fix problems." She said sternly. "Magic shouldn't be used as a means to get another pony to like you. Granted, there is a spell for love, I'm not gonna cast it. Because 1. It's not the right thing to do, and 2. I don't want a repeat of what happened to Cheerilie and Big Mac with that love poison spell. I made that mistake once, but I won't make it again."

"I thought you might say that. But I thought I would ask anyway to see what your response would be." He said in a dejected voice. He already knew how Twilight would respond to that question, but it didn't hurt to ask just in case she gave a different answer than he expected.

"I know it's not easy expressing your feelings for somepony you like." Twilight sympathized as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders to comfort him. "I know that sounds weird coming from somepony who's never experienced love firsthand before. But I've known Rarity long enough to know that she likes sincerity. So if you stay true to yourself, she'll be more likely to give you her heart. I also know that she probably won't be too pleased if you chose to give her a love potion in order to gain her love artificially. Sure, she may tell you over and over again that she loves you, but we both know that'll be the potion talking. The point I'm trying to make Spike is that you shouldn't try to force her to like you back. If you truly want to know how she genuinely feels about you, you should come up with something heartfelt to do for her. I'm sure you can come up with something. You're a smart dragon."

He pondered her words for a while before he spoke. "Thanks Twilight." He said as he hugged her.

"Your very welcome, Spike." She replied, returning his gratitude.

As soon as they broke their embrace, Spike left Twilight's bedroom and descended the stairs.

"Twilight may not be able to help me, but I think I know somepony, or some zebra who might." Spike thought to himself wickedly.

* * * * *

Spike made the long, treacherous journey to the Everfree Forest, where Zecora's hut was located. Though it was stupid to go in the Everfree alone (considering all the horrible creatures that reside there) Spike made extra careful to avoid them at all cost. He eventually found the hut and made his way over. He knocked on the makeshift wooden door, looking around cautiously as he did. Even he knew that just because he was in front of Zecora's hut, that wasn't gonna stop one of the creatures from attacking him. He heard Zecora give him permission to enter, so he ran in quickly to avoid being outside for too long. Zecora was standing in front of a boiling cauldron that was filled with a bubbling light green liquid. She had a reputation when it came to potion-making, and she would regularly display why she was known for such a thing. It was then that Spike saw the witch doctress reach for a bottle that had a strange black powder contained inside. After opening the bottle with her mouth, she poured the mysterious substance into the cauldron. This caused the liquid inside to bubble rapidly and make a slight fizzling sound. Suddenly, a cloud of white smoke erupted from the pot before it quickly dissipated into the atmosphere. Spike was left wonderstrucken as let out a "whoa" at what he just witnessed. Zecora then turned around and approached Spike as she stood before him with a welcoming, yet curious disposition.

"Greetings young drake, what accommodations do you make?" She asked him cryptically.

"Well...." He hesitated. "I was wondering if you had any brews or elixirs for falling in love."

"They do exist, of course, but love should not be chemically forced." She stated in a matter of fact kind of tone.

"That's exactly what Twilight said." Spike grumbled to himself. "I know, but it's important. See, there's a really special somepony of mine that I really want to impress. But I'm not, what you would call, the most "charming" of dragons. I'm sure that if I gave her a love potion or something, she would return my feelings without a doubt. Please, Zecora. Hearts and Hooves Day is tomorrow. I just want her to reciprocate my feelings for just one day. One day is all I'm asking." He begged.

Zecora remained silent for a brief period before she gave him her answer. "While I don't condone this kind of behavior, I guess I will do you this favor." Was her objective response.

"Thank you so much Zecora." Spike said ecstatically.

"Not too far from this place, lies a plant in an almost hidden space." Zecora said informatively while turning her back on him. "Though they say this plant is where love is born, some think otherwise because of its thorns. This plant's name is Lovers Desire, for it can fill a pony with passionate fire. But I must warn you Spike, it may not be worth the dangerous hike. The plant is known to cause much grief, so you best not seek it if you want relief."

She turned back around to face Spike after she finished speaking, only to find that he had vanished. She then gave a heavy sigh.

"My warning to him was easy to discern, but I guess this is a lesson he will have to learn." She said pitifully as she went back to her brew.

* * * * *

Spike made sure to tread carefully as he ventured deeper into the Everfree. He was still trying to remain vigilant for any surprises. Stealth wasn't exactly a strong suit for him, but he could always hide if things got hairy. But hopefully it wouldn't have to come to that. He was here for one reason and one reason only: To get the plant that Zecora talked about and then make a swift exit. For obvious reasons, he didn't want to stay here any longer than he had to.

"Alright." Spike thought to himself. "If I were a love-inducing plant, where would I be?"

His thoughts were cut short by loud howling that sounded not too far from his position. He tensed up and sunk inside himself a little. That howl was all too familiar to the young dragon, and he didn't want to find the source from which it came from. He picked up his speed, opting for a brisk jog instead of a casual walk.

"I better find that plant soon if I wanna LIVE to see Hearts and Hooves Day." He thought fearfully.

He eventually stumbled upon a dimly lit area (well, dimly lit for the Everfree) surrounded by brush. In the middle was a small, red plant that was being protected by thorns. The plant looked like a heart with blades of grass around the edges of it.

"This must be the plant Zecora was talking about." Spike said to himself silently.

He approached it carefully since he wasn't sure what to expect. Remembering where he was, he knew that retrieving the plant wasn't going to be a cake walk. It couldn't be as simple as walking over to it and grabbing it. There had to be some kind of trap or something. He slowly crept up to the plant and lowered his hand to grab it. As his claw inched closer to the plant, he began to let his guard down.

"Maybe it is easier than I thought." He assured himself.

But as soon as his claw was mere inches away from touching the plant, the thorns around it lashed out and pricked his finger.

"Ow!" He yelped as he recoiled from the pain. He then put his finger in his mouth to see if it was bleeding.

"I knew it couldn't be that easy." He said with mild annoyance, internally angry for allowing himself to assume otherwise.

He tried to grab the plant at a different angle, but was once again pricked by the thorns. He shouted from the pain again, clutching his injured hand as he took a few cautious steps backward.

"Wait a minute?" He said skeptically.

He attempted to retrieve the plant a third time, but he made sure to go as slow as possible. Once he was an inch away from the thorns, they moved forward slightly as his claw drew closer. But when he pulled it back some, the thorns slunk back to their original position. He went for the plant again slowly, only for the thorns to move slightly toward his claw again as if saying: "If you come any closer, I'll strike!" It then dawned on him what was going on.

"The thorns are ALIVE?!" He asked aloud in disbelief. "No wonder they prick me every time I get too close."

Spike decided that since the plant was going to resort to its natural defense mechanism, he was going to resort to his own. He then began to breathe fire on the thorns. This proved effective as they shriveled up from the flames. Proud with his work, he took the time to gloat over his victory.

"I guess when all else fails, I've got my fire breathe to rely on." He bragged.

He tried to grab the plant once more, thinking he had it this time. But the thorns quickly regenerated themselves and jabbed his claw again. He jumped back from a combination of shock and pain. It then occurred to him what he had to do.

"I'll just have to burn the thorns and grab the plant before they can regenerate themselves." He said stoically.

He then spit fire on the thorns again, causing them to shrivel up once more. This time he was able to grab the plant before the thorns could stop him. He held the plant up victoriously.

"Got it!" He said triumphantly.

He then heard another howl that sounded closer then before. He clamped a claw over his mouth and tiptoed away from the area. Once he was sure that he was out of earshot, he bolted for the entrance to the Everfree.

"Probably should've waited until I was out of harms way before I celebrated." He said, mentally kicking himself.

* * * * *

Not slowing down, even after he had made it back home, he ran into the kitchen and stopped so he could catch his breath. Huffing and puffing, he sat down on the kictchen floor and tried to slow his breathing. After his heart stopped thumping in his chest, he went up stairs to see what Twilight was up to. Knowing her, she probably still had her face buried in a book. Spike was preparing to knock on the door when he heard faint snoring coming from behind it.

"Is she asleep?" He asked himself.

To verify his assumptions, he opened the door wide enough to peek inside her room. He looked over at her desk and sure enough, there she was, sitting motionless in her chair with her head down.

"Awwww." He cooed. "She tuckered herself out. I think it's best if I let her sleep." He said as he closed the door quietly.

He crept back down the stairs softly, so as to not wake Twilight. He went back into the kitchen and picked up the plant.

"Alright, now that I have this thing, how am I going to present it to Rarity?" He contemplated out loud.

He still hadn't come up with an idea of what he was going to do tomorrow. He then noticed his surroundings and an idea hit him.

"They say the fastest way to a stallion's heart is his stomach, but who said that it can't work the opposite way."

He then started gathering up some cooking ingredients and utensils.

"If I can't wow Rarity with my charm, then I'll have to wow her with my awesome culinary skills." He stated passionately.

An hour later, he wiped his brow and marveled at his masterpiece: a red velvet cupcake. He chose to crush the Lovers Desire and bake it into a sweet, delectable treat. He was sure the cupcake alone would make Rarity fall head over heels in love with him. But just in case the cupcake didn't, the special surprise baked into it would. Deep down, he didn't want to have to use magic to win Rarity's love. But he was convinced that he only needed it to increase his chances. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even hear Twilight sneak up behind him.

"Whatcha ya got there, Spike!" She asked loudly.

Spike screamed girlishly as he almost leaped out of his scales. He grabbed his chest as he turned around to face Twilight.

"Don't scare me like that Twilight!" He scolded her. "You know I get frightened easily."

"I just couldn't resist, Spike." She laughed. "You made it too easy for me."

"I'm sure I did." He said while rolling his eyes. "To answer your earlier question: I was making a cupcake." He affirmed, gesturing to the cupcake behind him.

"Mmmm. Sounds delicious." She said with elation . "Who's it for?"

"Who do you think?" He asked plainly. "Who's the one pony in town I actively show infatuation towards?"

"I see." Twilight nodded, understanding who he was referring to. "So you finally came up with a non-magical way to impress Rarity?"

Spike gave a nervous frown at that statement. He didn't want Twilight to find out that he dismissed her advice and used magic anyway. So he just decided to go along with Twilight's ignorance. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

"Yup." He replied quickly. "I took your advice to heart and didn't use magic in any way, shape, or form. That's right. No magic here. Just a good old fashioned hand crafted delicacy." He finished with a nervous smile.

Twilight raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. "Spike, you're not lying to me are you?" She asked him dourly.

"No." He gulped.

Twilight stared at him intently for a while, trying to detect any signs of untruthfulness. Something about his body language and the way he was smiling made her very suspicious. She swore she could see him sweating bullets. As a matter of fact, he WAS sweating profusely. All the signs pointed to him not telling the truth. Spike's resolve was starting to crack the longer Twilight eyed him. Judging by the look on her face, he deduced that she was piecing it all together. It was only a matter of time before she called him out on it. But right before he was about to come clean, Twilight said something that he didn't expect.

"I believe you, Spike." She finally said. "I've known you long enough to know that you would never lie to me. You're my faithful assistant. I trust you more than any other pony I know, even the princesses." She added before leaving the kitchen.

Once she left, Spike breathed a sigh of relief.

"For a second there, I thought she had me found out. Guess I'm better at deceiving that I thought." He concluded proudly.

Just as he finished that sentence, Twilight popped back up in the doorway, frightening him again.

"Didn't mean to scare you again." She apologized. "But I was wondering what kind of cupcake that is."

"Uh, red velvet." He responded. "Why?"

"Oh." Twilight said discouragingly. "Welllllll. Here's the thing, Spike: Rarity...doesn't like red velvet. Not anymore at least."

"What?" He asked with a shocked expression. "Why not?"

"She said something about it being too sweet and not wanting to gain weight." Twilight answered.

"So, you mean to tell me I went through all the trouble to make this for nothing?" He asked with outrage thick in his tone.

"I'm afraid so Spike." Twilight shrugged. "But don't worry. I'm sure you'll find somepony else to give it to tomorrow." She suggested.

"No. The one pony I wanted to give it to doesn't even want to accept it." He said depressingly. "I'll probably throw it away or something tomorrow morning. I'm going to bed." He added as he dragged his feet up the stairs.

"If it means anything Spike, I would've gladly accepted the cupcake if you offered it to me." Twilight said in an effort to cheer him up.

"Thanks, Twilight." He remarked glumly. "That makes me feel a little better." He said as he continued up the stairs.

* * * * *

It was now almost completely silent in the house, save for the breathing of the two snoozing occupants. Spike and Twilight were blissfully asleep in their respective beds. Spike tossed and turned a couple of times until he found a good position. Twilight had been laying face up with her head turned to the side. Eventually, her eyes fluttered awake. She stretched before she got out of her bed and trotted over to the window. She looked out of it and gazed at the night sky. The moon hung lazily in the sky while the stars shone brightly all around it. After a few minutes of star gazing, she trotted out the room and headed downstairs. She made her way over to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Once she finished doing her business, she exited the room. She stopped on her way to the stairs and stared into the kitchen, noticing the cupcake on the counter. She trotted over to it and stared down at it.

"Guess Spike forgot to store it in the fridge." She figured.

Unbeknownst to Twilight, her stomach had been growling. Once she realized it, she couldn't help but blush.

"Heh. I must have been so caught up in my reading today that I forgot to eat something." She said with an embarrassed smile.

She then looked at the cupcake and noticed just how appetizing it looked.

"I mean, I am hungry." She thought. "Plus it looks pretty enticing right about now. And Spike said he was probably gonna throw it away anyway. It just seems wrong to let a treat like this go to waste."

"I'm sure Spike won't mind if I help myself. I'll just leave him a letter in the morning and everything will be fine."

In the blink of an eye, Twilight gobbled up the cupcake and gulped it down swiftly, giving a small burp afterwards.

"Guess I was hungrier than I thought." She said with a deep blush.

After excusing herself, she trotted back upstairs and into her room. As she slid into the covers, she gave a content sigh before slowly falling back asleep.