To Accept Poison

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Chapter 1

Success in the fashion industry was more than setting trends. True, those whose designs went beyond established conventions were the ponies remembered by the masses and immortalized by esteemed publications. The fashion following herds were, however, a forgetful crowd, and last month's issue of Fashion Finder Exclusive was already a month out of date. It never took long for the new hot thing to become last season, and trying to come up with the next big hit each and every month or so burned out many a promising fashionista.

There was no shame, Rarity had learned early in her career, in following trends instead of trying to set them. If boots with soft wool linings were what ponies wanted this winter, why push galoshes? If frills were going to make a comeback, her dresses had better work with soft white frills running down their train instead of the red ribbons she had originally planned.

Thus, as much as she strove to be a trendsetter, Rarity was just as much of a trend follower, and this month's trend was dried seaweed. Rumor was that the salty snack did wonders to the shine of one's coat while being healthier than traditional watercress. It was certainly a more elegant choice of snack than, say, potato chips, and perhaps just as satisfying to the tongue.

A strip of dried seaweed floated just next to Rarity's pursed lips as the unicorn glared at the pictures before her. Designs of her next dress line, inspired by the city they were to be debuted in. Manehattan's skyline, the Mare of Liberty, the nightlife that was about to begin just outside her hotel window, which one would represent the metropolis best, the best dress to serve as the flagship for Rarity's Made for Manehattan line, exclusive for a limited time at Rarity for You?

She took a dainty nibble. The skyline was, perhaps, the most unique aspect of Manehattan, with few other cities in Equestria housing as tall buildings and fewer still housing as many, and it's representative in cloth was a perfect reflection, with those slimming lines that trailed down a long silver back and soft silk collar that just hug the neck ever so gently. Then again, there was nothing as recognizable as the crowned mare watching over the harbor; the green wasn't the easiest color on the eyes, but her dress made it work, and the reminder brought Rarity more than a touch of pride. And, of course, who could forget Manehattan after dark, with all those bright lights twinkling like her dress's gold accents and plated buttons?

A night on the town, with all the promise of adventure and danger, as much as the mare wearing that specific ensemble, with a hem that was, at first glance, a few inches too short, and a body that hugged all the right places, all the right curves, made of a dark blue velvet that was nearly see through.

Speaking of adventure...

Rarity glanced over to the clock sitting on her nightstand. She considered the remains of her seaweed before placing the rest carefully into her mouth. As she chewed, the unicorn made her way to the bath that came with the hotel room. The sink she now stood before was already crowded with glosses, blushes, lipsticks, shadows, and other necessities, but Rarity quickly made some room for her toothbrush. The running water, used to mask any hint of crude rinsing, was applied softly to Rarity's checks before the unicorn looked up to examine herself more sternly in the bathroom mirror.

Her horn lit up, and half a dozen brushes and combs flew into the air. A lash extension here, curls at the ends of her mane, a touch of rose to her white cheeks, some shadow on the edges of her blue eyes, and perfection! No, Rarity amended with a frown. A stick of lipstick flew by and painted a coat of red over her pressed lips. She kept them pressed as she fluttered her lashes at her reflection. Better, but something was still missing.

Rarity returned to the bedroom and yanked open the closet. One dress hung separate from the others, a dark red one with sapphire straps and a blue bow around the waist. The dress leapt forward as if on its own, folding itself around Rarity. She turned to the full mirror. The straps draped loosely over her shoulders, daring wandering hooves while the bow kept the dress tight around her flanks, hinting at just enough to entice one's imagination. Rarity smiled and narrowed her eyes as she stepped forward with a slight sway of her hips.

The sultry smile fades. "Well, it'll have to do," the mare said with a sigh. She gave the clock other look as she picked up her purse, red to complement her outfit. "Fashionable late, but only just." She tapped her chin. "Well, I suppose a true gentlecolt wouldn't mind waiting on a lady a few minutes longer. Perhaps I could, well, maybe--"

Rarity took a deep breath, stopping herself. "Well, Rarity, the night awaits." The unicorn reached forward and switched off the nightstand lamp. The room went dark. The door locked with a quiet click.

The young doorpony nodded toward her as she left the hotel. "Good evening, Ms. Rarity," he said.

"Yes, it is quite a nice night," Rarity sang back. She watched the uniformed stallion's eyes dart around, always drawing close to her lower half before retreating back up. Rarity fought the giggle threatening to surface as her hooves hit the cold city pavement.

As always, the Manehattan streets were bustling, though thankfully less crowded than they were during the day. Families and groups of friends made their way to dinner or to the theater as couples wrapped around themselves glided to popular dating scenes. Even more eyes found themselves drawn to the unicorn in the red dress, some envious, others jealous.

Rarity continued through the city, passing cheap diners and souvenir shops as well as the occasional clothing store. No real competitors, those were all on or around Saddle Row. She moved past them, past the hotels and towering buildings until at last she stopped.

Purple curtains marked with a silver lion head kept the interior hidden, sheltering the patrons' privacy. The same lion was stamped on the twin doors guarding the entrance and on the large sign hanging above that read Tres Bien. With her magic, Rarity took hold of the bronze door handle. The door opened noiselessly and closed behind her just as loudly.

A stallion standing at the podium greeted her. "Ah, welcome to Tres Bien. Is your party here already, madam?"

"Yes, he should be," Rarity answered. "A Mister Powers."

"Monsieur Powers." The stallion glanced down at the list in front of him. "Ah yes, party of two." He stepped off his platform and gestured to the side. "Right this way."

Rarity followed her host through the restaurant. Most tables she passed were already occupied with well dressed ponies, mares in gowns and stallions in suits worthy of the Grand Galloping Gala, their faces illuminated by candle light. Elegant dishes, as picturesque as they were delectable, sat largely forgotten by those who ordered them.

The host's announcement fell on deaf ears. All of Rarity's attention had been stolen, the thief sitting at the table in the center of the room. There was little she could say about the dark blue suit he wore itself, but the way the stallion wore it, comfortably to the point that it appeared natural while still tight enough to hint of the hard muscular flesh hiding beneath, made it impossible to avoid staring. He smiled as Rarity approached, his widening eyes more subtle in most in their wandering, but only barely, Rarity noted gleefully.

"Lady Rarity," the stallion whispered, almost breathless. He took the extended hoof and placed his lips on it. Rarity could still feel their warmth as she took the seat across from him.

A small poster suddenly obscured her view. "Madam, the menu," the host said. "You waitress will be here shortly to take your order. Might I recommend our special for tonight, a pasta in a rich Alfredo sauce with stuffed--"

"We'll let our waitress know when we're ready, my dear Check," the stallion smoothly injected. "For now, we'll start with a wine, red, red as our lady's lovely dress," he added with another glance across the table. "The usual year."

"Of course." The host bowed and left, leaving the two ponies to stare at each other without distraction.

"I do hope you will find everything to your liking, Lady Rarity." The stallion held one of the silver forks to the light and made a show of inspecting it. "This is one of my most favorite restaurants, after all. How you feel about it may influence whether I'll purchase it."

He smiled. Rarity smiled back, rewarding him with a soft laugh. "It is quite the establishment, Sir Powers, but I suppose it is missing that Powers touch."

"Oh?" Powers leaned forward. "And, dear tell, what would that touch be?"

Rarity gestured to the small group of musicians playing the corner. "More." She held up her menu and waved at it. "More." She looked up at the massive crystal chandelier and pointed. "More." Her smile grew suggestive as she turned to her date with fluttering lashes. She lifted a hoof toward him.

"More."

A glass bottle was set down on the table with a soft tap. "My good sir and lady, your wine," the mare sudden before them said. She removed the cork and filled the pair of thin crystal glasses that came with the bottle. The server positioned the glasses, now full of a dark red drink, carefully before her guests, then took a step back, the bottle still cradled in her hooves. "I will be your server tonight. Are you ready to order?"

"We will need a little more time. Your chefs don't make choosing simple," Powers answered with a chuckle. "But leave the bottle."

"Of course." The mare set the bottle back down, bowed, then left.

Powers turned back to Rarity. "Now, where were we? Oh yes." He raised his glass. The wine danced against the edge, struggling to escape, as he rocked the glass. "More. Yes, I can most certainly see that." He lowered his voice and leaned forward. "Especially more of the two of us, together."

Rarity returned Powers' hungry grin. She raised her own wine and knocked against his with a soft chime. "To us, together," she said, taking a sip. The slightly tart liquid soaked the top of her tongue, teasing the organ with tastes, before she swallowed and felt the alcohol's warmth slide down her throat and spread through her body.

She prepared herself for another sip when she looked over to the other side of the table. "Is something wrong, Sir Powers?" Rarity asked, setting down her glass. "You're looking oddly pale."

The stallion swallowed. Suddenly, the suit was several sizes too small. "It, uh, well, there is, ah--"

"Yes, Sir Powers, dear. Please try to explain."

The chill in the mare's voice banished what warmth Rarity's drink had provided. She turned to the newcomer standing behind her. "Pardon me, miss, but is--"

"That's Mrs. Powers," the mare sniffed, her glare still upon the cowering stallion across the table. "And what I want to know is what you're doing with my husband."

"Your h-husband?" Rarity turned to Mr. Powers, her eyes wide with shock. "But I--" She turned back to the simmering mare. "I assure you, I had no--"

The entire establishment seemed to gasp together as Mrs. Powers grabbed Rarity's glass and flung its contents into her face. "Hussy," she heard the mare hiss venomously.

"Love, please!" Powers suddenly found his voice. "Please, Honey, I can explain. Please wait." He leapt out of his seat and hurried toward the mare's retreating figure. The table shook in his haste, knocking over the opened bottle he had requested.

As Mr. Powers' ignored pleads disappeared, the restaurant's patrons returned to their meals and their company, satisfied by tonight's entertainment. Nopony seemed to take notice of the unicorn sitting alone in the center of the room, drenched in wine. Nopony bothered with her, her face smearing from running makeup and her dress stained, save for her server who offered napkins and the host who offered the bill.

Chapter 2

Princess Luna's moon was already high in the sky when the last train from Canterlot rolled into Ponyville. A mare stepped out onto the deserted platform, peeking over her pair of tinted glasses and giving a station a good look over before hurrying off, the scarf covering her features swaying in the wind behind her.

Rarity had considered returning home that night, just rushing to the train station directly from the restaurant in her ruined dress and demanding a ticket to the first train to Ponyville, like some mare in a fairytale trying to return home before midnight struck. Instead, Rarity's need for a shower won out, and it was during her wash that she realized that the station was likely closed at this hour, that she still had to check out of the hotel, and that she'd be leaving several bits worth of luggage behind. Plus, Ponyville wasn't expecting her back for another couple of days, and ponies, in a mix of heartfelt concern and idle nosiness, were bound to ask questions. Thankfully, she could at least avoid her parents and sister, them vacationing in the Crystal Empire after all

No, Rarity couldn't just return home. She still had to find the perfect souvenirs for her friends, not to mention a present for certain upcoming birthday. Perhaps another day touring the city's many shops would raise her spirits. She couldn't let one lousy date couldn't ruin her entire trip, after all.

A fitful night brimming with nightmares and repeated memories of the evening swiftly changed her mind, and after a late start, a hurried packing session, and a vain attempt to convince the hotel into refunding the last night she had reserved, Rarity found herself on the next train to Canterlot, where she would make the transfer home.

And so, here she was, dodging lit windows and light posts like some sort of thief with several suitcases of bounty. All she had to do was get home without anypony recognizing her, and she'd be safe, free from having to provide explanations and to eat herself into an ice cream coma.

Carousel Boutique came into view. Even in the dark, her home and business, with its poles and decorative dancing ponies, was a familiar and welcoming sight. If it weren't for her bags, Rarity would have broken into a sprint. Still, the unicorn found her luggage suddenly lighter as the door drew closer. She stopped with her hooves at the threshold. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Rarity turned to one of her smaller bags and reached inside.

Even under her white coat, she turned noticeably paler. Rarity reached further, shoving in her entire foreleg up to her shoulder. Still no key.

The bag flew to the side. Rarity opened a suitcase and rummaged through the gowns. She moved to the next one, then to the next one, then to the one after all. Her search became more frantic and more careless, and soon the ground became littered with fabrics and cosmetics. Had she forgotten her key at the hotel? Did she drop it during her return trip?

Rarity sighed. Well, there was no helping it now. She had to find another way inside. As unlikely as it was, perhaps she could find an open window. Failing that, she'd have to find the ones she left her spare key with, which would mean unwanted questions, like:

"Rarity? Is that you?"

Rarity's blood ran cold. Slowly, with her glasses slipping and scarf unraveling, she turned. Nopony to be found, perhaps, but there instead stood a dragon, still young if size was any indication of age; he stood maybe a good head taller than Rarity. Cradled in his arms was a grumpy looking feline whose pout lifted slightly at the sight of the white unicorn. Something was tied around the dragon's neck.

Most ponies would've fled, for fear of claw, flame, or fang, only to ponder the cat's presence weeks after the encounter. Most ponies did not hail from Ponyville. Rarity, like the rest of Ponyville populace, was not most ponies, so instead she simply felt like disappearing on the stop or melting into a puddle.

"What are you doing here?"

Rarity swallowed. "I live here," she managed to say.

"Oh." The dragon blinked. "Yeah, but I thought you wouldn't be back until..." His claws curled as he counted. "...the day after tomorrow. Did, um, did something happen?"

"Something happen?" Rarity let out a strangled laugh. "W-what in Equestria gave you that idea, Spike?"

As Spike reached out to rub the back of his neck, the cat in his arm squirmed. He gestured to the mess of clothes and makeup still lying about.

Try as she might, Rarity could not fight the rising blush. "It's, it's a long story," she replied quietly. Hoping to deter additional questions, she quickly added, "And you? What are you doing out so late? And with my cat?"

Spike and the cat looked to each other, then quickly turned away. "Well, Opal was supposed to have a grooming session with Fluttershy this morning, and I went to pick her up after lunch, and, uh, it's kind of a long story."

As if directed, the moonlight shifted onto the dragon, revealing the long white lines marring the purple scales covering his arms and face.

Rarity's hoof rose to her mouth. "Did Opal do all that."

"Huh? What? I thought Zecora got rid of the black eye."

"What?"

"I mean, it's nothing," Spike assured hurriedly. "Thick scales, remember? I hardly felt a--"

With an impatient grunt, Opal wiggled her way out of the dragon's hold. Spike and Rarity watched as the cat walked over to the door and start to scratch at it.

"Oh, right." Spike reached for the cord that was hanging around his neck, revealing a small silver key. He made his way to the cat's side and, with great care, slid the key into its slot below the door handle. The key turned and the lock pulled back with a single solid click.

The door had only opened just a crack before Opal squeezed inside. Instead of following, Spike turned back to Rarity.

"So, you need some help cleaning?" he asked.

Rarity followed Spike's gaze to the luggage scattered about her yard, leaving it more cloth than grass. Another sigh was released, carried by the cool night breeze. She shivered.

"If you could be a dear, please."

Inside the boutique, Opal had been keeping herself busy. The small ring of cushions and blankets that served as passable bedding had lost the warmth they had in the morning. A mystery to solve tomorrow, Opal told herself, as she told herself every evening before the final nap of the day, but for now, there was the matter of the cold sheets.

As she snuggled the pillows, twisted around in the blankets, and stomped about to rid the cushions of lumps, the chime of a bell rang through the building, an indication that the boutique's front door had opened. Laughs followed footsteps.

"Well, I'm glad you found it funny," Spike grumbled. He stumbled in with several bags and suitcases tucked beneath his arms. Rarity was right behind, and the door closed shut once she had entered.

Rarity cleared her throat and tried to hide her smile with her hoof. "I'm so sorry, Spikey. I promise I didn't mean to laugh, I just never thought my cat would, I mean, I do apologize."

"Nah, it's alright." There was a small chuckle. "I guess it was kind of funny, now that it's all over. Where do you want these?"

"Hmm? Oh, the bags!" Rarity looked around. It took her a moment before she replied with a defeated, "Just leave them anywhere."

Spike shifted from one foot to the other. He frowned. "You sure?"

"It's been a rather busy day, and I don't have the energy to unpack properly." Rarity waved her front hoof dismissively. "I'll deal with them tomorrow. Just," she quickly added as Spike began to bend over, "if you could be a little gentle with the red velvet bags, please. Those hold gels."

"Right, red velvets." The dragon looked down and bit his lip. "Could you turn on a light or something?"

"Oh, of course!" Rarity hurried to the side and ran her hoof along the wall until it found a switch. The boutique brightened, forcing the two to shield their eyes for a moment. Shadows and silhouettes of foreign objects became familiar pieces of furniture, old tables that had seen a multitude of tea parties and coat hangers that had held numerous coats. Framed photos of ponies on the walls, of a white filly with a light pink mane, of a mustached white stallion in a straw hat and a mare with her purple mane permed, welcomed her home.

Rarity sighed. "It's good to be home."

"Manehattan didn't treat you right this time around?" Spike asked as he carefully set the unicorn's baggage to the side.

"Oh no, Manehattan was wonderful, as always," Rarity assured, forcing a smile. "Yes, wonderful, lovely, wonderful."

"Hey, Rarity?" Spike started slowly. His raised claw settled around his own arm, tightening around the opposite wrist. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm fine," Rarity answered. "A little tired perhaps." She made a show of a yawn. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I mean..." Spike rocked back on his heels. "It's just, you're back early. I'm not complaining or anything," the dragon added hurriedly with his arms up and palms forward. "But I can't remember the last time you'd cut a trip to Manehattan short unless there was an emergency. Not to mention, you look kind of, well, sad." He pointed a claw at his eye. "They're red."

Rarity shut her eyes and turned away. "As I said, I'm just tired. Admittedly, this trip wasn't as, relaxing as it should have been. It's, well, it's a long story." She looked up, pleading silently for no further inquiries.

"Oh."

Her begging gaze became a glare, hoping to discourage Spike's curiosity. The dragon didn't seem to notice.

"Can I help?"

Rarity blinked. "Excuse me?"

Spike rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know what happened in Manehattan, but it's clearly bothering you. Is there anything I can do?"

"That's sweet of you to offer, darling," Rarity said, giving him a small smile, "but I'm afraid there's little you can do. Unless, hmm." The unicorn tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Do you think Starlight Glimmer still has her time traveling spell?"

"Uh."

"No, no, never mind." Rarity shook her head. She walked over to Spike's side and set a hoof around his claw. "You're a wonderful friend, Spikey, but I'll be fine. I just need a few days to recover from my, trip. Please, don't worry for my sake."

She felt Spike's fist harden. "If you say so," he conceded. The smile he presented her was just as fake as the one she wore. Slowly, with evident reluctance, he slipped away. "Well, I guess I should--oh!"

Rarity jumped as Spike jumped. Confused, she watched the dragon march deeper into the boutique. A light appeared in, Rarity frowned as she tried to determine the location, the kitchen? Her confusion grew. "Spike?"

"Just give me a moment. Ah, here!" A moment following, Spike reappeared with a heap of letters and a large parcel wrapped with a pink bow.

"What's all this?" Rarity asked. She followed him to a table.

"Just something I remembered back from the old days in Canterlot." Spike laid the envelopes in a spread over the tabletop, with the package separate from the rest. "See, back when Twilight was Princess Celestia's student, she'd meltdown whenever, well, just about anything happened. If she had a test or had finished a test or couldn't find a book or the cafeteria's porridge was too cold, um, don't tell Twilight I said any of this."

"Very well, though I'm not too sure I see how this has to do with..." Rarity lifted one of the envelope. Her name and address was scribbled in the center. A picture of a glass statue was glued to the corner. "Is this my mail?"

"Yeah. I kept an eye out for letters from Sassy Saddles and Sapphire Shores, like you told me, but those never came. Anyways," Spike continued, clasping his claws together, "Twilight would always keep the letters her parents and brother sent her at her desk. Whenever she got too stressed, she'd read them and calm down a bit. I remember Twilight always looking happier after reading those letters, and I figured, maybe these could help you."

"So these..." Rarity looked back down to study the letter more closely. There was nothing special about the envelope itself, just simple white paper. The address and her name remained unchanged, and while that specific stamp wasn't something readily available in Ponyville, there was nothing remarkable about it. The return address was largely unfamiliar, except for the final line: the Crystal Empire. Her horn lit, and the flap was lifted. A folded sheet of paper fell out.

Rarity straightened the paper out, revealing a small picture hidden inside. The white, mustached stallion who had greeted her from the boutique wall was there, frozen in a march around a large track and field surround by rows upon rows of empty bleachers. Rarity turned to the letter.

"'My little gem,'" she read aloud, "'I hope you're doing well. Can't be better than your father, though. I swear, he's more excited about visiting the Crystal Empire than Sweetie Belle. Before we even checked into our hotel, which, by the way, was real ritzy, thanks for the recommendation, your father had to see the coliseum. You know, where they had the Equestrian Games all those years ago? The one where Sweetie Belle and her friends got to carry the flag? What a proud moment. Anyways, we hear the Crystal Empire will be hosting the Games this year, and your father had to try the track himself, went off on one of his old sporting days, you know how he gets about those days.'" Rarity shook her head. "Of course he would. Hmm. 'Had to drop your name before the guard let us in, so sorry. Anyways, hope you're doing well. Love, Mom.'"

She set the letter down. "They do realize I would've been in Manehattan when this arrived here, right?"

"Dunno." Spike shrugged. "Maybe they forgot?"

"Hmm." Rarity turned to the parcel. "This was from them as well?" A sharp tug at the bow released the brown paper wrapping, revealing a tall wooden box. The image of a grapevine was burned into each of the side. She picked up the little blue card that had fallen out.

"'Hey Sis. Hope you're doing well. Dad was supposed to write this one, but he and Mom had a few too many free samples after the tour, and now they're sleeping it off. I doubt they'd be able to write anything tomorrow either. Anyways, the Crystal Empire's great, next time you could come with us. Feels like it's been forever since we've had a vacation with the whole family. Enjoy the souvenir. Maybe you could save some for me? Just don't tell Mom and Dad. Sweetie Belle."

Rarity's magic encased the wooden box, lifting it up and giving it a gently shake. "A souvenir, hmm?" The lid slid off. "I wonder, what could--"

Two corked bottle fell out of the box. Rarity's heart leapt as she grabbed for them with her magic, releasing the box and letting it drop. One bottle stayed afloat in the air, held up by a faint blue glow around its neck. The other bottle found its way into the claws of Spike, who, in his dive, found himself nose deep in Rarity's front.

The dragon pushed himself away. "S-sorry!" he exclaimed. "I just wanted, was trying to, here." As he presented the bottle, a red glow spread over Spike's features.

Rarity smiled at the familiar scene, though the dragon was now much larger than she remembered. "It's quite alright, Spikey dear," she said, taking the bottle. "Thank you for saving the..." Rarity took a glance at the bottle's label. "Crystal Empire crystal berry late harvest wine!" she gasped, her grip on the bottle flickering. "Spike, this is Crystal Empire crystal berry late harvest wine!"

"Oh." Spike frowned. "Um, is that good?"

"Good? Good?" Rarity began to frown as well. "Well, I've never actually tried it myself. Crystal Empire crystal berry late harvest wine is impossible to make outside the Crystal Empire, making it extremely rare and rather expensive to order. I've heard that it's incredible, however, and if it's anything like Vanhoover ice wine..." Her lips suddenly felt very dry.

"Do you want me to grab you a glass or something?" Spike asked.

Rarity quickly swallowed the water building up in her mouth. Now, now, Rarity my dear, you know how late it is. If not for yourself, think of your guest. Can you imagine how tired Spike must be right now?

It's not that late Rarity argued back. A small glass of wine can't hurt. She turned to Spike. And besides, I haven't offered Spike anything yet. As a hostess, the least I can do is provide him with some sparkling water.

She set the bottles back into the box and gathered the remaining letters. "Would you join me in the kitchen for some refreshments, Spike?"

"Huh? I mean." The dragons coughed. "Yeah, sure, if it's not too late."

"Oh, don't worry." Rarity hid her yawn with a laugh. "It'll only be for a few short minutes."

"Okay then." Spike followed her and the floating box through the boutique. As they entered the kitchen, the dragon mentally kicked himself for leaving the light on and for the mess of mail. Prompted by Rarity's gesture, Spike took a seat at the table and tried to tidy up the other envelopes, making room for the bottles which Rarity removed from the box.

Chapter 3

Rarity opened one of the kitchen's many pantries and began to shift through the glassware within. "Was there anything else in the mail that I should know about?" she asked.

"Not really. Just a few bills and an invitation to your welcome home party from Pinkie Pie."

"An invitation to, of course she would." Rarity returned to the table with a pair of small crystal glasses, then went to the refrigerator. "Odd," she said, "I could have sworn I had some sparkling water in here. Ooh, where is it?"

"Tap's fine with me."

"It most certainly is not," replied Rarity with a huff. "I know it's in here somewhere. Ah, here." She removed a plastic bottle and shut the fridge. After placing it on the table next to the other bottles, she turned back to the pantries and cabinets along the wall. "Now for a cork screw. Hmm, now where--"

A pop answered her. Rarity turned around. Spike sat before her, waving with the tip of a claw stuck deep in a wooden cork.

"Oh, yes, thank you Spike." Rarity joined the dragon at the table. "I can never quite remember how useful you are around here."

"Hey, thanks, but, um, it's no problem really. Just glad to help." Spike reached for the bottle of water, only for it to jump away.

Rarity waved her hoof. "Ah ah ah, let me get that for you."

"You don't--"

"I insist, darling. Consider this a small, small demonstration of my appreciation." Slowly, Spike's glass filled with clear water. "Here, for all you've done this week," Rarity said, holding the glass out to Spike. "For the house watching, the cat rescuing, the luggage cleaning, have I missed anything?"

"Eh." Spike shook a claw. "Mail managing, princess dictation, book keeping, breakfast making, cupcake tasting, fire containing, it's been a pretty busy week."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "And et cetera et cetera." She set the glass in front of Spike and turned to her own. Slowly, she raised the opened bottle and tipped it over the glass. It was a small glass, shaped like a toasting flute and about half the size as a standard one, designed to hold only enough for a taste. A taste would be more than enough, Rarity had reasoned, as she began to pour.

The color was first to surprise her, a light pink rather than red. She filled her glass, sealed the bottle with the cork, then gave the glass a swirl. Raising the glass, Rarity sniffed and smelled nothing, her second surprise. She sniffed again, and again there was no scent of fruit or of anything at all.

"Uh, what are you--"

"Nothing!" Rarity assured, slamming the glass down. The wine sloshed about but failed to spill out. "Just, oh, taking in the aroma." She lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip. Suddenly, she began to cough.

Feeling Spike's claw on her back, Rarity quickly raised a hoof and waved him away. "I'm fine," she assured. "Just, oh my."

Slowly, Spike returned to his seat. "You sure?"

"Yes, yes, I just wasn't expecting, this wasn't exactly what I was expecting." Rarity raised the glass once again, this time letting the liquid settle in her mouth. She expected sweetness in the dessert wine, the concentrated nectar of the frozen berries, but there was also something else, the hint of spice that left a sharp, though not entire unpleasant taste. The chill of the liquid was also a surprise. Rarity felt the glass. The crystal was a little cool to the touch but nowhere as cold as the wine in her mouth. She swallowed and shuddered as her throat burned. The icy wine seemed to boil the moment it entered her throat. Rarity could feel her checks glow as they filled with heat. She opened her mouth and watched her visible breath billow out like steam.

She took another, larger sip. And another. And another. Before long the glass had emptied, and Rarity found herself eying the closed bottle with want.

"You want more?" Spike asked, placing his claw over the bottle. At Rarity's nod, he twisted the cork off and returned the bottle. "Is it that good?" he asked as Rarity filled her glass then nearly drained half of it.

"It's amazing," Rarity answered. "I've had dessert wines before but nothing like this."

"Dessert wines?"

"Yes, you know, the sweets, for after meals?" Rarity gave Spike a lopsided look. "You don't drink, do you?"

Spike raised his brow. He gestured to his own empty glass.

Rarity's glass swayed as she giggled. "I meant alcohol. Wines, liquor, anything like that?"

"Well, I tried some wine a few Hearth Warming's ago. Twilight's dad offered me some of his when nopony was watching." Spike grimaced. "I didn't really, uh, I don't know. It tasted kind of, weird. Kind of sour, maybe a little bitter."

"You wouldn't happen to know what type of wine it was, would you?"

Spike shrugged. "It was red. And it came in a bottle? With a cork?"

"Hmm." Rarity set her glass down. She considered the bottle, running the edge of her hoof against its opening, then turned to Spike's glass.

"Spike, would you like more water?"

"Nah, that's okay."

Rarity shook the bottle. "Then, perhaps some wine?"

Spike blinked. "Huh?"

"It just occurred to me how rude this must look, the hostess with her wine and her guest with just water. And after everything you've done for me, water, no matter how sparkling, doesn't seem just." Rarity pulled Spike's glass closer. "So I am offering you, Spike, some of my Crystal Empire crystal berry late harvest wine."

Spike bit his lip. "Can I?"

"Of course!"

The dragon leaned forward and stared at the bottle. "And you said it's sweet?"

"Would you like to see for yourself?"

Spike took a deep breath. He sat back. "Yeah, I want some. I think."

Rarity began to pour, filling Spike glass about halfway. It's just a taste. A taste can't hurt. She turned to her own glass, and, as she filled it, she watched Spike. For a moment, Spike simply stared at the wine. He reached forward and slowly picked the glass up. His tongue peeked through his lips and danced against the edge. The long organ extended and dipped into the liquid for a short second before swiftly retreating. Spike suddenly straightened in his seat, his eyes blinking rapidly as he smacked his lips. He leaned forward again with that long, serpent-like tongue hanging out from his mouth.

"Spike, dear, please." The disgust in Rarity's tone of obvious.

"Sorry." The tongue settled politely back in its home inside Spike's mouth, out of view. Grabbing the glass with both claws, he brought it to his lips. At last, he took a proper sip. His eyes widened. A visible shiver traveled through his body, all the way to the tip of his tail, now suddenly erect. He set the glass back down on the table, but his grip remained tight.

"What do you think?" Rarity asked, leaning forward.

"I, wow, this is nothing like juice."

Rarity's laughter filled the kitchen and echoed through the house. "No, I suppose it's not."

Spike drank a little more. A light blush could be seen in his cheeks, though from embarrassment or from alcohol, Rarity wasn't sure. "I know it's not supposed to taste like juice, I just figured, if it was sweet, then, aww, I don't know." He shivered again. "Is it supposed to burn on the way down?"

"A little," Rarity answered as she continued her drink. "It's not too uncomfortable, I hope."

"Nah, it's alright. Just surprising, that's all. Hey, could I have some more?"

Rarity looked down at the empty glass in Spike's claws, surprised. "Finished already?"

Sheepishly, Spike shrugged. "It was really good."

With an exaggerated sigh, Rarity took Spike's glass and refilled it. "Very well, but not much more," she said. "I don't want you wandering the streets of Ponyville intoxicated, trying to find home. Twilight would be furious."

"You really think that could happen? The wandering part, I mean. I believe you about Twilight being mad, but it's kind of hard to miss the castle."

"If you drink enough, it is very possible," Rarity answered. She held the bottle right in front of Spike's nose and shook it. "Young dragon, do not underestimate its powers. I have seen nobles, ponies of incredible power, turn themselves into complete fools after too much wine."

Spike stared at the glass in his claws. "Really?"

"Well, perhaps seen isn't the right word," Rarity replied with a sniff and her nose lifted in the air. "Stories and cautionary tales of ponies making poor decisions that lead to their ruin. And, um, family gatherings." Rarity covered her mouth and looked to the side as she cleared her throat.

"So that one summer with your aunt."

"Yes, Aunt Doe had a little too much that day." Rarity shook her head. "Some ponies just don't know their limits."

"Have you ever, you know, gone crazy from..." Spike gestured to the bottle.

"Gone crazy? Spike, do try to remember who you're talking to." Rarity placed one front hoof on her front, right below her neck, and rested the other on the table, propping herself up. "I am a lady. I do not go crazy from anything."

Spike's snort won him a glare. "Sorry, sorry," he said, throwing his arms up in front. "So you've never gotten, what's the word, tipsy? Is that it?"

"Tipsy?" She giggled. "Tipsy's fine. There's nothing wrong with tipsy. Precious Scales, I'm feeling a little tipsy right now."

"Are you going to be okay?" Spike asked, worry clear in his voice.

Rarity waved away his concerns. Her hoof quickly lowered back onto the table as she started to sway. "I told you, I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with being tipsy. Well, no, that's not entirely true." With her forelegs folded in front of her and her cheeks puffed, she frowned. "That whole affair with Powers started over one too many drinks at a cocktail party."

"Powers?" The unfamiliar name gave Spike pause. He lowered his glass. "Who's that?"

Rarity sniffed. "Oh, just the stallion who managed to ruin my entire trip. Charming, sophisticated, the second son of one of Manehattan's richest entrepreneurs. We meet after an opera, and we hit off well enough. We had a few outings, and I let him get close." She shut her eyes. "He knew how to treat a lady."

"So what happened?" Spike asked. "If he was so great, how'd he ruin, uh, you know." He turned away, keeping his mouth covered with his claw. "Sorry, go ahead, continue."

"I met his wife." Rarity finished her glass and began to fill it once more. The bottle shook as she poured.

Spike's eyes grew wide, and his mouth fell open. "You mean, this guy was married?"

"Mmhmm," Rarity mumbled as she prepared to take another sip.

"And, you, you didn't know, did you?"

"Wha, of course not," Rarity sputtered. "If I had known, I wouldn't have given him the time of day. Do you really think I would go after a married stallion? What kind of mare do you think I am?"

Spike winced. "Right, sorry, sorry," he said, wringing his claws. "It's just, wow, he just lied to you like that?"

"He lied to his wife too, though I find it difficult to feel sorry for her after the way she reacted toward me," Rarity added. With her foreleg against the table and her chin resting on her hoof, she sighed. "Now look, you've gotten me in a bad mood again."

"Oops. Do you want to read more letters?"

Rarity followed Spike's motion toward the small pile unopened envelopes. "Later," she said before draining her glass. "Sometimes, I wonder if there's something wrong with me."

Spike frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's just, out of all the stallions in Equestria, why are all the ones I attract scumbags?" She planted her cheek on the table and breathed out, rustling the tablecloth. "Perhaps I should just forget about princes and love and get another cat."

"Hey, don't say that. You don't just attract bad guys, that's not true. A lot of guys in Ponyville think you're pretty, and they're not scumbags."

"Oh?" Rarity leaned across the table, forcing Spike to back away just a bit. "Who?"

"I, I don't think I should say." Spike ducked his head, his cheeks burning red. "They're no princes though, but do they have to be?"

"Well, no, I suppose that is, and forever will be, only a fantasy," Rarity said with a sigh. She slid back in her seat. "I just, I wish I could find somepony to love, somepony to share myself with."

"Does it have to be a pony?"

Rarity blinked. "Pardon?"

"Nothing," Spike quickly replied. "I was just thinking, I think you're worrying too much. You're pretty and smart and such an amazing mare, I'm sure there's somepony out there for you. Maybe, maybe you're just looking in the wrong places."

"Wrong places?" Rarity repeated. "What do you mean?"

"Well, all these smooth, rich guys from old wealthy families that you keep going for, they're all seem to be jerks or liars or lying jerks. Blueblood, this Powers guy. Maybe try looking somewhere else."

"Looking somewhere else."

Spike nodded. "Yeah, like maybe somepony in the fashion business or maybe closer to home. Plenty of bachelors in Ponyville, like, there's, um." He bit his lip. "There's, okay, so nopony comes to mind right now, but they're out there, I'm sure. And not just Ponyville. There's Cloudsdale and Las Pegasus and dozens of towns in Equestria with ponies who'd love a chance with a mare as lovely and talented and wonderful as you and, and--" Spike took a deep breath, and released it as a sigh. He lowered his head and hid it under his arms. "Sorry."

The word was barely louder than a whisper, but from the way it startled her, it might as well have been screamed. "Whatever are you apologizing for?"

"For going off like that." Spike rubbed his forehead wearily. "I don't know where I was going with all that. I mean, what do I know? I just, I wanted to say something, anything really, to make you feel better, but I must have sounded like an idiot."

"I wouldn't say that," Rarity said. She shifted herself closer. "A little clumsy, perhaps, but nonetheless encouraging."

"Huh? Really?" Spike lifted his head.

"Of course. Maybe I have been too narrow minded in my search. To be honest, the thought had occurred to me, but I always dismissed it as giving up and settling for less. Hearing it aloud, from a friend, however, well." Rarity reached over and placed her hoof on top of the dragon's closed fist. "Not to mention how good it was to hear how lovely and talented and wonderful you think I am." Spike grew redder as Rarity's smile brightened. "I'm glad you still think so highly of me."

"Well, yeah, I mean I, you, can I have some more wine?" Spike asked, grabbing at his throat.

As Rarity stared, the blush across Spike's face intensified. She was beginning to expect smoke to escape from his nostrils, if not his ears. "How about a little break?" she suggested, picking up one of the few remaining unopened letters. A small postcard slid out of the envelope instead of folded paper this time. Rarity turned to the blank end and found the short message written in glittery ink.

"Hi Rarity, hope you're doing well. So we just remembered that you'll be in Manehattan this week, and you'll probably still be there by the time this letter gets home, but whatever. Mom says it's the thought that counts, and I get to use my new pens. The ink has real crushed crystals. I got some for you too, and for Scootaloo and Apple Bloom too, but you'll probably already know by the time you get around to reading this. Anyways, you can probably guess where we went today. Hint, it's on the postcard. It was kind of weird seeing Spike as a little dragon again, but I guess carving a new statue out of crystal every time he grows would be pretty tiring. A lot of Changelings were there too, and it sound like he's pretty big in the Changeling kingdom. If I start referring Spike as Spike the Brave and Glorious or First Friend Spike, you can blame the Crystal Empire. Oh, and I found the store where you got me that plush Spike toy--"

A soft groan came from Spike as he hid his face.

"They're still there, plus some Princess Flurry Hearts. They've got a bunch of her as a baby and as a filly, but there's only baby dragon Spike. Guess older Spike just wasn't marketable. Oh well. Wish you were here. Your sister, Sweetie Belle."

Rarity flipped the postcard over. There stood Spike made of blue crystal, standing proudly as he held up a crystal heart the size of his head. Light from the setting sun reflected off the heart, giving it a light orange appearance, as if aflame. The spires of the palace could be seen in the distance. Come See Spike the Brave and Glorious, Savior of the Crystal Empire it said in big, bold letters.

She looked up at the dragon sitting at her table, then back down at the dragon on the postcard. Whereas the Spike immortalized in crystal remained stout and a tad stubby, the Spike before her had lost much of the baby fat, leaving him sleeker and lean. The crystal statue's limbs were almost comically short compared to Spike's arms and legs. His soft features had hardened, with his nose now protruding out into a proper snout, and his eyes, once adorably large and round, had narrowed, giving him a more, well, dragon-like look.

"Um, Rarity? What are you doing?"

Rarity blinked and found her hooves pushing into Spike's cheeks. "I, there's was something I had to make sure," she said as she quickly withdrew. "Your cheeks aren't as chubby as they were."

"Thanks?"

Rarity slid the postcard to Spike. "Forgive me. I was, I was trying to wrap my mind around how much you've grown."

"Oh wow." Spike picked up the postcard. He smirked. "You know, some kids have embarrassing baby photos, I get a whole baby statue." He placed the card down. "So what's up? You've never really brought this up before. I'm still me, you know that, right?"

"Yes, of course, but, it's just..." A moment past in silence. "It's, hard to say," Rarity answered. She tilted her head and stared. "Here you are, drinking wine and giving me love advice. You're not exactly the little baby dragon I remember anymore."

"Well, it's been how many years? I had to grow up eventually, right?" Spike reached for his glass and raised if, only to realize it was still empty. Before he could say more, the wine bottle floated past him. Rarity tilted the bottle, but only air left it. She shook the bottle, forcing out a few small drops.

Rarity looked away from the bottle and turned instead to Spike. Their gazes met, and they shared a looked before both turned to the second bottle on the table. The empty one dropped to the floor.

"Spike, darling, could you be a dear?"

The popping of a cork echoed through the kitchen.

Chapter 4

As a rogue beam of sunlight slipped through the binds and crept over her face, Rarity let out a tired groan. She tried to ignore the annoying buzz in her head and waved her hoof in a vain attempt to brush the sun's gift off. Her eyes squeezed shut as she mentally grappled for the fleeting state of sleep, to return to complete, blissful unconsciousness, while she physically grabbed for her covers to escape to the shelter of their soft touch. Her hooves only taking in cool air, Rarity shifted herself further into the mattress, hoping to find warmth nearer the center. Before she go further, her body bumped into something hard.

With her eyes still stubbornly closed, Rarity reached out and blindly felt away at the mysterious object. Her prods suggested it was solid in some areas, but in other areas she found softness. She ran her hooves along the length of the object and discovered an odd smoothness. The shape was difficult to describe, with no discernible edges, corners, or ends. Any serious attempts to speculate on the object's nature were banished by that obnoxious buzzing. Rarity reached further, grabbing for more clues.

"That tickles," came a muffled mumble in response.

Rarity's eyes shot open, and she flung herself upright. The dull buzz immediately became pain, drilling mercilessly deep into her skull as she hissed. Her hooves grabbed hold of her head, keeping it still as the room spun. Her stomach churned, and Rarity could feel its contents rise to her throat. As a shade of green painted across her features, she forced the bile back down.

At last, the room stopped moving. The pain was slowly became manageable, though still distractingly unpleasant. Rarity opened her eyes again, but this time slowly, gradually. The blurriness faded, and the familiar sights of her bedroom curtains have her a small sense of comfort. In the corner slept Opal, her cat. She was home, in the safety of her own bed, a discovery that put to rest more of her worries than she cared to admit.

Rarity frowned. She couldn't even explain why she felt so worried, thanks to the blasted headache. Well, the headache was certainly a cause for concern, she supposed, as well as the nausea. What could have possibly happened the previous night that would leave her in such a state?

She remembered coming home, yes that much was clear, and, and she had a guest. Yes, a guest, and there were refreshments and gifts from the Crystal Empire. A visitor from the Crystal Empire? No, that wasn't right. Gifts were from her family, souvenirs from their trip, some rare Crystal Empire crystal berry late harvest...wine.

Oh.

But hadn't there only been a couple of bottles? That couldn't have been enough to leave her body and memory so broken. Try as she might, Rarity just couldn't recall anything else. Releasing the breath she had been holding, Rarity lowered herself back on the pillow. Everything would be clearer once her head stopped throbbing, and if she just closed her eyes, just for a few minutes, she might find relief, an acceptable consolation prize if she couldn't find answers. She turned over to reach for the covers.

She found the covers in a tangled heap. At the very bottom of the heap was a certain purple dragon. Spike, her guest was Spike, Rarity remembered. More details from last night slowly emerged, like the telling of his adventure with Opal, the letters from her family, the wine, her embarrassing admission about her love life, and, and...

And here he was, sleeping in her bed. With her. After a night of wine and mystery. The most obscene scenario was also the most obvious and was the first conclusion Rarity came to. Her temperature soared as her features began to glow brightly red. Attempts to think of more decent reasons to why a male slept in the same bed as her after a night of apparent hard drinking failed to calm her as she grew hotter and hotter. Panic overcame the last defenses rational thinking had set up at last, and she screamed.

Both Spike and Opal jumped up. "What the--" Both hissed, the cat in annoyance, the dragon in evident pain. As Opal crawled out of her own bedding and exited the room after shooting a look of disdain, Spike clutched his head and moaned.

"Ow, ow, just, ow," he said, his eyes shut and jaw clenched. "Ow."

Tears. There were tears in Spike's eyes. Rarity reached toward him. Her hoof hovered hesitantly over him before finding a place on the dragon's shoulder. At Rarity's touch, Spike looked up.

"How are you feeling?" It was a stupid question, Rarity knew, but what else could she have had said?

"Me?" Spike lowered her arms. His smile was forced. "Great, just, you know, hard mornings, ha ha."

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "No headaches or soreness?"

"Well, I guess there's a bit of that, ha, nothing too big." He bit his lip. "Rarity?"

"Hmm?"

"I lied. Everything hurts. Am I dying?"

"Are you--"

There was nothing really humorous in those words, but with how stressful the morning' discoveries had been, her own aches and pains, and the complete unexpectedness of Spike's emotionless declaration, laughing seemed to be the only reasonable response, at least in Rarity's perturbed mind. Spike soon joined in nervously, missing whatever joke Rarity found but still eager to share the moment.

The laughter, being too painful for their bodies to sustain, quickly died down. Rarity patted the back of the dragon's claw. "Don't worry, you're not dying."

"Then why does everything hurt?"

Rarity took a moment to think. How would one explain the delicate processes of a hangover? It wasn't a discussion she remembered having with her parents. "It's, a bad reaction to the alcohol," she finally said.

"You mean, like an allergy?" Spike asked, frowning.

"Well, no, nothing like that." Another moment passed in silence. "It's, what's happened is normal, quite normal. You see, when ponies, and dragons I suppose, drink too much wine, more than our bodies can handle, we become sick. It's like how when we have too many sweets at a time, we get tummy aches."

"Oh. But what's with the headache?" Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "And why is everything else sore? I mean, I get eating too much can hurt your stomach, that makes sense, but wine doesn't go to your brain, does it?"

"Yes, well, yes, it's because, well--" The unicorn sighed. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Coffee?" Spike repeated.

"Yes, coffee, black. Not exactly the most pleasant beverage, but it is a common remedy." Rarity slowly pulled herself to the edge of the bed. "I could use a cup myself, along with a cold shower, followed by a warm one."

"You're not feeling well either?" Spike pushed aside the covers and forced himself up. "Here, I can--"

Gently but firmly, Rarity forced Spike back down. "It's quite alright. Now this doesn't leave the room, but you should know this isn't my first morning after a night of too many hard drinks. As unpleasant as I feel, I must imagine it must be much worse for an inexperienced drinker such as yourself. I'll prepare the coffee, you try to rest while you can."

"It's not that bad," Spike protested. Both winced at the volume of the words. "Sorry," he whispered, "but there's got to be something I can do to help. I can't just, if you're hurting too, I can't just lie here."

As weak as Spike was at the moment, Rarity must have been weaker, given how much trouble she had trying to hold him down. That, or perhaps it was her body's way of accepting help when her stubborn mind continued to refuse it. Either way, Rarity lacked the energy to fight Spike further. Keeping up with the proper hostess facade was too exhausting at this point, where she even lacked the reserves to worry about her own appearance.

The thought lingered for a few seconds before being replaced by another, more frantic one. Her legs suddenly found strength, and with a wordless gasp, she sprinted out of the room. Bewildered, Spike rose from the bed. Supporting himself along the wall, he tried to followed her, stopping once he came across a closed door. A few moments passed before Spike recognized the door as the one leading to Rarity's bathroom, where he had only been allowed to enter once because of an emergency. Immediately, Spike released the handle and knocked instead.

"Rarity?" he called. "You okay?"

"Don't come in!"

Spike took a step back. "Rarity?"

"Just, I need a minute, please." The rush of faucet water could be heard from the other side of the door. "Oh, why didn't I, just, Spike? Why don't you head down before me? I trust you know how to handle the coffee maker?"

"Er, yeah, I think," the dragon replied. "I just need the--"

"Filters are in the cabinet below the machine." Making a small cup with her hooves, Rarity brought the cool water up to her face. Droplets rolled back into the sink. "There should be a bag of grounded beans above it." As she applied a second wash of water, she heard Spike's retreating footsteps. With a sigh, Rarity looked up at the soaking reflection and cringed. Dust clung to her lopsided lashes. Visible dark smudges of mascara had left horrid rings and ugly dots around her eyes, and the leftover makeup had dried, forming lines resembling wrinkles. Oh, and her mane, dear sweet heavens above, her mane was in so many tangles and knots, calling it a rat's nest would have been a compliment. Rarity set a hoof against her cheek and shivered at its coarseness.

A few wet wipes got rid of the cosmetic stains, and a hard scrub with a hoof full of lotion restored the softness of her skin. Her mane, however, would need more time than she could afford with more tools than the bathroom had. A shower would probably help, and she stared at the bathtub longingly. No, it wouldn't be appropriate, not with Spike waiting for her.

Though after last night, perhaps Spike would like to join--

As if to wash away such thoughts, Rarity splashed herself further. "Keep it together, dear," she whispered to the disheveled mare in the mirror. Her horn lit up, and a comb flew into her mess of her mane. She winced as its teeth dug deep and pulled mercilessly at the knots and tangles. She tried to concentrate on the grooming, but time passed by too slowly, and her thoughts continued to wander until they lingered about the events of last night, specifically around the parts that left a large hole in her memory. Her imagination, which she once flaunted as the source of her success and now cursed, filled the gap with lewd images, images of Spike, the dragon she still remembered being small enough to ride innocently on his guardian's back, that were turning her cheeks pink. Tugs with the comb pulled her back to reality along with her mane.

The tangles were finally vanquished, leaving her mane limp and lifeless. Rarity traded the comb for a brush and returned to work, doing her best to smooth out the rougher patches. Slowly, painfully slowly, her mane approached adequacy. Nothing to be pleased about, it lacking the shine and curls she so loved, but at least she could look in the mirror without feeling ill at the idea of being seen by somepony. Pity there was nothing she could do about the redness in her eyes.

Rarity dried herself with a towel and left the bathroom. The sunlight seemed to dance directly in her eyes each time she passed by a window, as if the day was continually mocking her lousy morning. She walked past the luggage Spike had helped her with last night on the way to the kitchen and stopped to take in the scent of fresh coffee that was already filling the kitchen, in addition to the smell of something she couldn't quite pin down.

"Oh, hey," Spike greeted from the stove. The mysterious scent came from a metal pot sitting in front of him. "Coffee's ready," he said, pointing to the clear pot on the counter filled with bubbling, black liquid. "Oh, and, uh, I figured you might be hungry so I'm making oatmeal. Sorry I didn't ask."

She hadn't even thought of breakfast, but the mention of food reminded her stomach of how empty it was. "It's fine. I didn't know I had any oatmeal mix left."

"It's just some dried oats and cereal I found, with some boiled water, nothing that fancy. Hope you don't mind." Spike turned off the stove and began to spoon out oatmeal into bowls. Rarity, meanwhile, walked over to the coffee maker and poured out the hot coffee into a pair of ceramic mugs. As she turned to the kitchen table, her leg bumped against a large paper bag tucked into the corner. The chime of a glass bell echoed through the room. Curious, Rarity bent down and opened the bag. Instead of a bell made of glass, she found bottles, glass wine bottles, far more than two.

"Spike, what's this?" she asked, gesturing to the bag.

Spike rubbed the back of his head. "The kitchen was kind of in a mess. There were a lot of those empty bottles on the ground."

Rarity began to shift through the bottles, glancing over the labels. White wines designed to complement meals, red wines for socials, cheap locals, expensive Canterlot ones, and of course Crystal Empire crystal berry late harvest, all dry. We drank all this? In one night? Her head started to spin again. Slowly, Rarity made her way to the table. She placed down the cups of coffee, then slumped down in her seat. Her eyes shut as she massaged her temples to keep her growing headache manageable.

Spike set a bowl in front of her before placing down his own and taking the seat across. Rarity opened her eyes just in time to watch Spike grimace at his first sip of coffee. "And this will really help?" he asked.

Rarity lifted her own cup and gently blew on the liquid inside, creating little waves. "Trust me, Spike, the more bitter the better." She struggled not to make her own face of discomfort as the hot acrid drink burned her tongue and throat. She took a more careful sip and sighed. Already she was beginning to think more clearly. It wasn't much, but at least now it was easier to concentrate on things other than the pain in her head, like how hungry she was. She pulled her bowl closer and began breakfast with a small spoonful of oatmeal. She quickly dug the spoon in for a second spoonful, then a third immediately following. Hunger gave the meal flavor, and the last time she had eaten anything was, was it the small lunch at the café in Canterlot? Or had there been a small snack on the train to Ponyville? She couldn't remember if she had anything to eat after returning home.

Of course, there was much Rarity couldn't recall from last night.

She set her spoon down and glanced up at the dragon on the other side of the table. Spike had been alternating between bites of oatmeal and sips of coffee, and he was certainly looking more awake and alert already. He caught Rarity's stare with his spoon part way in his mouth. He swallowed, carefully placed the spoon to the side, and began to wipe his face with a nearby towel. "Did I get it?"

"Hmm?" Rarity shook her head. "Sorry, what was that?" She took a long draft of coffee.

"Oh, I just thought, you were staring so I thought I had something on my face or something." Spike tossed the towel onto the counter. "So what's up?"

"It's, well, I was just thinking. It's about, you know last night." Rarity's hooves began to shake, and she quickly put her cup back on the safe and steady table surface. "Last night, it's clear that you, you know, you stayed the night and, and, and you didn't tell Twilight," she finished weakly. Spike began to pale. "Yes, Twilight, she--"

Spike was already on his feet. "Yeah, geez, I totally forgot." He grabbed the empty cup and bowl and placed them in the sink. "Aw man, I'm in so much trouble."

"Yes, yes, of course--"

"She's probably panicking and, and sorry but I need to get back home before she burst something important."

"Spike!" Rarity grabbed Spike's tail as he turned to leave. Instead of holding him back, however, the limb drag her to the ground. Hearing the fall and Rarity's cry, Spike stopped and hurried back to her side.

He offered a claw. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't notice you were on me."

Rarity took hold of the offered claw and slowly rose. "Yes, well, I understand you're in a hurry," she said as she dusted herself off, "but please, don't tell anypony."

Spike frowned. "Don't tell anypony? Don't tell anypony what?" he asked.

"Well, about last night, the, you know." Rarity rotated her hoof in a circle. "It's just, I know you're older and a lot of ponies treat you as an adult but you're still underaged and sweet Celestia you're still underaged." The unicorn began to sway.

"Whoa!" Spike reached forward to steady her, only for Rarity to plant herself on the kitchen table. "Uh, Rarity?"

"You're underaged, and I still offered you, and we drank so, and then we, in my--" Rarity took a deep breath. "I just think, it would be better if, maybe if, just don't tell--"

A burst of violet light flooded the kitchen, forcing both dragon and unicorn to shield their faces. "Spike!" they heard someone shout, a familiar mare. When they opened their eyes, a purple alicorn with her horn lit and wings spread wide stood before them on the table. "There you are!" the alicorn said. One of Spike's side fins glowed violet, and he yelped as he was suddenly yanked toward her, fin first. "Do you know how worried I was when you didn't come home last time? I spent the last ten hours ripping apart the Everfree Forest after Fluttershy told me what happened yesterday. I have the entire town searching for you right now, and here you are calmly chatting away with Rarity."

The alicorn blinked. She turned to the unicorn. "Oh, hello Rarity. I thought you'd be in Manehattan for a few more days."

"Good morning Twilight," Rarity greeted. "There was a change in plans. I just got home last night, and Spike happened to show up when I needed his assistance with my luggage. I couldn't let him return home so late, so I let him spend the night here, in a spare guest room of course," she quickly added. "I do apologize for not informing you."

Twilight turned to Spike who, after a moment, shrugged. "She offered, and I couldn't say no," he said with a weak smile. "I, er, sorry for not telling you."

"Yes, well, I'm just glad you're safe," Twilight said with a sigh. She released her magically hold on Spike and folded her wings. "I know you're getting older, but, oh, Spike." She placed her hoof on Spike's head.

"Yeah, I know." He tried to duck away. "Sorry, I'll try to, uh, let you know where I'll be all the time?"

"Wise guy. It'd be nice if you just followed a schedule," Twilight said with a smirk as she tapped Spike's forehead. She jumped off the table and turned back to Rarity. "Well, welcome back home. We'll get out of your mane and let you get back to settling in. See you later?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes, later. Good bye Twilight, Spike."

Spike waved as Twilight led him out of the kitchen, out of the halls, and finally out of the boutique. The door was closed loudly behind them, leaving Rarity alone in a now oatmeal and coffee stained room. With a tired exhale, she stirred herself to locate clean towels.

Chapter 5

The soft buzz of tiny wings, the hum of a scooter, and the squeak of a wagon's wheels had been, for quite some time, a staple anthem in Ponyville's daily life, often followed by yells, explosions, and the occasional sing-a-long. Those sounds were, however, becoming rarer as, well, those specific musicians were growing a little too-

"I'll smack you again if you call me fat one more time!" the young mare sitting in the wagon growled. The ends of the red bow keeping her matching mane in place bobbed gently in the wind.

"All I said was that the two of you could stand to lose some weight," panted the pegasus on the scooter, her wings blurred as they forced her and the wagon's passengers forward. A couple of cerise feathers fell to the ground.

"Hey, you see this?" The earth pony flexed a foreleg. "All muscle."

"Then maybe you won't mind pulling for a change," the pegasus grumbled as she continued to struggle.

"No, no, no," the unicorn squeezed beside the earth pony mare protested, making huge sweeping gestures with her forelegs that sent the curls in her mulberry mane bouncing. "Scootaloo, don't you remember the last time Apple Bloom got on a scooter?"

"Sweetie Belle, that was literally years ago," said Scootaloo said.

"Yeah, and you think she's improved?"

"Hmm. Yeah, good point." Scootaloo sighed. She watched as a wrinkled old stallion pass by them, whistling as he casually walked. "Alright, this isn't working," she said, her wings slowing down before drooping in defeat. "Look, you know I hate calling it quit, but I feel like my wings are about to fall off."

"Guess that's another chapter for the Cutie Mark Crusaders comin' to a close." Slowly, Apple Bloom pulled herself out of the wagon and gave the old cart a pat. A few flecks of peeling paint stuck to her hoof, and she shook it clean.

Sweetie Belle joined her in the streets. "Hey, you think Princess Twilight's got some sort of spell that make us little fillies again? I mean, it'll only be, what, a few years?"

"Or what about a spell that just made the two of you as light as feathers?" Scootaloo suggested. "Or me super strong?"

"What about somethin' that'd make the scooter pull itself?" Apple Bloom asked. While Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement, Scootaloo frowned. She rolled slowly beside them as the three made their way through town.

"I don't know," Scootaloo said, "I don't think I'd have as much fun if I wasn't the one in control. Maybe if it was Rainbow Dash pulling us, or maybe a griffin or a dragon, but the griffin'd have to wear armor and the dragon needs to be at least as big as a house."

"Hmm, you know, Spike's birthday is next week."

"Sweetie Belle, we are not gonna to get Spike presents to make him grow just so you don't have to walk through Ponyville anymore," Apple Bloom interrupted with a roll of her eyes.

"Hmm."

"Scootaloo, no."

The pegasus threw her front hooves up defensively in front of her face. "Hey, you've got to admit it would be pretty awesome. Spike could finally get presents again, and we'd get a dragon ride. I'm kidding, kidding," she added, waving away Apple Bloom's glare. "What, you really think I want to fight off a grown dragon for my scooter again?"

"Well, you did brag about about it for weeks the last time," Sweetie Belle said. She stepped forward and posed with a hoof raised dramatically in the air. "Scootaloo, defender of scooters, winners of tug-of-wars against dragons," she trilled, winning laughs from Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

"Now that'd been an interesting cutie mark," Scootaloo said between chuckles. "Speaking of cutie marks..." She looked up and squinted at the clock tower in the distance. As the longer of the two limbs shifted, she frowned. "Geez, we're going to be late."

Apple Bloom followed Scootaloo's gaze and nodded. "Yeah, we'd better hurry," she said. "Don' wanna keep them waitin' too long, 'specially if we want time for milkshakes."

"Milkshakes? Oh, shoot!" Dust suddenly flew into the air as Sweetie Belle broke into a trot. "You two go on ahead," she called over her shoulder. "I forgot my bits at home!"

"Wait!" Scootaloo shouted back. "Isn't Rarity's closer? Go ask her!"

"Ooh, yeah." Digging a hoof deep in the dirt, Sweetie Belle spun herself toward the tall decorative building standing out among the duller houses and less extravagant shops, keeping her momentum largely uninterrupted. She waved at the disappearing figures of her friends as they began to run as well, their direction toward the massive gingerbread house in the town's center.

"Look out!"

The warning turned Sweetie Belle's head around just in time for her to recognize the figure she was about to collide into. There was a sudden flood of purple, then stars, followed by a cloud of dirt as she fell back. "S-sorry, Spike," Sweetie Belle mumbled, her head still shaking. "Wasn't, wasn't paying a, attention."

"Yeah, I noticed." The dragon groaned as he slowly got back onto his feet and dusted off his scales. He offered a claw and helped the unicorn up.

"Thanks," Sweetie Belle said, slowly reorienting. She blinked a few more times to clear her head.

"Be more careful, okay? Somepony could've been seriously hurt." Spike sighed as he picked up a small bundle from the ground and gently dusted it off. "So what's up?" he asked. "Another typical Ponyville style disaster?"

"No, or at least not yet," Sweetie Belle answered. "See, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and I, we promised the Cake twins we'd help them this afternoon get their cutie marks, and, well, we're running a little late."

"Okay, but Sugar Cube Corner's in that direction," Spike noted, pointing. "Not over here."

"Yeah, but we also planned for milkshakes afterwards, and Mr. and Mrs. Cake won't serve us for free anymore, but I forgot my money, and it's my turn to pay, so I'm headed to Rarity's to borrow some." Sweetie Belle frowned. "So I guess I caused a traffic accident over milkshakes. Sorry."

Spike shrugged. "We've been through worse, for worse reasons." The two continued down the street, toward Carousel Boutique. "Remember the bunny stampede?"

"Yeah." Sweetie Belle winced. "I can't believe five ponies were hospitalized because of that." The boutique drew closer. "So what's with the package?" she asked, pointing at the bundle Spike held in his arms.

"Oh, my old suit. I found it while cleaning out my closet, and, uh, I tried it on to see if I could still fit." The dragon blushed. "I, uh, couldn't."

"So you need Rarity to make you a new one?"

"Well, no, not right now. I'm sure I'll probably need a new one eventually, but for now, really, I just want to get this suit fixed up." Spike looked down at his bundle. "I know I can't fit anymore, but I've got some really nice memories with it. The Grand Galloping Gala, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's wedding, Twilight's coronation."

"You can't fix it yourself?" Sweetie Belle asked, to which Spike shook his head. "Really? I just figured, since you've spent so much time with my sister, she'd have taught you a thing or too."

"There's a few things I've picked up, sure, but there's no way I'd be able to fix a suit."

"So it's more than just a tear? Well, I'm sure it won't be a problem for Rarity." They arrived, stopping at the foot of the door. The ring of a bell echoed through the shop as Sweetie Belle pushed open the door and led the way inside. "Rarity?" the younger unicorn called out. "Hey Rarity, where are you?"

Spike stepped forward and looked around. "Weird. Rarity's usually already here ready to greet clients."

"Maybe she's busy working on a new design," suggested Sweetie Belle. "She's been distracted with something pretty big recently, you know."

"Yeah, maybe, but don't you think she'd still say something or maybe close shop." Spike followed Sweetie Belle deeper into the store. "You sure she's home?"

"She should be. Come on, maybe she's in her private workroom." Sweetie Belle hurried through the boutique with Spike right behind, stopping before a solid door at the end of the hall. She raised a hoof and knocked twice. "Rarity, you in here?"

Silence answered her. Sweetie Belle pushed forward.

"Hey, are you sure we should be intruding like this?" Spike asked, casting a glance to each side. "This is her private workspace, isn't it? I don't want to see anything I'm not supposed to see."

"Oh, come on, I know you've been here plenty of times to help Rarity."

"Yeah, but that was always with Rarity, with Rarity's permission. "

"Here, I'll just take a quick peek." Sweetie Belle opened the door just a crack, then stuck her head through for a peek inside. "Oh, wow."

"What? What do you see?" Curiosity overcame his reservations, and Spike found himself trying to look past Sweetie Belle's shoulders. The door suddenly swung open, giving her eyes plenty opportunity to take in the scattered pony-shaped mannequins wearing tattered clothes, the rainbow of fabrics thrown haphazardly over benches and the floor, and pieces of paper with scrap designs crowding around overflowing waste baskets.

"It's so clean."

"Yeah, I, wait. What?" Spike blinked. He followed Sweetie Belle's gaze, expecting to find a cleared desk or a blank sheet of parchment. Finding nothing but mess, Spike turned to Sweetie Belle. "Clean?"

"Yeah, I can actually see the floor. It's like she hasn't been here for a while. Weird." Sweetie Belle hummed. She walked forward and picked up one of the crumpled balls of paper and unraveled it. "Hey, I recognize this design. It's an old one, like really old. Hmm."

Spike opened his mouth, ready to add to the speculations, only for Sweetie Belle to interrupt with a gasp. Before he could ask, Sweetie Belle was already pushing him out of the room. "Whoa, hey, what's is it?"

"I just heard a toilet flush."

"You did?" Spike cupped a claw around his ear. "I don't hear anything."

"Yeah, I know, you're not supposed to, but trust me," Sweetie Belle said. "Anyways, let's get out of here before we mess something up."

As they shut the door to the room, another door was flung open, Spike heard that at least. "Hey, you think that's Rarity?" he said.

"Maybe." Sweetie Belle headed to the source of the sound, with Spike close behind. Suddenly, there was a clamor of stomped hoofsteps. Loud and forceful coughing came soon after, growing louder as the two continued through the boutique. Then, there was a flush, the unmistakable sound of water being pumped and forced down the bottom of a toilet bowl, though soft enough that Spike might have missed it if he hadn't been listening so intently.

The sounds of water running down a faucet and splashing into a sink were getting louder and more clearly. Spike and Sweetie Belle saw the light from the room before seeing the ajar door. The sink and additional bathroom amenities were visible for only for a second before the light went out, and out stepped an exhausted looking Rarity. Her eyes widened at her approaching guests, and what little color her face held drained away. She quickly ran her hooves through her mane, trying to smooth it out more evenly.

"Sweetie Belle, and Spike," she said, managing a weak smile. "What a surprise. I mustn't have heard you come in."

Spike looked away, rubbing the back of his head ruefully as Sweetie Belle simply shrugged. "Yeah, weird. I mean, we knocked and called for you and everything," the younger unicorn said.

"Sorry for, well, inviting ourselves in like that," Spike said, stepping in front of Sweetie Belle. "It was, I mean, yeah, I guess it was pretty rude to not wait for you to let us in."

"Hey, I'm not sorry." Sweetie Belle grinned. "I live here too, kind of."

"Yes, and I'd wish you'd at least help with the housework," Rarity said. She raised a hoof to her mouth and stifled a yawn. "Oh, pardon me."

"Hey, I totally help around here," Sweetie Belle protested. "Like, um, laundry! Yeah, laundry."

"Yes, well, Opal really, really doesn't need anymore sweaters." Rarity shook her head, only to stop herself as the motion began to dishevel and undo her quick mane fixes. "Now, was there something you needed?"

"Oh, right!" Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves together. "I need to borrow some bits. I left mine back at Mom and Dad's. Don't worry, it's just for milkshakes, and I promise I'll pay you back this time," she assured.

Rarity stared at her sister with a raised eyebrow. "You couldn't just return home for your bits?"

"I was in a rush. The Cake twins and the rest of the Crusaders are waiting for me right now, so I still kind of am. Anyways, your place's closer than Mom and Dad's." Sweetie Belle's lower lip stuck out, and she forced her eyes to quiver and water. "Come on, Sis, please."

Rarity sighed. "My purse is in the kitchen, let me just--"

"Kitchen, got it, thanks!" Sweetie Belle vanished, leaving behind echoes of hoofsteps as she sprinted through the boutique. "Bye Spike, bye Rarity, see you later!" Spike and Rarity heard the younger unicorn say before the front door slammed shut behind her. The door's echo lingered for a few seconds, then silence. Rarity suddenly found interest in the floor and her hooves as Spike looked to the side.

"So," both began, then immediately stopped.

"Sorry, I just--"

"No, no, you--" Rarity took a breath. She looked up. "I, um, I see Sweetie Belle left without you. You two aren't here together?"

"What? Oh, no, we just bumped into each other on the way here," Spike explained. "Um, is everything okay?"

"Okay? I'm doing fine. A little busy perhaps, but I'm doing well." Rarity's forelegs crossed and rubbed together as she stared at Spike. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just, well, I don't know. We haven't talked since we, er, since you came back from Manehattan. I just wanted to--"

"I'm fine."

Rarity hadn't meant to sound so forceful, and the sudden silence that followed made her question her own defensiveness. She glanced up and was relieved to find surprise on Spike's face and not hurt. Her comfort grew as the dragon began to smile.

"Oh, good. That's good. But, um, anyways, I actually do need some help. I found my old suit, and, uh, I found out I don't fit." Spike unraveled the bundle, revealing a collage of torn fabric with loose strands spewing from the seams. "I was hoping maybe you'd be able to fix it." He laughed dryly. "Pretty silly, huh?"

Rarity pulled the tattered cloth toward her. Spike's shamed expression was visible a the massive gash in the center. "Is this the jacket?" she asked, lifted the remains of what could have been a sleeve.

"Yeah." The dragon placed a claw around the back of his neck. "Yikes, I didn't realize how badly damaged everything was. I just heard a rip and came here." He winced. "Sorry for wasting your time."

"This is an old suit, you said?" Rarity asked as she returned the suit's remains.

"Yep." Spike held the cloth up and smiled at it. "Wore it at our first Gala together. Together, with our friends, I mean. Or, at least, together at the end of that night."

"I remember." Rarity found herself smiling at the memory, at the circle of friends around a plate of donuts, at a charmless prince with his charming face painted with cake. She quickly composed herself and returned to a neutral expression. "Yes, that was quite a night."

"Yeah. A while ago too." Spike shook his head. "Not sure what I was thinking, thinking I could still fit."

"And you do have another suit to wear, don't you?"

"No, I don't actually. I'm never really invited to anything fancy so getting another one never really crossed my mind." Spike chuckled. "I'll probably get another one made the next time I'm in Canterlot."

"Oh, from a specialty tailor? Stallion Apparel perhaps?" Rarity inquired.

"From the castle, actually. Princess Celestia gave me this one herself," Spike said. "Twilight and me, when she was just the princess's student, we had a dinner with a bunch of important professors and, well, I needed a suit so, yeah. It's actually how I know Hoity Toity."

Rarity's eyes widened. She lifted the ragged cloth and stared. "Hoity Toity made this?"

"I think he helped design it. It was one of the lost jobs he did while working for Princess Celestia. You know, before he took off and did his own thing." Spike held out a claw. The fabric floated into it, and Spike began to fold the suit's remains back into a neat bundle. " Anyways, sorry for bothering you." He turned to leave.

"Spike?"

Spike stopped. He turned back to Rarity. She opened her mouth.

"Nothing, it's nothing," she said, looking away. "Have a good day."

"Oh, okay." Spike made his way through the boutique, toward the front door. He placed a claw around the handle. "Bye. See you around." The door opened. He stepped forward

"Your birthday's coming up, isn't it?"

Spike turned to find Rarity standing only a few behind him. "Sorry, what?"

"Your birthday," Rarity repeated. Slowly, she approached the dragon's side. "It's soon, correct?"

"Yeah, yeah," Spike confirmed with a nod. "Why? What's up?"

"It's just, I was hoping to get your gift while in Manehattan," the unicorn explained. "I understand that the publishers of the Power Pony comic books are located in Manehattan and had planned to pick up a piece of memorabilia for you. Of course, I then had to go cut my trip short." Rarity frowned.

Spike raised his claws and held them palms forward. "Hey, it's fine," he assured. "I mean, something like that would have been awesome, sure, but I don't blame you for leaving Manehattan so early. It's not your fault."

"You're too understanding, Spike. I could have gone and gotten your gift before attending to my own wants."

"Well, yeah, I guess, but you didn't know things were going to turn out that way," Spike argued. "Hindsight's what, twenty twenty?"

"True, there's no reason to continually dwell on the past," Rarity said with a nod before frowning and raising a hoof. "But the issue remains. I don't have a birthday gift for you."

"Birthday gift? Don't worry about that, I'd happy with just about anything from you," Spike said, waving a claw dismissively. "Seriously, just spending time with you is fine."

"Of course you'd say that, you're too kind. But that won't work this year," Rarity declared. "Spike, I would like to make you your new suit."

"A, a suit? Wow, I, I don't think--"

"Come now, you don't think I can?" Rarity sniffed. "I'll admit, dress making may be my forte, but--"

"No, no, that's not it," Spike said hurriedly. "I just, I mean, making something for a dragon isn't easy. Not saying you can't do it or anything" he quickly added, throwing up his claws defensively, "but I just don't want to give you more trouble. I'm sure you have plenty of projects already, and--"

"Spike, I assure you," Rarity began, her tone sharp with an air of finality, "this will be no trouble at all, especially for a friend."

"O-okay, if you say so." Spike ran his claws against his collar before swallowing. "So, uh, would now be a good time, or should I come back tomorrow?"

Rarity blinked. The sudden question caught her off guard. "I'm sorry, come back tomorrow for?"

"You know." Spike gestured down along the sides of his body. "The, you know, the measurements. Yeah, you're going to need those, aren't you?"

"Measurements!" Rarity nearly shouted, causing Spike to take a step back. She cleared her throat and, with her voice lowered, continued: "Yes, of course, measurements. Yes, you're right. Perhaps, perhaps, yes, perhaps tomorrow, no, now, yes, let's start as early as possible. Let me just get cleaned up and, come in, and let me find my measuring tape. Just, one moment please."

"And maybe we could come up with some design ideas too?"

"Yes, of course. I'll have to find my sketchbook, some charcoal. Now, I was thinking, black does work, it always does, but perhaps you had another color in mind, something that'll complement your scales."

Rarity's nervous mutterings carried on even as Spike followed her back inside the boutique.

Chapter 6

She could feel him watching as she pushed through the forest of rolls of colorful linen, his breath suddenly as loud and labored as hers own. She took a deep breath, only to gasp out the humid air her lungs rejected. She made a conscious effort to keep her tail as low as possible, to the point of slight pain, and continued her search, hoping it would be enough to maintain a degree of modesty, or at least what modesty she could have with her backside out and waving.

"Where did I leave it?" Rarity muttered, pushing through stacks of fabric and boxes of needles. "It should be around here, somewhere."

"Having trouble?"

Rarity's heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She felt Spike's words against her neck, his breath like steam. "No, no trouble," she said, her voice an octave higher than normal. She coughed. "No trouble at all. Could you, ah, perhaps step back please?"

"Why? What's wrong?" Spike had lowered his voice to a whisper, so why could she hear him so clearly? The heat was approaching unbearable. Had he gotten closer? "Do you hate me?"

"Hate? No, no, it's just..." Rarity swallowed. "I just want to make sure you're in the right measuring position. Yes, that's it, let's not waste time now. Why don't you get back into position while I find the, the, oh where is the--"

Something cold slipped around her pastern, forcing hoof down and against something leathery. "Looking for this?" Spike seemed to hiss, brushing his lips against the edge of Rarity's ear. She shivered and looked down. Her hoof rested against the dragon's opened claw, held there by the golden tape measure.

"Spike, please, this is--"

The room spun, and Rarity found herself right in front of Spike, his hard scaly chest burying itself in the fur of her front. Her body grew warmer as a blush covered her features. The back of her neck was quickly, and grossly, becoming slick with sweat. With a weak, wheezing laugh, Rarity tried to take a step back. She couldn't. The measuring tape, now tightly around both their waists, held them together.

"Is something wrong, darling?"

Rarity forced herself to look up at Spike. In his eyes, wide with hunger, she saw her own reflection. The unicorn she saw was shaking, but it wasn't out of fright. Fear was absent from her features, which were full of a confidence Rarity wasn't sure she herself felt. Her gaze lowered to Spike's mouth, his lips slightly parted, the tip of his tongue just barely visible, teasing. Inviting.

"Rarity?"

Her body moved on its own. She leaned forward, placing a hoof against Spike's chest, running little circles as she felt the muscles beneath the scales. Their lips brushed against each other gently once, then twice, then locked together. Rarity's eyes fell closed as the kiss grew deeper, more invasive.

"Rarity?"

The voice, something was suddenly wrong with the voice. It was too high in pitch. Too young. The hard muscles melted into baby fat. The heat vanished and was replaced by a chill that froze all the blood flowing through her body. Her stomach churned violently, forcing its contents upward.

Rarity's eyes flew open as she threw off her covers and rolled out of bed. With cheeks puffing, she ran. The door flung itself open as she passed through, her hooves thundering against the floor. A second door flew open, and Rarity jumped inside. Her hooves fumbled with the lights for a brief second before the room was lit. Her eyes, a tad blurry from the lights and the sudden awakening, immediately went to the porcelain throne standing against the wall.

She placed her hooves on the seat to steady herself and leaned forward. Her mouth opened, releasing a stream of partially digested food mixed with bile and saliva into the water pool below as her throat released grotesque growls and groans that quickly filled the house.

At last, the stream came to an end. Slowly, Rarity raised herself, taking deep breaths to steady herself, only to heave once more and force her head back down as the toilet filled with more vomit. Eventually, her stomach settled down, and her moans became less violent. The next few heaves were dry, leaving only a disgusting taste to linger in her mouth. She flushed away the reminder of her sickness and made her way to the sink.

She tried avoiding her reflection's gaze. The tired mare in the mirror was so ragged, so drained, with her mane in such messy tangles, Rarity felt what was left of her energy drain away simply by staring. Instead, she looked down at the sink. Grabbing a toothbrush and prepping it with a generous serving of cleaning paste, she began to scrub away. As the taste of bile was slowly banished, the nightmare that had awoken her started to fade from memory, replaced by what had actually happened the previous day.

Spike watched as Rarity quickly shoved a few mannequins to the side. "Are you sure I can't help?"

"No, no, just stand there, that's fine." Rarity looked around. Well, the room wasn't sparkling, but it was adequate for their purposes. She picked up the tape measure from her desk and returned to Spike's side. "Stand up straight, please."

The dragon's back stiffened as he raised himself to his fullest height. Rarity suddenly found herself dwarfed, forcing her neck to bend back in order to see Spike's face. The difference in height between them seemed to have doubled.

Spike scratched the side of his neck and blushed. "Um, is something wrong?"

"Hmm?"

"You're staring."

"Oh!" Rarity shook herself. She lowered her gaze. "Oh, it's just, I hadn't realize you had gotten so tall."

"Yeah, well, I slouch most of time. Makes it easier to move around, talk to ponies, and, uh, not scare babies." Spike shrugged. "I mean, no real point in being this tall, really," he said, waving a claw over his head. "Unless Twilight decides to expand the library vertically."

"Well, that certainly isn't proper posture," Rarity said, a slight smile undermining her scolding tone.

Spike raised a brow. "But not looking ponies in the eye is pretty rude too." To demonstrate, he raised his chin and looked directly across. Try as she might, as far as she could crane, Rarity couldn't find the dragon's eyes.

"Yes, a good point," she admitted with a pout. Spike glanced down and smirked. "But please avoid making a habit of it. Who knows what all that crouching will do to your spine in the future. Now, ah..." Rarity looked down at the marked ribbon in her hooves, then back up at the dragon. "I may need a stool. No, wait, Spike? Could you please lie down?"

Spike lowered himself onto his belly. "Like this?"

"Yes, now stretch out. Yes, perfect." Rarity set herself next to the dragon's neck. She place one end of the tape measure near the point where Spike's head met his neck and sent the other end past his feet with her magic, pulling the ribbon taut. The tape measure folded at the point that was perpendicular to Spike's waist before returning to Rarity's hooves. She made her way to her desk and came back with a pair of glasses, a pen, and a notepad. Spike watched as she jolted down a few quick notes.

"Alright, you can stand now."

Spike raised himself to all fours but rose no further. "All the way?" he asked.

"No, that won't be necessary. Whatever makes you comfortable."

Spike returned to the height she had been more familiar with, just barely a head taller than herself. "Okay, what's next?"

"Stretch out your arms, to the sides please," she instructed. "Yes, like that, thank you." Rarity stepped forward and pulled the tape measure from one wrist to the second. She wrote down Spike's arm span before measuring each arm individually.

"What's next?" Spike asked as Rarity took a step back.

"Well, I've gotten your height, arms, so next is, ah, chest width. Stick out your arms again."

Spike did so. Rarity approached and threw the measuring tape around his body. Slowly, it climbed and wrapped itself around his upper torso. Spike winced.

"Too tight?"

"A little, yeah."

The ribbon loosened. Rarity leaned forward to read the measurement. Spike took a step back.

Rarity looked up and frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, just, uh, I'm not exactly used to this whole thing," Spike said. "Being measured."

"Is it still too tight?"

"No, that's fine." Spike shut his eyes and swallowed. "I'm fine, just, go ahead."

"Very well, then please avoid fidgeting." Rarity continued moving forward, tracing the edge of the tape as she counted the inches. The little black marks were becoming harder to see as her vision mysteriously grew blurry. Blinking didn't clear her vision, nor did rubbing her eyes. She looked down at her glasses and, to her surprise, discovered the lenses fogged with condensation. The room, it had gotten warmer, she realized. The air had become heated, with the unmistakably pungent scent of eggs.

The answer became obvious to Rarity once she looked up in time for Spike to exhale into her face. Disgust was swift replaced with worry and confusion as she noticed the pained grimace on the dragon's reddening features. Was the tape still too tight, she wondered. What was causing such discomfort? And how and why had they gotten so close that she was now essentially breathing in Spike's exhausts?

Her hoof brushed against something solid right next to the measuring tape. Her eyes widened at the touch.

Oh.

Here she was, with her nose almost buried in Spike's chest, with a hoof suddenly glued to his pectorals. A primal pleasure roared at the feel of the muscles beneath the scales as the rest of her mind screamed in panic. Her face became as red as Spike's.

"Are you done?"

Spike's question shook her out of shock. She quickly glanced down, recorded the measurement with a quaking pen, then jumped back. "Yes, done!" she announced a little too loudly. Spike lowered his arms and began to visibly relax as Rarity struggled to calm herself. It was just taking measurements, nothing to make a big deal over. It was something she had done many times before. Just, well, never for a stallion, considering how few male clients she received. Or with someone she slept with.

"Yes, done, done," Rarity repeated. She turned away to hide her blush and cleared her throat. Feeling calmer at last, she picked up her notepad. "Now, let's see, that's height, arms, chest, and that means, that means, ah, Spike?"

"Yeah?"

Rarity swallowed. "Your trousers, do they still fit?" Please say yes, please say yes, please say--

"I haven't tried them, but if the jacket didn't survive, I don't think the pants will," Spike answered. "Why? What's next?"

Rarity sighed. "It's nothing. Let's continue." She lifted the tape measure. "Next is your waistline."

"Oh." Spike blinked. "So, you're going to measure--"

"Your waist, yes," she said impatiently. Again, both began to blush. "Could you close your eyes again?"

"Y-yeah, yeah." His eyes shut. "Go ahead."

The tape measure snaked behind Spike and circled around. Slowly, Rarity tightened it around Spike's waist with her magic, keeping herself at foreleg distance. She took deep breaths to steady herself as she worked. That she could do without bringing herself to Spike's crotch level, but reading the measurement from her current position wasn't possible. Even if she squinted, Rarity quickly discovered, the marks were too small to recognize. She sighed and bent down. She tried to focus on the tape and keep her eyes from wandering to the neighboring purple scaled loins--

"Hey, Rarity?"

The unicorn nearly bit her tongue to avoid crying out. She closed her eyes. "Yes? Is something wrong?"

"I, I'm not sure. It's about the other night--"

Her heart skipped a beat.

"--the night you returned from Manehattan."

"O-oh? That n-night? What, what about that night?" Rarity stuttered. She took the opportunity to look up and tried to smile. Spike, his eyes still closed, didn't notice how fake it looked.

"I haven't told anypony about it, so you don't have to worry about that."

Rarity released a sigh of relief. "Oh good. Is that all?"

"Well, I'm just a little confused. Why are we keeping quiet? Did we do something wrong?" Spike asked.

"Did we--" Rarity coughed and backed away. The tape measure fell to the ground. Spike opened his eyes to find the unicorn scribbling away at her notepad. "Well, in a manner of speaking, I suppose."

"In a manner of speaking? What--"

"Some ponies, many ponies, might not understand what happened or care about why it happened," Rarity said slowly, carefully choosing her words. "It would be best, I'm sure, to just stay quiet about it, to avoid those ponies."

"What about our friends? I'm sure they'd--"

"No! Do not tell Twilight or the others!" Rarity exclaimed. "If, if they found out we, we, just keep silent about that night, please?"

"Well, I don't think--"

"Spike, please."

The dragon bowed his head in defeat. "Alright, if you say so. I don't know if I get it, but if you think telling our friends is so bad, I'll keep quiet."

"Thank you, Spike. Now, could you hold this end? I need to measure your legs and tail."

Chapter 7

The taste of copper replaced the taste of vomit. Rarity toothbrush had become red with blood. She rinsed her mouth with water, then let the brush soak in the sink's running water, washing it clean before opening a bottle of mint mouthwash. A few rinses of mouthwash later, her mouth finally felt clean. With one last look at her tired reflection, she left the bathroom and returned to bed.

Something crinkled beneath her hoof just as she had entered the bedroom. Rarity picked it up, discovering it to be a wrinkled piece of paper. Something had been written on it, but with dark the room was, she couldn't tell what. Rarity made her way to her nightstand and turned on the lamp. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light, then looked back to the paper in her hoof.

It was a drawing, the paper must have fallen out of her sketchbook. The simple sketch was of a cartoonish dragon in an outlandish zoot suit with a massive wide brimmed hat. She tried to smooth the paper out, and her efforts rewarded her with a dragon that looked a little better than just a doodle. Saving the suit, however, was impossible.

Rarity fell back onto her bed. The drawing fluttered beside her. She turned her head toward it and groaned. Design number eight. Oh, a small part of her wished she had Spike to blame for that abomination of a design, it and its twenty eight brothers, like with her friends' Gala gowns all those years ago. Wishful thinking, Spike's contributions hadn't gotten further than providing measurements, not that he hadn't offered.

She reached back over to her nightstand and grabbed her sketchbook. No, this and the other designs Rarity began to flip through were all the product of her creative mind, and it was evidence, at least to her, to why she would never expand to standard male attire. Jackets that were so long they would've rendered pants pointless if they were on a pony, hats of varying proportions with feathers, flashy buttons that looked gaudy even on paper and without color, only the trousers looked close to acceptable, if a little plain, though they had mostly been a product of Rarity's reluctance in having her drawn dragon naked for even a small moment of time.

The only reason she hadn't torn the pages out and set them aflame was because she could see rather nice dress designs out of these atrocities to fashion. The chaotic mess brought Discord to mind, and she figured that perhaps, if she ever needed to curry favor from the mad spirit, one of these could make a nice gift for him. Being able to recycle old ideas was a hallmark of a successful designer, but at the moment she felt as inexperienced and unqualified as she had been the days before earning her cutie mark. It had already been several days since Spike's measurements, and this was all the work she had to present, just a bunch of unworkable designs. Even if she reduced the lengths of some and threw out the hats for others, nothing would looked good on Spike.

She was about to throw the book away and try to go back to sleep but stopped herself on the next page. There, now that was a proper suit, a jacket a bit broader on the shoulders that still looked comfortable enough to wear naturally while tight enough to hint at the powerful body beneath.

Of course, the sketch here wasn't workable either. She was designing for a dragon, and the drawing was of a stallion. A stallion with warm yet intelligent eyes that betrayed a touch of mystery and a strong smile that promised safety in his hooves. Her dream stallion, pulled out of her dreams and given a body of charcoal.

More stallions followed, all handsome with perfect manes and smiles and suits. Some wore top hats, some wore vests instead of jackets. One or two had mustaches but most were clean shaven. They stood in various poses, flexing in anatomical questionable ways, flaunting themselves before her.

Everything single one was without pants. Rarity felt nothing.

They're just drawings, it'd be silly of me to feel anything toward them.

Then why had she been in such a rush to cover her dragons?

Rarity slammed the book shut. As she set it back on her nightstand, she glanced at her clock. It was that late in the morning already? The urge to sleep having faded, she turned off the lamp and got out of bed. Streams of sunlight, no longer having to compete with the lamp, entered the room through the openings in the curtains. Rarity grabbed a bathrobe and made her way to the bathroom again. The stream of the shower head could be heard from behind the closed door as steam creeped out from beneath.

An hour later and Rarity was downstairs, eating a modest breakfast of toast and cream cheese. The messy, exhausted mare that stared at her through the mirror had vanished, her mane once again perfect and coat smooth and clean. The earlier nausea had passed, for the time being at least.

Her dainty bites and sips suggested none of her previous inner turmoil, but her mind, hidden from view, was racing. A glance at the calendar hanging from her refrigerator fueled her panic as a certain date was drawing close. Spike's birthday was rapidly approaching, and she still had nothing to present, not even a proper design. The thought of going back on her promise and wrapping up a few gems instead crossed Rarity's mind while she ate, and she had considered it much longer than she was comfortable admitting before rejecting it.

"Another day of brainstorming," she said aloud with a sigh. "That won't leave much time for the actual suit." She finished her tea and cleared the table. As Rarity set her plate in the sink, she heard a knock at the front door. She turned off the faucet and made her way to the front of her store. She had no appointments. New customers, perhaps?

Rarity opened the door. Before she knew what she was doing, she had slammed the door shut. Her heart pounded furiously at her chest in an effort to escape, and she required several breaths to calm down. She opened the door and forced a smile. "Spike, what a surprise!"

The dragon gave her an uncertain wave. "Hi?" he said, more a question than a greeting. "Is this a bad time?"

"Bad time? No, of course not!" Rarity hoped her laugh didn't sound too fake. She couldn't tell from the face Spike made. "Why, what would make you think that?"

"Well, you sort of closed the door on me pretty hard." Spike rubbed the tip of his snout and winced.

"Oh, that. Just, you know, surprised to see you so early. I mean, well, it's so early."

"It's ten." Spike frowned. "Hey, are you alright? We missed you yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"Pancakes?" Spike said. "Applejack's cousins sent us apple maple syrup. We were going to send someone to check up on you, but Sweetie Belle just told us you were busy with something."

"That was yesterday?" Rarity gasped. She groaned and rested her forehead against her hoof. "Yes, I've been busy. Please give Twilight and the rest of our friends my apologies. I must have lost track of time."

"Sound like you've got a lot to do. Anything I can do to help?" Spike asked. "Maybe grabbing fabrics and supplies or cleaning scraps or--"

"No!"

Rarity's scream caused him to take a step back. She coughed. "No, that's quite alright," she said at a more controlled volume. "I don't want to bother you, and I'm sure you've got enough on your plate as it is."

"Today's actually pretty free. I don't mind helping you."

"Yes, but you see, you see, you can't help." She raced for a reason as the confusion in Spike features became disappointment and hurt. "Because, because it's for your birthday! Yes, I've been working on your suit, and I don't want to spoil anything."

"Oh. You know, if it's too much trouble, you don't have to get me anything," Spike said.

"No, I couldn't do that," Rarity argued. "I promised you a suit. How would my reputation survive if word got out that I couldn't deliver?"

"Well, there's got to be some way I can help. I could close my eyes or something." Spike's face fell. "I feel real bad if making a suit's this much work. I mean, geez, is it really keeping you from hanging out with us?"

"No, no, it's not that much more work," she hastily assured. "In, in fact, I'm actually, I was just getting ready, ready to visit, er, Fluttershy! Yes, tea with Fluttershy. I was just about to head off."

"Oh, um, okay. That's good. But if you need any help or just somepony to--"

"Yes, yes, I'll see you later, good bye." Rarity shut the door, then collapsed against it. Her head was beginning to ache and felt much heavier. Visit Fluttershy? What in Equestria drove her to come up with such fabrications?

She knew the answer. Rarity peeked out the window and watched Spike walk back into town. It wasn't a lie, her working on his present, but if he found out just how little progress had been made, well, Rarity wasn't certain she could handle the disappointment.

Or are you just avoiding him? Avoiding him to avoid--

She swung the door back open and began her way to Fluttershy's cottage. She wasn't getting anything done today, not at the rate she had been going. Perhaps a change in scenery would provide some much need inspiration. At the very least, she would be able to relax and refresh herself for a little while before returning to work recharged and renewed.

As she passed through and out of Ponyville proper and entered the more rural section of town, Fluttershy's cottage came into view, just on the edge of the Everfree Forest. An ever odd location for the shy pegasus to call home, considering her fear of the forest, but for lack of a better description, the cottage was nice, much like its owner. A few birds stuck their heads out of their little houses to greet Rarity as she passed, warbling out little songs before retreating once it was obvious the unicorn wasn't carrying treats.

Rarity stopped in front of the cottage's door. She raised a hoof but hesitated. Here she was, completely unannounced and uninvited. If the owner was any other pony, they might have call Rarity out on her rudeness.

"I owe her a deluxe spa package," she muttered to herself as she knocked. The door creaked open. "Hello, Fluttershy dear. Please pardon my--Discord?"

The mash of fur and horns staring at her through the door crack frowned. "Well, you certainly are not the pizza mare. Thirty seconds my foot."

Rarity grimaced as the draconequus reached down and yanked off his leg and shook it in her face. "Er, no, my apologies," she said, gingerly pushing the disconnected leg back down. "Is Fluttershy in?"

There was a loud crack, and Discord disappeared in a puff of smoke. Once the smoke cleared, Rarity discovered a yellow pegasus mare standing in his place, carrying a teapot and wearing a look of confusion. The pegasus's confusion vanished once she noticed the unicorn before her. "Rarity! Welcome, please come in."

"Hello Fluttershy." Rarity followed the pegasus in. "I apologize for coming here unannounced. It's just been very busy lately, and I figured, are you alright?"

Fluttershy stifled a giggle. "I invited you in! Did you notice how assertive I was? Without being mean!"

"Oh, oh!" Rarity smiled, the first genuine one today, if a tad awkward. "How wonderful. You should be proud."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Fluttershy said, her wings folding over to hide her blush. "Is there something I can help you with? I don't know if I can help, but I'd like to try."

"Thank you, dear, but I just needed the company of a friend," Rarity said. Fluttershy smiled and stepped forward. The two mare touched cheeks before embracing. "So Discord is here today? I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"I don't mind," Fluttershy answered. "Discord, do you?" she called out.

Rarity suddenly found herself in front of a lavish tea set. The utensils marched about before her, completely out of time with the singing tuba sitting across from her. "Of course not." She heard Discord's voice above her, but when she looked up, there were only flowers and playing cards. "The more friends, the merrier," she heard Discord sing. "Now, which one was Rarity again? Oh yes, that's right." Rarity shielded herself from the blinding flash, and when she removed her hooves and opened her eyes, she found Discord lying on the table in front of her, smiling crookedly with his chin resting in his mismatched hands. "How's Tom?"

"I have no idea who you're talking about," Rarity replied with a sniff. As Fluttershy took a seat across from Rarity, Discord slithered into his own seat between the two mares.

"Would you like some tea, Rarity?" Fluttershy asked. She held up the teapot, which suddenly leapt out of her hooves.

"Allow me," Discord said. With a flick of his wrist, the pot danced to the cup in front of Rarity. A geyser of tea spewed from its spout and landed right into the tiny cup. Slowly, Rarity lifted the cup and took a cautious sip.

"Quite good, thank you," she said, placing the cup down. She watched Fluttershy nurse her own cup of tea and nibble at a small cookie as Discord enchanted his own cookies, creating a sugar conga line that danced right into his maw. Rarity took a small bite of the cookie on her plate. Sweet, with a buttery taste.

"We missed you yesterday," she heard Fluttershy say. "I hope everything's alright."

"Oh, of course. Just a little busy with work," Rarity responded. She took another sip. "It's been difficult, trying to come up with a good design for a suit that would look good on the dragon whose child I'm carrying while struggling to come to terms with the whole messy affair."

The room became silent. Slowly, Rarity set down her cup. "What was in the tea?" She and Fluttershy turned to Discord.

"Truth serum," he answered with a shrug. "I wanted to know why I wasn't invited for pancakes, though this is quite the development. So, can I congratulate Spike during our next game session, or should he know there's another dragon in your life."

"Discord," Fluttershy scolded, her face twisted in a rare scowl, "that wasn't funny. Rarity, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I mean, this is so--"

"What? Unthinkable? Despicable?" Rarity began to shake. "Disgusting?"

Fluttershy gasped. "No, why would I say that?"

"Because here I am, a grown mare, suddenly pregnant because of a night of bad judgment with a, a, a minor!" Rarity screamed, urged on by the endless nightmares, the sickness in the mornings, and the constant stress over what she couldn't remember from that night and her attempts to keep it all a secret. "I'm every horror story every parent tells their filly before her first dance brought to life!"

"No, Rarity, I don't think--"

The unicorn pushed herself away from the table and made a mad dash toward the exit, her head low. Instead of crossing the threshold, she collided into solid, something she couldn't pass through but too soft to be the wall. She opened her eyes and after wiping away the moisture threatening to escape them, found herself sitting in a catcher's mitt

"Now, now, I believe Flutters was trying to say something," Discord, wearing a white baseball jersey and a cap, tutted. He snapped his fingers, and Rarity was now sitting on one side of a large lounge couch with Fluttershy on the other side. Another snaps and a roll of toilet paper landed beside Rarity. Rarity glared at Discord for a moment before the toilet paper became a box of tissues. "Don't worry, it's not laced with anything," Discord assured with a roll of his eyes. "Promise. And, ah, I suppose I'm sorry for spiking your drink with honesty juice," he added, sparing a glance at the scowling Fluttershy before chuckling under his breath. "Heh, spiking."

Fluttershy's hard gaze softened as she turned to Rarity. "Rarity, you're my friend. I'd never say such mean things to you."

"Or to anyone, really," Discord muttered.

"Rarity, please, what happened?"

Rarity sighed. There was no point in keeping silent any longer now that Fluttershy knew the outcome. At least with the complete story, she hopeful wouldn't come to any conclusions more scandalous than the truth. The disastrous date in Manehattan, bumping into Spike on the night of her return, the wine, the morning after, Rarity told it all. By the time she had finish, the floor below her hooves was covered with used tissue paper. Rarity felt drained, almost completely dry of energy, but at the same time she felt lighter, as if a massive stone she had been carrying had been suddenly lifted from her back.

"So that's everything," Rarity said wearily. "Still willing to be this mare's friend?"

"Yes, of course," Fluttershy answered immediately. "You made a mistake, drinking so much, but that doesn't make you a bad pony."

"And sleeping with Spike?"

"You, I mean..." Fluttershy blushed. "I don't want to call it a mistake, that sounds mean to Spike, but, well, I mean, you really don't remember--" She covered her face.

"Bumping uglies?" Discord offered. He adjusted the glasses her wore and read aloud from the book he held. "Having hooha? Doing the nasty? Making wahoo? Revving the Harley? You just had--"

"No, I don't remember the actual sex," Rarity answered. She placed her chin against the couch's cushion and sighed. "Just woke up with Spike in my bed, and I've been suffering from morning sickness ever since."

"Are you, um, sure your pregnant?" Fluttershy asked, peeking from behind her feathers. "I mean, did you see a doctor or anything?"

"No doctors," Rarity said with a shake of her head. "It's silly, but right now everything's been like a dream, and I'm afraid how I'll handle everything once a test makes it all real."

"So you don't know if you're actually pregnant?"

Rarity stared at Fluttershy for a moment. "What are you getting at?"

"Well, that night you, um..." Fluttershy gulped. "The night you and Spike had sex wasn't that long ago. I don't think you'd be showing symptoms so soon, right? I mean, it hasn't even been a month."

Rarity opened her mouth. "I, then, the nausea and the stress, was it all just--"

"Hmm, see Fluttershy, that would be true, if we were just dealing with ponies," Discord interjected, raising a talon. "But last time I checked, Spike's not exactly a pony, now is he? And before you ask, no, I don't know how long that icky process takes for dragons. Not that those rules would apply, since Rarity here's no dragon. No precedent here," he said gleefully as he clapped his hands together. "Oh, I'd love to watch the taxonomists try and classify you," he whispered to Rarity's belly before receiving a smack across the nose from her and another smack on his back from Fluttershy. "Er, yes, well then, I suppose congratulations are in order. That is how you ponies do this kind of thing, right?"

"Does Spike know?" Fluttershy asked.

Rarity slowly shook her head. "I haven't told him. I've been trying to avoid discussing that night entirely. Part of me has been hoping that if I pretend nothing's happened, then nothing between us will change and everything will return to normal." She smiled ruefully as her front hoof lowered to her stomach. "It's silly, completely fantastic, I know, but I'm afraid. I don't know how he'll react. I mean, he's still so young. What if he decides he wants nothing to do with me? I, I don't want to lose Spike."

"That doesn't sound like Spike at all. He wouldn't do that," Fluttershy insisted. "He'd never abandon any of us. He's our friend, remember?"

"Yes, I know, I know, but what if this is what ruins our friendship? It certainly won't stay the same."

"But that's not necessarily bad," Fluttershy asserted. "I really think you should tell Spike, and not just about the baby. I think he should know you feel this way."

"I, maybe," Rarity conceded. She blew her nose with a tissue, then smiled at her friend. "I'll try. Thank you Fluttershy, you're a wonderful friend."

Fluttershy draped a wing over the unicorn and drew close. "Oh, I'm nothing special. I just try to be a good listener."

"And you'll keep this all secret?"

"If you want us to." Fluttershy looked up at the draconequus leaning over them. "Right, Discord?"

"What, and not capitalize on this wonderfully juicy piece of gossip?" Discord folded his arms over his chest and pouted

"Discord," Fluttershy began, edge in her tone.

"Fine, fine." Discord threw his arms into the arm. "I promise not to tell. There, or do you need me to cross my heart?" He threw his head back and spat out the beating organ onto the floor. Rarity nearly fainted as the organ bounced next to her leg.

"No, that's fine," Fluttershy said, turning green. "Your word's enough, please put that back."

"Oh, good." Discord picked up the heart and swallowed it while. "Well, I supposed I'd better be going," he said, jumping to his feet. He clapped his hands together, and the couch disappeared, leaving the two mares back in their own seats around the table. "Now, I'm not saying I'm expecting an invite to the baby shower, but..." He coughed and lifted a flashing neon sign that read INVITE ME. "We should do this more often ladies. Toddles!" And with that, the draconequus vanished. The mess floor became clean and the table cleared itself.

Rarity got up from her seat. "I should probably get going as well. I've taken enough of your time already."

"You sure you'll be okay?" Fluttershy asked. "If you need somepony to talk to, I'm here."

"I'll remember that. Thank you for everything."

They embraced, then Rarity left the cottage. She made her way through Ponyville and returned to her boutique, heading straight to her workroom. She opened her sketchbook and once again reviewed her designs for Spike's suit. Once again, Rarity reached the end and found the sketches of handsome stallions.

She stared at the lifeless figures, then, one by one, began to tear the pages out and toss them away, all except one. She found a new stick of charcoal and began a new sketch, glancing every now and then at the old drawing.

All through the night, light could be seen coming from Rarity's workroom. The scratches of charcoal against paper were replaced by the snips of scissors and the hum of a sewing machine.

Chapter 8

Growing older meant no longer being able to justify sleeping in late as much needed sleep for a growing baby dragon, not that the excuse held much water to begin with considering how late he'd try to stay up. Still, if there was any day to be allowed to sleep in, it should've been today, or at least, that's what Spike figured somewhat bitterly as he tried to record Twilight's massive shopping list while fighting back yawns.

"And finally, a dozen donuts from Sugar Cube Corner," Twilight finished. "Remember, a dozen donuts, that's the very last thing. Got all that, Spike?"

Spike rubbed his eyes and held up the roll of parchment that fell past his knees. "Okay, six packs of standard goose quills, eighteen orders of ink, milk and eggs from the grocers that won't be opened for another hour." He paused. "You sure I can't just stop by Applejack's and Fluttershy's?"

"No!" Twilight shouted, her hooves slamming on the table. "Ahem, no, no, Fluttershy's chickens are, um, sick. Yeah, they're sick with chickenpox, so we can't use their eggs."

"And the cows on Applejack's farm?"

"Also sick," Twilight replied. "With chickenpox."

Spike's brow rose. "The cows are sick, with chickenpox," he deadpanned. He glanced at the unicorn leaning against the wall on the other side, watching as she ate an apple. In response, Starlight Glimmer gave him an unhelpful shrug.

"Did I say chickenpox?" Twilight coughed. "No, I said--" She lowered her voice to an unintelligible mumble. "Anyways, you'd better hurry," she said, vanishing with a flash and appearing beside Spike in another flash. She pushed him toward the toward door. "And remember, you need to follow the list in the exact order it's in."

"Yeah, so you keep saying." Spike rolled the list into a neat scroll.

Starlight Glimmer stepped forward to his side. "Don't worry, Twilight, I'll make we get everything," she assured. Something must have gotten into her eye just then, perhaps some leftovers from the sandpony's visit, forcing her to wink to dislodge it. Twilight Sparkle must have suffered from something similar as she winked back.

The two made their way to the front door, with the princess following closely behind. Spike stifled another yawn as he reached forward and pulled open the door. Two ponies stood at the entrance, blocking their path Both mares carried bags with colorful streamers sticking out of the tops, which they quickly set down behind them, out of Spike's view.

"Hey, Applejack, Rainbow Dash. What's up?"

"Hey, Spike," the pegasus with the rainbow mane greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here?" Spike tried to look past her to peek at the bags she was hiding. The pegasus mimicked his every motion, blocking his every curious attempt. The triumphant grin she wore disappeared once her companion, an earth pony, swatted her with the wide brimmed farm hat the orange mare had been wearing.

"'Course you do, Spike," the earth pony said, ignoring the annoyed glare the pegasus shot at her, her words accented by a rural emphasis. "Just, we figured Twilight'd have you out runnin' errands about now." She tilted her head to the side and glanced over at the alicorn standing behind Spike and Starlight.

"Actually, he was just leaving," Twilight said as she pushed Spike out and past Applejack and Rainbow. Starlight quickly followed. "Now why don't you two come in? I'm sure whatever you came here for must be important."

"Laying it a bit thick, aren't you?" Rainbow Dash whispered a little too loudly as the castle doors closed shut behind her. Spike and Starlight shared a look before shrugging and made their way into town. The castle's crystal spires eventually grew smaller, though never completely out of view.

"They're up to something, aren't they?"

Starlight Glimmer smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she sang.

Spike sighed. "Okay then, I'll just practice pretending to be surprised." He unraveled the scroll. "So first, quills. The quill and sofa shop should be pretty close by."

"Say Spike," Starlight suddenly interjected, "how about we take the scenic route?"

Spike looked up from the list. "What scenic route? And why? I can see the store from here," he said, pointing out to the distance.

"Yeah, I know, but I figured this would be a great opportunity to get to know Ponyville, you know, as a town. Get to know the layout, where everything is, all the stores, that sort of thing."

"But, but you've been living here for years!"

"Have I? Well, better late than never."

Spike groaned as he planted his face into his palm. "Alright, which way to the scenic route?"

The sun soon rose to its peak as the clocktower chimed away the hours for all the town to know. The scroll Spike held in his claw was replaced with several paper bags filled to the brim with groceries and odds and ends. Starlight trotted next to him, munching away at a caramel glazed donut, the remaining eleven in a little pink paper box on her back.

"Alright, finally, that's everything," Spike said. "Let's head home. I'm dying for a nap."

"You sure we have everything?" Starlight asked. "Maybe we should quadruple check the list, you know, to be sure."

"We have everything."

"But isn't it better to be safe than--"

"We have everything," Spike repeated a little more forcefully. His glare was met with the frustrating grin Starlight had worn practically the entire trip. With a sigh, the dragon continued his way toward the castle. He could already see the front entrance, and it drew closer with every step.

They arrived at last before the front doors. "Hey, Starlight? Could you..." Spike, with his arms full, motioned toward the doors.

"Hmm?" Starlight looked up from her donut. "Sorry, what?"

"Never mind." Spike leaned his shoulder against the doors and pushed. The doors slowly creaked open, and he stepped forward. A burst of confetti and strips of colored paper flew out to greet him. His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. A mix of turquoise and violet lights covered the bags in his arms as Starlight and Twilight took hold of the groceries placed them to the side

"Happy birthday, Spike!" everypony cheered. Nudged forward by Starlight, Spike stepped inside. The entire hall had been decorated with streamers and balloons, many of them green and purple. Pinkie Pie bounced by and strapped a party hat neatly over one of his head spikes. As he made his way to the center, where a table of snacks and sweets stood, he received pats on the back and playful punches on the shoulders. Twilight Sparkle stood at the table, her own hat covering her horn as she served fruit punch into cups.

"Happy birthday, number one assistant," the princess said, smiling as she gave held a cup toward him. Spike accepted it with a smile of his own.

"Thanks, Twilight." He looked around. "Wow, this is, wow, thanks."

His arm suddenly felt heavier. Spike turned and found Pinkie Pie leaning against him, staring at hum intently. She hummed thoughtfully as she rubbed her chin. "You don't look all that surprised," she determined.

"I am, I am," Spike quickly assured as he tried to move away. "I mean, I figured something was up, but I just thought I'd come back to some cake, not all this." He gestured to the table that was covered in pies, candied apples, cotton candy, chocolate fountains with fruits and emeralds, fritters and strudels, and cupcakes with frosting and sprinkles piled high. Starlight Glimmer placed their box of donuts with the rest of pastries. He eyed the massive cake in the very center, multiple layers of flavors coated with vanilla frosting with several large shards of sapphires, topaz, chocolate, and strawberries sticking out along the edges, the longest. He forced down the saliva flooding his mouth. "And you even decorated the castle. I mean, that couldn't have been easy."

"Tell me about it," Rainbow Dash groaned as she squeezed by and grabbed a cup of punch before turning to Spike. "So, still no wings yet?"

Spike glanced over at his back. He shrugged. "Guess not year, either."

"Bummer." Rainbow gulped down her drink as Applejack now approached. "So, how're you feeling?"

"Pretty good. I mean, I'm surrounded by good food and friends," Spike answered with a motion of his arms. "So, yeah, pretty good."

"What, you don't feel any different?" Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Come on, you're an adult now. Don't tell me you feel the same."

"Hey now, pretty sure he's got another year to go," Applejack said. "'Course, that's still pretty excitin'."

"It is?" Spike tilted his head and hummed. He shrugged after a moment. "Nope, not feeling it, sorry."

"What?" Everyone winced at Pinkie's shriek. The pink pony placed her hooves on Spike's chest and leaned into his face. "How can you not be excited? It's your birthday!"

"No, wait, I'm excited for that," Spike said hurriedly with his arms raised. "Honest, it just doesn't feel that much different from any other birthday."

"Why would it?" asked Twilight as she pulled Pinkie away. "It's just another year."

"Pft, I'm sure you'd think that," Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. "Bet you spent yours with your family or something like that."

"Library, actually," Twilight answered.

"Yeah, thought so." Rainbow tried to swing her foreleg around Spike's shoulders. Her second attempt, as she hovered closer to Spike's height, was more successful. "Next year, leave it to me and Applejack. We're going to start your adult life right."

"Hey, I'm not agreein' to nothin'," Applejack protested. "Don't go volunteerin' me."

"Aw, comes on, AJ. You owe me a rematch. You know the only reason I lost was because I had a cold."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "No, you lost cause you're a lightweight."

"Oh, you'd better take that back."

"Hey, you didn't mention me," Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "How could you possible have such a fun time without me? That's like, having a cupcake without sprinkles. Or frosting. Or sugar and flour."

"Because I want to show Spike a good time, not completely nuke his liver." Rainbow turned to Twilight. "Uh, dragons have livers, right?"

"Livers? Yeah, I, wait. No! Spike's too young for that," Twilight shouted. "I already told you when I took away that bottle of yours. You better not have touched the punch."

"Ha, another year and you won't be able to stop him," Rainbow Dash laughed. Twilight grabbed the staff leaning against the piñata. As Rainbow danced away from Twilight's clumsy swings, the castle hall filled with laughter that doubled once Pinkie Pie managed to tie a piece of cloth over Twilight's eyes. Laughter quickly became gasps and shouts as the front door opened and Fluttershy stepped right into Twilight's swing.

The stick stopped less than a foot from Fluttershy's head. Twilight's blindfold slid off. The alicorn gasped and let the stick drop. "Fluttershy, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

"Umm hmm." Fluttershy began to sway. "Oh, I'm fine. I feel g--" She collapsed, and the group quickly gathered around her. They carried her to the snack table, and a few cups of punch and a cupcake later, Fluttershy was back on her feet, laughing off Twilight's apology.

"It's alright, really. I was just surprised that's all." The pegasus turned to Spike. "Happy birthday Spike. Sorry I wasn't here to help with the decorations. Angel was having a little trouble picking this out for you."

She extended her hoof toward Spike. From it, Spike accepted a carrot, a little longer than his smallest finger, with a small bow crudely tied around it. "Oh, uh, thanks," Spike said, dangling the vegetable by its stem. "A carrot, my sixth, no, fifth favorite root. He really shouldn't have."

"I'll be sure to let Angel know how much you appreciate it. Um, it is okay, right?" Fluttershy rubbed her front hooves together nervously. "You aren't going to grow into a big mean dragon now, are you?"

"Something like that should be fine," Twilight replied. "How are you feeling, Spike?" she asked, turning to the dragon.

"Still not too different," Spike answered with a shrug.

Fluttershy sighed. "Oh, that's good. So, is everypony else here?" She looked around the hall. "Am I the last one here?"

"Almost," Starlight replied. "Looks like Rarity's not here yet."

Pinkie Pie bounced by. The balloon she rode popped, and she dropped right next to Starlight. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen Rarity since telling her about the party."

"You think we should go check up on her?" asked Twilight. There were a few mutters of agreement.

Fluttershy turned to Spike. "Um, has Rarity spoken to you recently?"

Spike shook his head. "No, not for a while anyways. Why?"

"Oh, nothing, no reason," Fluttershy said quickly. Her gaze fell. "I just thought, maybe, maybe she would have by now."

"Aw, come on, the party just got started," Rainbow Dash said dismissively. "You guys know Rarity, she's probably just, you know, fashionably late like she always is."

"That does sound like Rarity," Applejack agreed with a nod. More nods joined her until only Fluttershy and Spike looked uncertain. "Guess there's no reason to start worryin' just yet. She'll show up sooner or later."

Applejack's words were punctuated with a solid strike against Spike's arm. Slowly, as he was pulled over to the first round of pin the tail on the dunked, he broke into a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, you're probably right."

Laughter once again filled the castle as Twilight stumbled by, trying to stick the tail onto Rainbow Dash's nose.

Rarity's first sign that something was off was how much cooler the morning air was. Her grabs for the covers produced only more cool air, and as she grew more aware, she realized just how hard and uncomfortable the pillow against her head was. It wasn't just the pillow, she soon concluded as feeling returned to her body, but the entire bed. Or rather, as Rarity discovered once she opened her eyes, the lack of bed. Instead, she found herself slouched over a desk with her head against her sewing machine.

Every part of Rarity's body screamed in soreness as she stretched. Further examination confirmed her suspicions that she was not in her bedroom. The desk covered in sketches and seaweed wrappers, the sewing machine that was thankfully free of her mane, and the rolls of cloths and the pony mannequins around her all suggested that her workroom had served as her sleeping quarters. An odd place to bed for the night, Rarity figured. What could have possible driven her to sleep in such an uncomfortable position when there was a perfectly fine bed in the room nearby? She rubbed her neck and groaned. She'd have to schedule an immediate trip to the spa once she finished the suit.

Spike's suit! Spike's birthday!

Rarity's eyes flew open. She ran along the edge of the workroom, unraveling cloths in a frenzied panic as she searched, stopping only once she found the jacket and pants combination folded neatly in the corner. Rarity unfolded the black jacket, her hooves brushing against the collar, smooth as silk, and sighed in relief. She had managed to finish everything in time, right down to polishing those little brass buttons until they shined like gold.

It was finished. Now, she just had to wrap the gift, present it to Spike, then get him alone. She had postponed long enough, it was time the two of them had a chat. After a shower and a fair amount of brushing, she added, noting her rough waking appearance. Rarity walked over to the window and brushed aside the curtains. It was already pretty late in the day. When did Pinkie Pie say the party was? Rarity couldn't remember, but surely there would be time for a shower.

She exited the workroom and made her way toward the bathroom, only for a loud knock on her door to interrupt her. Rarity frowned and shifted her path down the stairs and toward the front door. Now who could that possibly be? She wasn't expecting any visitors today, and she was certain she made sure the boutique appeared closed for the day. Yes, the closed sign was still up, so it probably wasn't a customer.

Well, there was little point in continued speculation, Rarity reasoned as she reached for the door handle. The door opened. What she found nearly caused her heart to skip a beat.

Spike stood in front of her holding a plate with a slice of cake on it. He seemed almost surprised that the door opened, but the odd confusion was swiftly replaced with a small smile and a wave. Rarity returned the wave even as she felt her stomach beginning to twist.

"Spike, this is, well, this is a surprise," she said. "I do hope I don't sound sound too direct, but, well, what are you doing here?"

"Me? Oh, I, uh, came to see you," Spike answered. "You weren't at the party, and we waited for a couple of hours before we realized none of us knew how long fashionably late meant, so we decided to check up on you, you know, make sure you were okay." He held the plate out to her. "I brought cake, just in case you weren't in the mood for a party. It's not much, but it's a pretty good cake. I already took out all the gems since, I figured, you'd probably wouldn't be able eat those."

"Ah, thank you Spike. It looks--" Her stomach churned violently. A wave of familiar nausea crashed over her. "Excuse me," Rarity managed to say before hastily retreating back inside. She ran, her hooves barely touching the floor as she charged to the bathroom, not even bothering to shut the door before collapsing against the toilet and threw up into the bowl.

"Rarity? Are you--"

"Get out! Stay--" A fresh torrent of vomit forced her head back into the toilet. Her throat grew sore and mouth turned dry as the last bits of bile and digested food left her stomach and splashed into the pool of water at the bottom. With one shaky hoof supporting her against the toilet seat, Rarity reached for the lever to flush away the physical evidence of her sickness. Her hoof slips, and she pitched over. A pair of powerful claws grabbed hold of her, saving her from a face full of toilet water and vile vomit.

"Thank you," Rarity said weakly.

"Yeah, no problem. Um, sorry for coming in after you, well, said not too."

"It's fine." Slowly, Rarity got to her feet. "I would like a moment, however, to get cleaned up."

"Oh, yeah, of course." Spike released her and stepped outside. "I'll, um, just leave the cake in the kitchen, and, um, do you want me to, should I go home?"

Yes. She nearly answered yes. Any confidence she had for today had been flushed with the waste. "No. Can you wait in the kitchen?" Rarity said instead. "I'll be with you shortly."

"Yeah. Yeah." And with that, Spike left the bathroom. Rarity made her way to the sink and lifted her toothbrush. Covering the bristles with toothpaste, she went to work, brushing away until the taste of vomit was replaced with mint, finishing the task with a couple of mouthfuls of mouthwash. She rinsed the toothbrush and quickly gave her hair a few quick brushes before checking the mirror. She sighed. There wasn't much she could do to salvage her mane with what little time she said, sleeping against a hard sewing machine having done her no services.

Rarity left the bathroom and walked to the kitchen. The cake sat in the center of the table. The dragon stood close by, stopping in the middle of a pace. She gestured, and Spike took a seat at the table. Rarity joined him.

For several moments, they sat there silently. Occasionally, there was an audible inhale as they both prepared to speak, only to immediately exhale to allow the other talk first. "So," Rarity managed to say, "was this from your birthday cake?" She pointed to the slice on the table.

"Yeah," Spike replied. "It's yours."

"Thank you. Perhaps later, however."

"Oh, right, right. Um, how're you feeling?" Spike asked.

"Better. A little better. I haven't been feeling too good lately," Rarity explained. "It's, well, I just haven't been feeling all that well."

"Oh. Have you gotten it checked out?"

Rarity shook her head. "Not yet. Soon." She bit her lip.

"Rarity, have you, have you been avoiding me?"

She flinched. Her head suddenly grew heavy, and she found it difficult to raise. Rarity nodded.

"Does it have to do with what happened the night you came back from Manehattan?"

Again, Rarity nodded. She heard Spike exhale. She glanced up. Spike sat there with his head lowered and with one claw clutching the opposite arm. "I'm sorry," she heard him say. "I know I can't take back what I said, but if it makes you this uncomfortable, you, you can pretend I didn't say anything." Spike's voice was shaking. He sounded close to tears. "I don't, I didn't mean, if it means getting our friendship back the way it was before--"

"Getting our friendship back to how it was before?" Rarity's heart sank. What was he trying to say? "Spike, after that night, how can we possible go back to how things were before?"

"I just thought, maybe with a spell or a potion from Zecora--"

"A spell? A potion? Are you, how could you--"

"If you forgot my confession, everything would be back to normal." Spike rubbed his eyes. "If you didn't remember what I said, then everything would be back to normal. Then maybe we'd still be friends."

"I, confession?" Rarity blinked. The storm of heartbreak now competed with a symphony of confusion as she tried to interpret Spike's words. The uneasy mix of emotions made her head spin. "What confession?"

"That night you came back, I told you that I, I, that I--" Spike swallowed. "That I love you. Isn't that why you've been avoiding me?"

"What? No, that's not it at all. I, I don't even remember you saying that. You actually said that?"

"Oh." Spike turned bright red. "Then, what's going on?"

"Spike, I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant, and you're the father."

Rarity expected the silence. Beyond that, she wasn't sure. Would Spike try to deny it, attempt to make excuses and alternative explanations? Would he make demands of evidence? Shouts, whimpers, accusations? Rarity braced herself, her eyes closed shut, her hooves digging into the kitchen table. And still the silence persisted, lasting far longer than Rarity had anticipated. The wait was becoming unbearable, the silence suffocating. She opened her eyes.

"Spike?" she said cautiously.

"That night," she heard the dragon mutter. "I was in your bed in the morning. So, you mean, we, that night we--" He gulped. "Um, Rarity?"

"Y-yes?" Rarity said, her voice just as nervous and unsteady.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Mad at you?" She blinked. "For what?"

"For, you know." Spike coughed. "The sex. And getting you pregnant. Is that why you've been avoiding me?"

"Mad? At you? I'm upset at myself. I'm the one who let this all happen, and then I couldn't even live with the aftermath. Instead, I just tried to hide. I was afraid of how you'd react, Spike, how you'd see me after learning the truth." Rarity turned away, refusing to look up at Spike. "If anything, you should be mad at me."

"At you? Why?"

"Because I'm the one who pulled you into all this. Because I'm the one who should have stopped myself when I had the chance but didn't, who couldn't control myself and ended up hurting you when I couldn't face my mistakes. And now you're stuck here dealing with my mistakes. After everything I've done, nopony would blame you for hating me."

Spike's claw slowly closed around Rarity's hoof. Reluctantly, she looked up. Spike stared back. Emerald eyes met azure ones. "Please stop blaming yourself. I don't hate you."

"You should."

"I don't. I could never."

"You're father now, because of me."

"You're pregnant, because of me. It's just as much as my fault. Do you hate me?"

"You were drunk."

"So were you."

Rarity fell silent. She placed her other hoof on top of Spike's closed claw. "You know this will change everything, right? Our lives, our relationship, nothing will be the same. We won't be able to go back to normal."

Spike nodded. "I'm okay with that. That is, as long as you are."

Rarity closed her eyes, then nodded. "Tomorrow I'm going to set up an appointment with the doctor."

"Okay."

"When they give me the news and make everything official, will you be there with me?" she asked.

"Yes, I'll be there."

"And when I'm too round to move and run the boutique?"

"I'll be there," answered Spike.

"And when it's time to foal?"

"I'll be right at you side, then and beyond, if you'll have me." He began to frown. "Um, should we start coming up with baby names?"

Rarity let a laugh escape. "Later, definitely later. For now, perhaps we should return to your party. And I believe I still have your gift to give."

"Oh, right, the suit. You really didn't have--"

Rarity's lips brushed against Spike's cheek, lingering for several long seconds. Even once the sun set and evening fell, Spike still felt the kiss's warmth.

Chapter 9

Few ponies enjoyed visits to the hospital. It may have been the complete lack of smells to find in the sterile environment, save for the sickly hint of ethanol, or it could have been how unnaturally clean the floors were considering how many dirty hooves trampled over those tiles. Perhaps how the establishment served as a constant reminder of how fleeting life could be simply rubbed ponies the wrong way, or it may have had something to do with the bizarre, almost Discord-like system the place operated, in which positive meant bad news and being negative became a reason to celebrate.

Everypony had a reason to dislike and complain, though few vocalized them out of fear that one of the physicians might take personal offense, and Rarity was no exception. From the drab uniform colors of the gowns, bedding, and curtains, to the hard, uncomfortable cushion currently against her rump. She might as well have found a rock to plant herself on. And then there were those horridly sunny posters that detailed the steps of pregnancy with little cartoon figures. And would somepony please update the magazine catalogue? That issue of Fashion Finders Exclusive was out of date six months ago.

Worst of all, Rarity was beginning to discover, was the wait. The test had been run, the questions asked, all they had to do now was wait for the doctor to return with the results. It was all they could do, really, just sit and stew in anxiety and boredom.

She turned to her companion sitting next to her, and to her odd comfort, found him sharing her suffering. Earlier, Spike had found interest in one of the magazines, reading out loud the tips and tricks to parenting as determined by apparent expert parents. It had helped stave her rising panic and alleviated some of the boredom, and it was encouraging to see how serious Spike was taking his new standing in life, but the factoids soon ran dry, and, after being told off for pacing, Spike now sat still, his foot tapping impatiently as he alternated between staring at the door and at the unicorn on the uncomfortable hospital cushion.

Rarity reached over and and stuck her hoof into Spike's claw. The claw closed over it. She smiled at him, and he smiled awkwardly back. The tapping ceased.

The door opened, and both unicorn and dragon jumped in their seats. In stepped a mare in a clean lab coat with a clipboard cradled in her foreleg. As she approached Rarity, the mare scribbled down a few notes.

"Here," the doctor said, giving Rarity a small medicine bottle. "Take two tablets each day, one with breakfast and one with dinner. That should take care of the nausea."

Rarity looked down at the bottle. "Allergy pills? I don't understand. What are--"

"There's no morning sickness," the doctor said. "You're just suffering from an allergic reaction. If you have to have seaweed, make sure it's fresh or at least boiled. None of the packaged dry stuff, there's something in the salt."

"It wasn't morning sickness?" Spike asked. "Then, then is she--"

"She's not pregnant. All tests came in negative. And yes, we made sure to take the whole dragon side into account," the doctor explained. "As for the hormonal imbalance, that would be due to the self-induced stress. I recommend taking the week off to rest, Ms. Rarity. Now, is there anything else we can do for you?"

Rarity wanted to shout, cheer, scream, demand an explanation for why it took so long to provide such underwhelming results. The clash of emotions, between relief, anger, disappointment, and a half dozen others, left her drained and exhausted. She sighed. "Thank you, doctor. That will be all."

They made their way through the hospital, passing wards and rooms until they reached the lobby filled with waiting ponies. They left and followed the path back into town. "So, what now?" Spike asked as they passed by storefronts.

"Now? Well I suppose we should tell Pinkie Pie to cancel that foal shower." Rarity stole a glance at the dragon beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"Relieved, I guess," Spike answered. "I mean, I don't think I'm ready to be a dad just yet, but at the same time, well, I feel, I feel--"

"Disappointed?"

"Yeah, disappointed. Weird. What about you?"

"The same, actually, and a little tired," Rarity said with a sigh. "To think, this whole ordeal was, well, it tires me just thinking about how underwhelming it ended up being."

They approached the boutique's entrance. "So, um, where does that leave us?" Spike asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Us." Spike pointed at himself, then at her, then back at himself. "Our relationship. What does that make us? I mean, we can't just go back to normal, can we?"

Rarity's hoof rested on the door handle. Slowly, she turned. "I don't know Spike," she said, "Everything's moved so fast. I can't remember even half of what happened that night. Can you?"

"Well, no, not really."

"And your confession? I don't remember it. Do you?"

"I, I don't know," admitted Spike. "Are you saying, we should, should we just--"

"Tell me what you thought you told me that night," Rarity suddenly ordered.

Spike gulped. "Right here? Right now?"

"Yes."

Spike took a deep breath. His claws clenched tightly at his sides. "Rarity, I love you. You're the most beautiful, most wonderful being I've ever met, and I, I love you." He closed his eyes as he turned red.

Rarity was turning the same color. "And do you still feel that way?"

Spike slowly opened his eyes. He nodded. "Yeah, of course."

"Thank you, Spike, darling, for letting me know." Rarity stepped inside. The door stayed opened, and after moment, Spike followed her in. "You're right, it'd be difficult to return things to the way they were before, especially after hearing you say that."

"Then--"

"Spike, would you accept me as your marefriend?"

The party Pinkie Pie held for the new couple the follow day recycled all the gifts and decorations she had planned for the canceled foal shower. When questioned, Pinkie merely winked and said, "It's only a matter of time."