A Secret Admirerby 1jckuhnChaptersChapter I: PrologueChapter II: Rainbow's Discovery/Stunning RevelationsChapter III: The Day Of The PlanChapter IV: Finally Revealed/Coming CleanChapter V: Coming HomeChapter I: PrologueFriendship Castle, Map Room. July 2, 2019, 12:30 P.M. "Another one," Twilight grumbled as she threw the envelope on the table. The thing she was referring to was one of the many love letters she had been receiving over the last three months. It wasn't just her either. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Starlight Glimmer, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Smolder, and even Gabby had gotten all kinds of love letters and love poems from an unknown person proclaiming how much they loved all of them. Occasionally, they were all given small gifts such as a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates or, in Smolder's case, a pile of her favorite gemstones. Don't get them wrong, they were flattered at the kind gestures, but it was getting a little annoying getting something from someone who refused to reveal themselves. The return address on all the love letters, poems, and/or gifts was either bogus or was missing entirely, so none of them could have any idea where they came from. Spike walked into the map room and saw the letter on the table. "Again?" he groaned. "This is getting out of hand. Doesn't this dude or girl have anything better to do for their time?" Then the other Element Bearers and Starlight Glimmer walked in, and they threw their envelopes on the table. "I really wish we knew who keeps doing this," Starlight said. "At some they have to reveal themselves and the reasons why they like us all so much." "Quite right, dear," Rarity agreed. "Don't they know that I've already got an admirer?" She looked at Spike and batted her eyelashes making the little Dragon blush furiously. "Besides," Rarity continued. "They can't stay anonymous forever." "I-I'm quite flattered, that someone would go this far to say that they like me so much," Fluttershy said, her face also blushing bright red. Rainbow Dash smirked. She had an idea. "Hey, you girls thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked. "Ooh, is it playing, "I spy with my little eye"?" Pinkie asked. Rainbow facehoofed. "No, it's--" "Ooh, is it "guess what Dashie's thinking"? I'll go first. Um, you're thinking about trying to make this secret admirer reveal themselves," Pinkie guessed. Rainbow went from annoyed to shocked. "H-How...d-did--," she sputtered. "Silly, my Pinkie Sense was tingling, and it told me that you wanted to know who the secret admirer was so you could finally return the favor to them," Pinkie said as if it was normal that she could read minds. "That's Pinkie for you," Applejack smiled. "Unpredictable, but still lovable." "Yep," Pinkie chirped, popping out of nowhere behind Applejack. Applejack yelped out in surprise before chuckling. Everyone else got a little chuckle out of Pinkie being Pinkie. "Anyway, getting back on track here," Rainbow said. "I want whoever keeps doing this revealed so we can get to the bottom of why they're all so infatuated with us, and maybe we can take them on a date or two with all of us. It's not just the seven of us, either. Scootaloo is also talking to me about how she keeps getting love letters and gifts as well. The gifts are usually her favorite snacks or candy. She's flattered someone would do this to show that they love her, but she, as well as the other Crusaders, have their eyes on someone else." "Sweetie Belle was also talking about getting the same things, Rainbow," Rarity said. "Same with Apple Bloom," Applejack added. "Smolder came to me with the same topic just yesterday," Twilight added. "She said that although she's flattered as well with all the kind words, she already has her eyes set on someone else too, but she didn't say who it was." "My pen-pal Gabby has also written me saying how she's gotten love letters similar to yours," Spike put in. Starlight pondered the new details in the secret admirer fiasco for a second before speaking up. "You don't think that they're connected to our love letters, do you?" she wondered. "U-Um, it could be," Fluttershy answered in her usual meek tone. "Personally, I don't mind my love letters and gifts, but I do want to reveal whoever keeps doing this so Sweetie can find out who her anonymous lover is," Rarity said. "Same here," Applejack and Rainbow Dash said simultaneously. "Well, that settles it," Twilight announced. "We're going to unmask this admirer and we're going to get to the bottom of this. Who's with me?" Everyone else raised their hooves. "Ooooh!" Pinkie squealed. "This is gonna be the most exciting mystery we've ever solved!" Twilight turned to Spike. "Spike, would you like to help out, too?" she asked. "Uh, thanks for the offer, Twilight, but I'm going to have to pass on that one," Spike replied. He fidgeted slightly and looked a bit nervous. "I offered to help the Cakes with the twins today and I need to be at Sugarcube Corner in an hour." For the past couple of months, Spike had offered to help many ponies around Canterlot in exchange for bits. He had managed to gain quite a pile of money from it. "Oh, okay," Twilight said. The others and she took notice of Spike's behavior, but decided to ignore it. She turned to her friends. "So, any ideas?" "We could maybe ask around town and see if anyone saw this mysterious lovesick creature and we could get a physical description of them," Starlight suggested. "That's a great idea, Starlight," Twilight said. "Why don't we try that?" "I'll go asking around town. After all, I am the fastest flyer in all of Equestria," Rainbow Dash boasted. "I can go through the whole town of Ponyville in ten seconds flat. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but still, I can be pretty fast about asking everyone if they've seen anything relating to this mysterious creature." "Alright," Applejack said. "Come to us immediately if you've found anything." "You can count on me, Applejack," Rainbow Dash said. With that said, Rainbow Dash turned to the door, bolted down the hallway and flew out the door. Chapter II: Rainbow's Discovery/Stunning RevelationsRainbow Dash was out the door in a flash and soon, she was in the air looking around for any place where someone might want to blend in. Unfortunately, every place that she thought she had a good lead turned up empty. That was until she walked into a small shop on the other side of Ponyville. She was originally looking for a small snack before heading back outside, but something caught her eye. Towards the back of the store, there was a shelf of envelopes with letters inside them. She wouldn't have paid it much attention if it weren't for the fact that most of the envelopes closely resembled, if not were an identical match with, the envelopes and letters that her friends and she kept getting. She immediately went to the front of the store to explain to the clerk what the situation was. "Excuse me," she said. "Listen, I don't know if you're aware or not, but my friends and I have gotten anonymous love letters for the past three months now and your envelopes closely resemble or identically match with the ones with the ones you sell here. We decided to finally take action and finally track them down. Did you, by chance, see someone walk in here and purchase a bunch of these envelopes?" "As a matter a fact I did," the clerk said. "He came by my store yesterday." "What did he look like?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Well, he was a rather short fellow, but he did have the ability to fly. He wore a tan trench coat, a grey hat, and red-rimmed sunglasses," the clerk relayed. "He actually comes by my store to pick up the same envelopes. He also gets several bouquets of roses and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. He's very polite and kind, but at the same time is quiet and tries to blend in with his surroundings. He usually comes by once a week." Rainbow Dash pondered the new information for a minute. Although she was glad that she now had new information on the physical description of the admirer, she didn't know anyone dressed like that. "Oh, okay. Thanks for the information," Rainbow Dash said. "You're welcome," the clerk responded. With that, Rainbow walked back outside, after purchasing a snack of course as it was what she originally came in there to get and flew back to the castle to notify the others of the new info. *** Rainbow flew through the air as fast as her wings would let her. She almost did a sonic rainboom twice on the way back. She blew through the door, panting and out of breath. She took a quick look at the clock on the wall. It was now nearing 3:00 P.M. Twilight and the others came out to see what the noise was, and they saw Rainbow Dash catching her breath in the hallway. Smolder, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Gabby had also stopped by too so they could hear if Rainbow had any new information. They took her inside and sat her down and gave her a glass of water so she could regain her ability to talk a bit quicker. At last, she was ready to share the new information with the others. "How'd it go, Rainbow?" Starlight inquired. "It was mostly uneventful, until I walked into a shop, and I saw that the store was selling the same kind of envelopes and letters that we've been getting," Rainbow explained. "I went to the clerk and explained to him what the situation was, and he told me that someone usually stops by there to pick up cards and occasionally gifts for all of us. When I asked him what the creature looked like, he told me that it was a boy, but couldn't tell what species he was because of what he always wore when he came in there. The clerk claimed that the dude was short but had the ability to fly. He wore a tan trench coat, a grey top hat, and red-rimmed sunglasses. The clerk also said that he stops in there once a week. The last time he stopped by there was yesterday." The other 11 girls thought about the new information. Like Rainbow, they too had never seen someone who fit the description she relayed. "We don't know anyone who looks like that," Applejack said. "Yeah," Smolder agreed. "At least now, however, we know where he hangs out. Maybe I'll swing by there and catch him in the act and tell him I'm not interested in him because I have my eyes set on another Dragon." "The girls and I also have our eyes set on someone, too," Apple Bloom said. "Same here," Gabby announced. "I have my eyes set on Spike." Almost immediately afterward, Gabby covered her beak and blushed a deep red. She hadn't meant to say that. "WHAT?!!" came the shocked replies of Smolder and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Oh," Gabby said, grinning sheepishly. "Did I say that out loud?" "Yeah," Smolder said sternly, her cheeks wearing a light blush. "You did." Gabby noticed Smolder's blush and then noticed the light blush on her fellow crusaders' faces and, slowly but surely, began to put two and two together. "Wait, you four have a crush on Spike too?" she asked. The Cutie Mark Crusaders sighed in unison. There wasn't any point in lying to their friend. "Yes," Sweetie said. Smolder, however, wasn't so quick to admit it. Her blush deepened and she looked away. "U-Uh, I-I don't have a crush on Spike. I-I have no clue what you're talking about," she stammered. "Smolder," Gabby said, knowing full well she was lying. Smolder let out a defeated sigh. "Alright, you got me," she said. "Can you really blame me, though? The kid's a pure sweetheart." "Well, let's hear why," Gabby said. "I won't say anything to anyone else, I promise." "You can count on us," Starlight added. Smolder went first. "Well, I started having feelings for Spike after he helped reform my brother, Garble. Whenever I was around him after that, I always felt my face slightly heating up, my heart would always start to pump faster, and all I wanted to do with him was hug him and never let go. He's such a kind and sweet boy who'd do anything to please you. I fell in love with him because of his kindness," Smolder explained. Her little confession made her think of Spike, and she wore a dreamy expression and let out a heavenly sigh. Apple Bloom went up next. "He's stuck up for not just me, but Sweetie and Scoots as well, when someone was bullyin' us, he's helped all three of us with over three dozen talents to try and get our cutie marks and lifted our spirits when we didn't succeed, and, this is the icing on the cake by the way, I'd say the best thing he did for me was when he spent his day off from work with me at Sweet Apple Acres because I had a cold. I remember explicitly being put to sleep by a lullaby he sang for me. He didn't even ask for anything in return. So, like Smolder, we also fell in love for him because of his kindness," Apple Bloom said. Sweetie and Scootaloo nodded in agreement. "What about you, Gabby?" Sweetie Belle asked. "We never heard your reasons for liking Spike." Gabby smiled and blushed. Just the mention of Spike's name made her feel warm and fuzzy both inside and out. "Well, when we first became pen-pals, I had a boyfriend named Rocky. He acted charming and laid-back when I was around, but behind my back, I found out that he was arrogant, lazy, and rude. Then, one time, I came home to find Rocky kissing another Griffon girl. I had never felt so betrayed and heart-broken in all my life. Then to top it all off, he had the gall to say it was my fault he cheated on me because I wasn't good enough for him. I kicked him out of my house and wrote Spike the next morning to tell him about what happened. He came over to Griffonstone to see me no later than three hours after I sent that letter to him. He told me to forget about Rocky and that there are plenty of guys out there who'd be more than grateful to be with me. He helped me find my way back to my normally cheerful self in less than a week," Gabby explained. "I began to have strange feelings for him after that. At first, I didn't know what to do about it, but then I realized that it was love. Like the four of you, I too had fallen in love with him because of his kindness and empathy." "That just leaves one question: Who gets him?" Smolder said. "We all like him for the same reason and we all know our feelings for him aren't going away that easy." After hearing this, Twilight spoke up. "Actually," Twilight spoke up. "After I got Spike, Celestia gave me a book about Dragons and how to care for them. In the book, there's a chapter about the love lives of Spike's breed of Dragons. Hang on a minute, I'll go get it." She left the room for a few minutes then returned with a large, thick, brown book that had cursive italicized letters on the front cover that read, "ALL ABOUT DRAGONS". Twilight flipped through the pages until she found the chapter she was looking for. "Alright," she said. "It says here that Spike is a very rare breed of dragon that is known to have multiple mates, up to 15 of them. If Spike's breed of Dragons does build a harem, their instinct to build a hoard and go into a greed-induced growth spurt will be gone. It also mentions that this particular breed is rather gentler and kinder than most breeds of Dragons." Smolder, the CMC's, and Gabby all cheered. It seemed that they could be together with Spike after all. Presently, the front door to the castle opened and in stepped none other than Spike, who was tired and ready for a nap. Babysitting the Cake Twins was a real hassle, but for the extra bits, it was worth it. Immediately, the five lovestruck girls ceased their cheering to avoid Spike catching on to what they were doing. Twilight hid the book just as Spike walked past. He stopped and turned to face them. "Hey, girls," he mumbled. "How'd the search go, Rainbow?" "It went great, Spike," Rainbow Dash. "I didn't find the culprit, but I did find out where he's getting his supplies from. I also know what he's wearing now too. Now, all we have to do is catch him in the act and we can finally confront him." "Sweet," Spike said. "I'm glad you finally got a break, Rainbow Dash. I wish you the best of luck in finding him. I'm headed upstairs for a nap. Trying to put the Cake Twins to sleep was almost impossible and tired me out. Wake me for dinner." With that said, Spike walked upstairs and into his room. Meanwhile, Twilight and the others began to cook up a plan to catch the secret admirer. "Okay, so what's our plan?" Applejack asked. "Well, since he stopped by the store yesterday, we've got another six days before he goes back there again. That's when we'll strike," Rainbow Dash said. So, it was arranged. With the plan in place, Twilight, the other Element Bearers, the CMC, Starlight, Gabby, and Smolder could only wait in anticipation for the day they could confront and finally unmask this mysterious admirer. Yes, one way or another, they'd catch this lovestruck creature and he'd have to fess up to them about why he kept doing this. Chapter III: The Day Of The PlanJuly 9, 2019, Outside the Letter Shop, 9:30 A.M. This was the day that everyone looked forward to. The day that they'd finally be able to catch the secret admirer in the act. Spike didn't want to come, he said he didn't feel like going out today. Currently, Twilight, the other Element Bearers, Starlight, the CMC, Smolder, and Gabby had all taken up positions in nearby trees and bushes. They had the letter shop completely surrounded and were now lying on wait for the admirer to show up. They were only waiting for about 15 minutes when a small figure wearing a tan trench coat, a grey top hat, and red-rimmed sunglasses came strolling up the path with a small backpack. He looked like he didn't want to be spotted and didn't seem to notice the twelve pairs of eyeballs watching his every move. He walked into the store, was in there for about ten minutes before coming back out again with his backpack full of new envelopes and gifts. The second they heard the bell to the front door ding and saw the admirer step outside again, the dozen girls were ready to strike. "Now!" Twilight shouted. Everyone jumped out of their hiding spots and rushed to surround the admirer. At long last, it seemed they'd finally caught their man...or so they thought. The second he heard Twilight shout, the admirer took of flying, which successfully made him lose seven of his twelve pursuers in the first ten seconds. Twilight, Smolder, Gabby, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, however were a different story. Although they had forgotten to cover the air, that didn't mean they were going to give up right away. They flew after the admirer and the chase was on. The three ponies, Dragon, and Griffon flew as fast as they could, but no matter how hard they flew, they couldn't close the gap. It didn't help that every now and again, the admirer would make a sharp turn unexpectedly and he'd widen the gap just a little bit. After 15 minutes of flying non-stop, Fluttershy grew tired and couldn't go on. After another five minutes of flying, Gabby and Twilight both hit their limit and had to land. Now only Rainbow Dash and Smolder remained. The admirer was growing tired, and the Dragon and Pegasus were now slowly closing the gap between them. Right when it seemed like they had him, however, the admirer took a sharp turn upwards and was now flying towards the thick clouds and the two tomboyish girls didn't expect his move. By the time they had put two and two together, the admirer had managed to fly into clouds and had disappeared from sight. "Augh," Rainbow Dash groaned. "Why did the weather patrol have to make it cloudy today?" Having lost sight of their target, Smolder and Rainbow Dash had no other choice but to head back to where the others were. Twilight, Gabby, and Fluttershy were already back with the other seven girls. By now, the two ponies and griffon had managed to catch their breath and had regained the ability to speak again. "What happened?" asked Twilight. "He got away," Smolder replied. "He made a sharp turn upward toward the clouds and took us both by surprise. He flew into the clouds, and we lost sight of him." Disappointed groans echoed throughout the street. "You gotta be kidding," Starlight complained. "Now we have to try again in another week?" "It would appear so," Twilight sighed. "Maybe we'll get them next time." "Yeah," Gabby added. "It's not like we'll not have another chance to catch him." "You're right," Smolder replied. "We'll get 'em next time." With nothing left to do or say, the twelve girls headed back home. Little did they know, however, that their chance to unmask the admirer would come much sooner than they expected. Friendship Castle, 8:48 P.M. Twilight let out a yawn as she headed from her bathroom to her bed. Ordinarily, she'd usually be in bed after 10:00 P.M., but all the hard flying that she did today really wore her out. She was looking forward to falling asleep and pushing all her fatigue away, and she did just that. 10:51 P.M. Twilight was abruptly awoken by the sound of a loud crash. The crash came from a wooden coat rack hitting the floor. She sat up and looked around, only to see an envelope hit the floor and the front door to the bedroom slam shut. She instantly noticed that it was an envelope that resembled that of the numerous love letters that she was getting. There was also a heart-shaped box of chocolates spilled on the floor as well. The Lavender Alicorn's fatigue disappeared in less than a second and she immediately jumped out of bed and gave chase. The admirer had escaped them once, but he wasn't going to escape them twice. The crash was loud enough that it woke up the other five Element Bearers and Starlight and they walked into the large hallway to see a small figure whizz by them, followed closely by Twilight. "That's the admirer!" Twilight shouted to the others. "He's not escaping us this time!" Like Twilight, the fatigue of the other six ponies disappeared instantly as well. They jumped up and joined Twilight in pursuing the admirer. No matter how much he hoped or tried, he wasn't going to slip by them this time. Presently, they approached the staircase that led to the entry way of the castle. If the admirer got out those doors, he was home free. Near the staircase on the upper lever was a small area rug. What the admirer, nor did the ponies, realize was the carpet wasn't perfectly flat because they couldn't see in the dark. The admirer tripped on a large hump in the uneven rug, was sent airborne, and tumbled down the staircase. The ponies could've sworn they heard a faint crack as the admirer took his tumble. Their demeanor changed from determined to catch the admirer, to being worried for his safety. They hadn't meant for that to happen. "Starlight, find the light switch," Twilight ordered. "Girls, you're going to follow me and were going to check on the admirer." The Element Bearers ran down the stairs and approached the downed creature. He was clutching his right leg and he sounded like he was quietly crying. They were no more than five feet away from him when Starlight found the light switch and the whole place lit up. In the process, the seven ponies could now have a good look at who the admirer finally was. The Element Bearers and Starlight all gasped when they realized who he finally was. Author's Note Cliffhangers. Dont'cha hate 'em? Don't worry next chapter won't be a long wait. Chapter IV: Finally Revealed/Coming CleanAuthor's Note I'm not really good when it comes to these little confessions, but, like the funeral speeches, I gave it my best shot. Please enjoy. Next and final chapter coming April 16th. Chapter IV: Finally Revealed/Coming Clean "SPIKE?!" The Element Bearers and Starlight said simultaneously. "You're the admirer?!" Rarity asked. Spike was in unimaginable pain. His right leg hurt like no tomorrow and his right wing wasn't as mobile as it was before. No doubt in his mind that he sprained, if not broke, them both. "Ugh, yes, girls. You caught me," Spike groaned. "I'm the admirer." The Element Bearers knew now wasn't the time to ask questions. They helped Spike out of his coat and called for help. Spike was loaded onto a stretcher and taken to a hospital. The seven ponies made it their goal to see him first thing in the morning. Ponyville Hospital, JULY 10, 2019 8:11 A.M. Spending the night at the hospital wasn't a whole lot of fun for Spike. The bed was uncomfortable, so he didn't get a good night's sleep. The searing pain in his leg and wing wasn't helping him much either. Then, he was woken up at 7:00 A.M. for those annoying hospital tests and so the doctors could X-ray his wing and leg. Now, the tests were done, and Spike was sitting in bed with his leg and wing now wrapped in a bandage. His bed sat next to a window which gave him a clear view of the Friendship Castle. He let out a sad sigh and tears welled up in his eyes. "The girls probably hate me now," he said to himself and began to cry silently. Meanwhile The second the seven ponies' alarm clocks went off, they were up like rockets. They had never been so quick to get out of bed before. They managed to freshen up and be out the door in about 15 minutes. The trip took another ten minutes, so they had to spend 25 grueling minutes trying to get to their Spike. Wait, their Spike? Why were they thinking that? They couldn't be falling for him, could they? No. No, it couldn't be that. Could it? The second they heard about Spike being the admirer, Smolder, Gabby and the CMC became very excited. They did feel extremely bad he got injured, but were happy because they now knew that Spike felt the same way towards them as they did towards him. HOSPITAL LOBBY, 8:11 A.M. At long last the twelve girls were in the hospital. "Hello, girls," the nurse said. "Who are you here to see?" "His name is Spike," replied Twilight. "He's a small, purple Dragon with green eyes." "Ah, I know who you're referring to," the nurse said. "Follow me." As they were nearing Spike's room, they could hear what sounded like quiet crying. Then, they heard six words that shocked them to their core. "The girls probably hate me now." That sentence coupled with hearing Spike crying made Smolder, Gabby, and the CMC's hearts break into a thousand pieces. They knew they needed to set things straight as soon as possible. The boy they loved was in despair, and after all the times he had helped them out of their funks, they felt it was high time to return the favor. The Element Bearers and Starlight also felt a pain in their chests listening to their Spike cry. Wait, what? It happened again. Why did they keep thinking of him like that? It couldn't be love, right? Sure, Spike was their friend. Yes, he was always such a kind, sweet, loving, and overall caring soul. Not to mention he seemed to always help them out of a jam, and he was so eager to help out no matter what he was doing. Was this how Smolder, Gabby, and the CMC's felt about Spike? Did they really love him this much? It must be for them, but that couldn't be the case for the Element Bearers and Starlight. Could it? They walked into the room to see Spike sitting on the bed, wiping fresh tears out of his eyes as he silently cried. He didn't seem to notice them come in. The nurse cleared her throat and got the crying Spike's attention. "Good morning, dear," the nurse said. "You have visitors." She left the room and left the teary-eyed Dragon alone with his love interests. Spike let out a sniffle. "I know," he sighed. "You all probably hate me now for putting you through this, and I understand." "Spike, we don't hate you for this," Twilight said. Spike's demeanor changed from sad to surprised. "Wait, what?" Spike asked. "But what about all those letters I sent to all of you, and it irritated you all to no end? Then, when I heard about Smolder and the Cutie Mark Crusaders had their own love interests. I internally felt bad for pestering them so much even though they had no interest in me." Smolder was next to speak. She walked up to Spike, took his hand, and looked her crush right in his eyes. Her sky-blue irises making contact with his emerald irises. She felt warm touching his hand with hers. "Actually, Spike, there's something that I, as well as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, need to tell you," Smolder said. "The person who we've had our eyes on..." Smolder paused for a moment to let Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo walk up. Now, all four girls were facing their love interest, and they felt like fainting. "...is you," they finished together. Spike was even more shocked. Gabby also moved up to join the other four girls. "I also have to admit that I, too, love you, Spike," she confessed "What? But, why me?" he asked. "Do you remember the time you helped my brother, Garble?" Smolder asked. "Yeah?" Spike said unsure of where this was headed. "Well," she continued "After you reformed him, I began to feel strange around you. My heart would always start to pump faster, and all I wanted to do with you was wrap you in a tight hug and never let go. You're just an overall kind and sweet boy who'd do anything to please anyone. I fell in love with you because of your kindness and big heart." Spike blushed red and smiled. Up next was Apple Bloom. She was speaking one again on not just her behalf, but also Sweetie and Scootaloo's behalf as well. "You've always been there to help not just me, but Sweetie and Scoots as well, out of a jam. You've helped all three of us with trying out over forty talents in hopes of finding our Cutie Marks, you've stood up to those who've bullied us, and then there was the time you took care of me when I had a cold on your day off and you didn't even ask for anything in return. It was when I woke up the next morning feeling almost completely better that I began to feel something strange when I thought about you. When I asked Big Mac about it, he told me it was love. It was, like Smolder, your big heart and kind soul that gave my friends and I a crush on you." she confessed. "Actually," Sweetie added. "If I'm being honest here, I had a crush on Spike since I first laid eyes on him." "I started having feelings for Spike once I really got to know him," Scootaloo said. "He's always made me laugh or brightened my day when I was feeling a bit down." Spike's blush deepened. Gabby went up next. "Do you remember that dreadful brute, Rocky?" she asked Spike's blush disappeared. "Please don't remind me of that idiot," he groaned. "Well, after you helped me out of my slump, I too started having feelings for you. I was so excited whenever we hung out together. It didn't matter what we did, I just wanted to be with you." Gabby confessed. Spike's blush returned and it grew ten times deeper when all five girls suddenly surrounded him and smothered his face and the top of his head with kisses. "You have no clue how long I've been wanting to do that to you," Smolder said as she stroked Spike's cheek and gave him a seductive look. Spike smiled. "You know, Smolder, I think what I like most about you is how much you've grown and become such an open and inviting soul. I'm not going to lie when you're happy around me I feel happy too," Spike smiled. "You've also shown me that Garble's not the only one who can act like a burnt marshmallow. You did act a bit smoky when you first came here, but you very quickly revealed your sweet side and I wouldn't change a thing about you." Smolder chuckled and blushed. "Aww," she said. "Thanks, Spike." Spike then turned his attention toward the CMC and Gabby. "Then, there's you three," Spike smiled. "You girls have determination that I've never seen in anyone to find your purpose in the world. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, you've really matured right before my eyes even before you got your cutie marks. You're always so eager to complete a task even before you start to complete it. I admire that a lot about someone. If I were to have to pick one of you to be with, I couldn't leave the other two out. You're all perfect and, like Smolder, I wouldn't change a thing about you." The Cutie Mark Crusaders all blushed heavily before fainting from their crush telling them exactly how they felt about them. Spike then turned his attention to Gabby. "Gabby, when it comes to being cheerful, you've clearly taken tips from the always loveable Pinkie Pie." Pinkie blushed and giggled. She was starting to embrace these newfound feelings for Spike. "Like Pinkie," Spike continued. "You always know how to brighten someone's day. You're sweet, loving, and, quite frankly, the coolest Griffon I've met. Yes, I too didn't care what activities we did together. I just wanted to be with you. As we hung out, I felt myself grow closer to you. You can't really blame me, right?" Gabby giggled and blushed, "Not one bit." "Well, now that we have you five out of the way," Rarity said. "It's time for Spike to tell us why he loves us."\ Spike smiled warmly at his other seven best friends turned love interests. He would've been nervous, but telling the CMC, Gabby, and Smolder how he felt about them, as well as listening to what they had to say about him, motivated him to finish what he started. He cleared his throat. "Well," he started. "I've always loved how Rainbow Dash was loyal to me after the dragon migration. She kept checking in on me and even took me to a Wonderbolts show. Twilight, of course, cast a cloud walking spell on me for that one. I told her it was alright, but she was persistent because she felt she owed me after she teased me. I fell in love with her because of her determination to right a wrong no matter what the cost and how she always aims to please a friend if they are down." "Well, thanks kid," Rainbow Dash said. Her usual, somewhat cocky tone was gone. She felt touched. Spike then turned his attention towards Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie," he said. "I love how you're always there to make me laugh or smile and you're always unpredictable, but in a good way. I remember, after the dreadful Sludge incident, you baked me a double-decker cake for my "Make Spike Feel Better" party. I felt truly touched by your gesture of kindness. You claim to bake sweet goodies, but you don't even realize that no matter how many sweets you bake, they will ever be as sweet as you are. I love you because of your joy and sweet personality." Pinkie blushed and then walked up and pecked Spike's forehead, before the lovestruck dragon turned his focus to Applejack. "Applejack," said Spike. "Do you remember when I worked off that life debt I owed you?" Applejack chuckled, "Yeah?" "Well, when I was working of that debt, I thought, "why not try and really get to know more about the Apple Family?", and that's just what I did. I learned how you and Big Mac inherited the farm at a very young age and how you and your brother balanced taking care of the farm with raising Apple Bloom and caring for Granny Smith. In the process of learning your family history, I felt myself grow closer to not just you, but the entire Apple family. You're hard workers and have sweet souls. I do know that, like Pinkie, you make tons of apple pies or other sweets, but they don't come anywhere near being as sweet as you. In addition to me being in love with your hard working and kind attitudes, the southern charm of both you and your sister seemed to hit it off with me really well." Applejack went redder than one of her apples. Apple Bloom, who had awoken shortly before Spike started his little confession to Applejack, fainted again, still blushing heavily. "Uh, is she going to be okay?" Spike asked. "It's alright," assured Applejack. "Bloom's always been like that when she talks about you to Mac, Granny, or me." Spike then looked at Fluttershy, who was blushing heavily and trying to hide her face behind her mane. She walked up to Spike so she could listen to what he had to say. Spike gently brushed her mane away from her face, mentally noting how silky it felt to touch, so he could get a good look at her. "Fluttershy, I knew you and I were going to hit it off the second I met you," Spike chuckled. "I still remember how you scooped me up in your hooves and took me inside your cottage when you first saw me. In the time that I've known you, I've seen you really come out of your shell and show all of us the kind Pegasus you really are. I know you were originally scared of Dragons, but I saw you overcome that fear thanks to me and I began to feel these strange feelings for you shortly after I met you. I realized that I had grown to have a crush on you, but now I was at a crossroads, because, at the time, the only other mare I had a crush on at the time was Rarity. I thought I would've grown out of it because I was younger then. However, I felt my feelings of love for you grow stronger and it was about that time I began to notice my other best friends romantically. I think they were cemented when I was visited by you every day for a week just to make sure I was okay after Sludge left. Your sweet personality and how you always cared for me in my time of need captured my heart like a bee to a freshly-bloomed flower." Fluttershy smiled warmly. She felt truly touched by Spike's confession. She planted a kiss right on his cheek and nuzzled his head lovingly. Leaving him blushing even more than before. Then it was Starlight's turn. "Starlight, you've and I have always had a close relationship. Your knowledge on friendship really has grown right before my eyes and Twilight's eyes. I know sometimes you've had a minor mishap here and there, but you learned so much from it, and you've become a lot more confident in trying to make friends with others, from reconnecting with Sunburst to trying to reform Chrysalis even though she didn't accept your offer. That's something I really admire about someone. I loved how you always were by my side in my time of need, and I did the same to you. I began to notice you romantically after the Sludge incident, when you checked in on me once every hour. You even went to the Dragon Lands to try and find him. I've loved you for your confidence and your ability to take the lead in any situation to help any of us out of a jam." Starlight blushed, giggled, and blew Spike a kiss. Now, it was time for Spike to face his very first love of his life, Rarity. Spike felt his heart pump faster than it had ever had. Even though he had been encouraged by Gabby, the CMC's, and Smolder to finish his confessions to his seven best friends. Spike still felt a bit nervous. "Rarity, I believe you're aware that I've already had a crush on you," he started. Rarity nodded. She walked up to him and wrapped a hoof around him to motivate him to keep going. "Rarity, your generosity for others knows no bounds. I remember having a crush on you from the moment I met you. At first, i just felt like that because of how beautiful you looked, but as time went on, I really didn't care how you looked. I mainly began to love you because of how generous you were to me as well as the others. I felt reborn again every time you gave me a kiss on the cheek." Rarity blushed slightly as Spike continued. "I still remember all the times I helped you with Gem Hunting or Dress Making. It was hard work, but I was motivated to complete it just to see you smile. Your smile or happy expression is the only thing I want out of helping you. Not a few gems that I can eat later, not a kiss for appreciation, as much as I enjoy those. Just seeing you happy is what I desire most. I also want to make clear that you're a very talented mare when it comes to designing dresses or other fancy clothing. I love you because of your generosity and your creative nature." Rarity's blush tone turned from a slight blush tone into a tone that was as red as a rose. "Aww," she said. Before anyone could stop her, the fashionista kissed Spike full on the lips for a solid five seconds. She pulled away so Spike could get to the final pony in line, Twilight Sparkle. "Then there's you, Twilight. You and I have been together since the beginning. You've taken care of me, waited on me hand and foot, and we've become close friends very quickly. In the 13 pony years we've been together, I began to be drawn to your intelligent nature and your determination to please the Princess. You've always considered me not just your assistant, but as your best friend. I've felt the same way towards you, but after the Sludge incident, I noticed you romantically after you comforted me, and you stood by me every step of the way. You even let me cuddle with you in bed every night for a week. You know, come to think of it, I think I started to really fall in love with all of you after that fiasco. I've loved how you always cared about me especially after that incident with Owlowiscious. You and I seemed a lot closer after that and it didn't stop there. Like Rarity, I know I do a lot of hard work for you, but in the end, your happiness is the only reward I want, because I love you, Twilight. That goes the same for the others as well." Twilight felt absolutely touched by her best friend's confession to her. As she processed what he said to her, a switch flipped in the Lilac Alicorn's head. She was unsure, at first, about considering Spike more than a friend. After his confession, however, she began to realize, not just the things she'd done to him, but the things that he had done for her. The other Element Bearers and Starlight seemed to be thinking the exact same thing. How he was always there for them in their time of need, how he always dropped what he was doing to help them with whatever they were doing, and how he was always ensuring that they were all happy, so that he could be stress-free knowing that fact. "Now that I've gotten all those out of the way, there's only one question left. Who gets to be with me? I love you twelve, you twelve love me, but I have to pick one of you and the other eleven will have their hearts broken," Spike sighed. After the twelve girls heard that, they immediately walked toward Spike and wrapped him in an affectionate hug. "Actually, Spike," Twilight began. "That's not the case. When Celestia gave you to me to take care of, she also gave me a book on dragons. As it turns out, your breed of dragon is a rare breed that is known to build a harem of up to 15 girls. If they do build this harem, their instinct to build a hoard, as well as go into a greed-induced growth spurt will disappear." Spike's face lit up. "S-So this means-" he started. "Yes, Spike, it does," Smolder said. They all broke away for a brief second before Starlight spoke up. She had a little something she wanted to say on not just her behalf, but also the behalf of the other eleven girls that stood by her today. "You know," Starlight began. "You've always talked about how we've always been there for you, but you never stop and think about how you've been there for us. You always have put aside your needs or what you're doing to help any of us with the slightest problem we encounter. You've always considered me your friend despite my screw-ups, which you never get mad at me for by the way, you successfully changed Fluttershy's opinion on Dragons, you are always eager to help out a friend if you feel that they need to be repaid when they've done something good to you, you always prove someone wrong when they underestimate you and you don't even gloat about it, and you're eager to clear creatures' names if you believe they have good in them. Not once have you been wrong on that subject, I should add. You also helped Rarity try to woo Trenderhoof despite your own feelings for her and you work yourself to the point of exhaustion with you getting barely, if any, reward from it at all. That, however, ends today." Tears of joy welled up is Spike eyes as his new harem members huddled together around him and wrapped him up in another embrace. He felt calm and at ease in their embrace as he listened to their individual heartbeats. "I love you, girls," he said in a soft tone. "We love you too, Spike," all twelve girls responded simultaneously. Yes, life, it seemed, was only going to get better from here on out. Chapter V: Coming HomeSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter I: PrologueFriendship Castle, Map Room. July 2, 2019, 12:30 P.M. "Another one," Twilight grumbled as she threw the envelope on the table. The thing she was referring to was one of the many love letters she had been receiving over the last three months. It wasn't just her either. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Starlight Glimmer, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Smolder, and even Gabby had gotten all kinds of love letters and love poems from an unknown person proclaiming how much they loved all of them. Occasionally, they were all given small gifts such as a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates or, in Smolder's case, a pile of her favorite gemstones. Don't get them wrong, they were flattered at the kind gestures, but it was getting a little annoying getting something from someone who refused to reveal themselves. The return address on all the love letters, poems, and/or gifts was either bogus or was missing entirely, so none of them could have any idea where they came from. Spike walked into the map room and saw the letter on the table. "Again?" he groaned. "This is getting out of hand. Doesn't this dude or girl have anything better to do for their time?" Then the other Element Bearers and Starlight Glimmer walked in, and they threw their envelopes on the table. "I really wish we knew who keeps doing this," Starlight said. "At some they have to reveal themselves and the reasons why they like us all so much." "Quite right, dear," Rarity agreed. "Don't they know that I've already got an admirer?" She looked at Spike and batted her eyelashes making the little Dragon blush furiously. "Besides," Rarity continued. "They can't stay anonymous forever." "I-I'm quite flattered, that someone would go this far to say that they like me so much," Fluttershy said, her face also blushing bright red. Rainbow Dash smirked. She had an idea. "Hey, you girls thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked. "Ooh, is it playing, "I spy with my little eye"?" Pinkie asked. Rainbow facehoofed. "No, it's--" "Ooh, is it "guess what Dashie's thinking"? I'll go first. Um, you're thinking about trying to make this secret admirer reveal themselves," Pinkie guessed. Rainbow went from annoyed to shocked. "H-How...d-did--," she sputtered. "Silly, my Pinkie Sense was tingling, and it told me that you wanted to know who the secret admirer was so you could finally return the favor to them," Pinkie said as if it was normal that she could read minds. "That's Pinkie for you," Applejack smiled. "Unpredictable, but still lovable." "Yep," Pinkie chirped, popping out of nowhere behind Applejack. Applejack yelped out in surprise before chuckling. Everyone else got a little chuckle out of Pinkie being Pinkie. "Anyway, getting back on track here," Rainbow said. "I want whoever keeps doing this revealed so we can get to the bottom of why they're all so infatuated with us, and maybe we can take them on a date or two with all of us. It's not just the seven of us, either. Scootaloo is also talking to me about how she keeps getting love letters and gifts as well. The gifts are usually her favorite snacks or candy. She's flattered someone would do this to show that they love her, but she, as well as the other Crusaders, have their eyes on someone else." "Sweetie Belle was also talking about getting the same things, Rainbow," Rarity said. "Same with Apple Bloom," Applejack added. "Smolder came to me with the same topic just yesterday," Twilight added. "She said that although she's flattered as well with all the kind words, she already has her eyes set on someone else too, but she didn't say who it was." "My pen-pal Gabby has also written me saying how she's gotten love letters similar to yours," Spike put in. Starlight pondered the new details in the secret admirer fiasco for a second before speaking up. "You don't think that they're connected to our love letters, do you?" she wondered. "U-Um, it could be," Fluttershy answered in her usual meek tone. "Personally, I don't mind my love letters and gifts, but I do want to reveal whoever keeps doing this so Sweetie can find out who her anonymous lover is," Rarity said. "Same here," Applejack and Rainbow Dash said simultaneously. "Well, that settles it," Twilight announced. "We're going to unmask this admirer and we're going to get to the bottom of this. Who's with me?" Everyone else raised their hooves. "Ooooh!" Pinkie squealed. "This is gonna be the most exciting mystery we've ever solved!" Twilight turned to Spike. "Spike, would you like to help out, too?" she asked. "Uh, thanks for the offer, Twilight, but I'm going to have to pass on that one," Spike replied. He fidgeted slightly and looked a bit nervous. "I offered to help the Cakes with the twins today and I need to be at Sugarcube Corner in an hour." For the past couple of months, Spike had offered to help many ponies around Canterlot in exchange for bits. He had managed to gain quite a pile of money from it. "Oh, okay," Twilight said. The others and she took notice of Spike's behavior, but decided to ignore it. She turned to her friends. "So, any ideas?" "We could maybe ask around town and see if anyone saw this mysterious lovesick creature and we could get a physical description of them," Starlight suggested. "That's a great idea, Starlight," Twilight said. "Why don't we try that?" "I'll go asking around town. After all, I am the fastest flyer in all of Equestria," Rainbow Dash boasted. "I can go through the whole town of Ponyville in ten seconds flat. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but still, I can be pretty fast about asking everyone if they've seen anything relating to this mysterious creature." "Alright," Applejack said. "Come to us immediately if you've found anything." "You can count on me, Applejack," Rainbow Dash said. With that said, Rainbow Dash turned to the door, bolted down the hallway and flew out the door.
Chapter II: Rainbow's Discovery/Stunning RevelationsRainbow Dash was out the door in a flash and soon, she was in the air looking around for any place where someone might want to blend in. Unfortunately, every place that she thought she had a good lead turned up empty. That was until she walked into a small shop on the other side of Ponyville. She was originally looking for a small snack before heading back outside, but something caught her eye. Towards the back of the store, there was a shelf of envelopes with letters inside them. She wouldn't have paid it much attention if it weren't for the fact that most of the envelopes closely resembled, if not were an identical match with, the envelopes and letters that her friends and she kept getting. She immediately went to the front of the store to explain to the clerk what the situation was. "Excuse me," she said. "Listen, I don't know if you're aware or not, but my friends and I have gotten anonymous love letters for the past three months now and your envelopes closely resemble or identically match with the ones with the ones you sell here. We decided to finally take action and finally track them down. Did you, by chance, see someone walk in here and purchase a bunch of these envelopes?" "As a matter a fact I did," the clerk said. "He came by my store yesterday." "What did he look like?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Well, he was a rather short fellow, but he did have the ability to fly. He wore a tan trench coat, a grey hat, and red-rimmed sunglasses," the clerk relayed. "He actually comes by my store to pick up the same envelopes. He also gets several bouquets of roses and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. He's very polite and kind, but at the same time is quiet and tries to blend in with his surroundings. He usually comes by once a week." Rainbow Dash pondered the new information for a minute. Although she was glad that she now had new information on the physical description of the admirer, she didn't know anyone dressed like that. "Oh, okay. Thanks for the information," Rainbow Dash said. "You're welcome," the clerk responded. With that, Rainbow walked back outside, after purchasing a snack of course as it was what she originally came in there to get and flew back to the castle to notify the others of the new info. *** Rainbow flew through the air as fast as her wings would let her. She almost did a sonic rainboom twice on the way back. She blew through the door, panting and out of breath. She took a quick look at the clock on the wall. It was now nearing 3:00 P.M. Twilight and the others came out to see what the noise was, and they saw Rainbow Dash catching her breath in the hallway. Smolder, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Gabby had also stopped by too so they could hear if Rainbow had any new information. They took her inside and sat her down and gave her a glass of water so she could regain her ability to talk a bit quicker. At last, she was ready to share the new information with the others. "How'd it go, Rainbow?" Starlight inquired. "It was mostly uneventful, until I walked into a shop, and I saw that the store was selling the same kind of envelopes and letters that we've been getting," Rainbow explained. "I went to the clerk and explained to him what the situation was, and he told me that someone usually stops by there to pick up cards and occasionally gifts for all of us. When I asked him what the creature looked like, he told me that it was a boy, but couldn't tell what species he was because of what he always wore when he came in there. The clerk claimed that the dude was short but had the ability to fly. He wore a tan trench coat, a grey top hat, and red-rimmed sunglasses. The clerk also said that he stops in there once a week. The last time he stopped by there was yesterday." The other 11 girls thought about the new information. Like Rainbow, they too had never seen someone who fit the description she relayed. "We don't know anyone who looks like that," Applejack said. "Yeah," Smolder agreed. "At least now, however, we know where he hangs out. Maybe I'll swing by there and catch him in the act and tell him I'm not interested in him because I have my eyes set on another Dragon." "The girls and I also have our eyes set on someone, too," Apple Bloom said. "Same here," Gabby announced. "I have my eyes set on Spike." Almost immediately afterward, Gabby covered her beak and blushed a deep red. She hadn't meant to say that. "WHAT?!!" came the shocked replies of Smolder and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Oh," Gabby said, grinning sheepishly. "Did I say that out loud?" "Yeah," Smolder said sternly, her cheeks wearing a light blush. "You did." Gabby noticed Smolder's blush and then noticed the light blush on her fellow crusaders' faces and, slowly but surely, began to put two and two together. "Wait, you four have a crush on Spike too?" she asked. The Cutie Mark Crusaders sighed in unison. There wasn't any point in lying to their friend. "Yes," Sweetie said. Smolder, however, wasn't so quick to admit it. Her blush deepened and she looked away. "U-Uh, I-I don't have a crush on Spike. I-I have no clue what you're talking about," she stammered. "Smolder," Gabby said, knowing full well she was lying. Smolder let out a defeated sigh. "Alright, you got me," she said. "Can you really blame me, though? The kid's a pure sweetheart." "Well, let's hear why," Gabby said. "I won't say anything to anyone else, I promise." "You can count on us," Starlight added. Smolder went first. "Well, I started having feelings for Spike after he helped reform my brother, Garble. Whenever I was around him after that, I always felt my face slightly heating up, my heart would always start to pump faster, and all I wanted to do with him was hug him and never let go. He's such a kind and sweet boy who'd do anything to please you. I fell in love with him because of his kindness," Smolder explained. Her little confession made her think of Spike, and she wore a dreamy expression and let out a heavenly sigh. Apple Bloom went up next. "He's stuck up for not just me, but Sweetie and Scoots as well, when someone was bullyin' us, he's helped all three of us with over three dozen talents to try and get our cutie marks and lifted our spirits when we didn't succeed, and, this is the icing on the cake by the way, I'd say the best thing he did for me was when he spent his day off from work with me at Sweet Apple Acres because I had a cold. I remember explicitly being put to sleep by a lullaby he sang for me. He didn't even ask for anything in return. So, like Smolder, we also fell in love for him because of his kindness," Apple Bloom said. Sweetie and Scootaloo nodded in agreement. "What about you, Gabby?" Sweetie Belle asked. "We never heard your reasons for liking Spike." Gabby smiled and blushed. Just the mention of Spike's name made her feel warm and fuzzy both inside and out. "Well, when we first became pen-pals, I had a boyfriend named Rocky. He acted charming and laid-back when I was around, but behind my back, I found out that he was arrogant, lazy, and rude. Then, one time, I came home to find Rocky kissing another Griffon girl. I had never felt so betrayed and heart-broken in all my life. Then to top it all off, he had the gall to say it was my fault he cheated on me because I wasn't good enough for him. I kicked him out of my house and wrote Spike the next morning to tell him about what happened. He came over to Griffonstone to see me no later than three hours after I sent that letter to him. He told me to forget about Rocky and that there are plenty of guys out there who'd be more than grateful to be with me. He helped me find my way back to my normally cheerful self in less than a week," Gabby explained. "I began to have strange feelings for him after that. At first, I didn't know what to do about it, but then I realized that it was love. Like the four of you, I too had fallen in love with him because of his kindness and empathy." "That just leaves one question: Who gets him?" Smolder said. "We all like him for the same reason and we all know our feelings for him aren't going away that easy." After hearing this, Twilight spoke up. "Actually," Twilight spoke up. "After I got Spike, Celestia gave me a book about Dragons and how to care for them. In the book, there's a chapter about the love lives of Spike's breed of Dragons. Hang on a minute, I'll go get it." She left the room for a few minutes then returned with a large, thick, brown book that had cursive italicized letters on the front cover that read, "ALL ABOUT DRAGONS". Twilight flipped through the pages until she found the chapter she was looking for. "Alright," she said. "It says here that Spike is a very rare breed of dragon that is known to have multiple mates, up to 15 of them. If Spike's breed of Dragons does build a harem, their instinct to build a hoard and go into a greed-induced growth spurt will be gone. It also mentions that this particular breed is rather gentler and kinder than most breeds of Dragons." Smolder, the CMC's, and Gabby all cheered. It seemed that they could be together with Spike after all. Presently, the front door to the castle opened and in stepped none other than Spike, who was tired and ready for a nap. Babysitting the Cake Twins was a real hassle, but for the extra bits, it was worth it. Immediately, the five lovestruck girls ceased their cheering to avoid Spike catching on to what they were doing. Twilight hid the book just as Spike walked past. He stopped and turned to face them. "Hey, girls," he mumbled. "How'd the search go, Rainbow?" "It went great, Spike," Rainbow Dash. "I didn't find the culprit, but I did find out where he's getting his supplies from. I also know what he's wearing now too. Now, all we have to do is catch him in the act and we can finally confront him." "Sweet," Spike said. "I'm glad you finally got a break, Rainbow Dash. I wish you the best of luck in finding him. I'm headed upstairs for a nap. Trying to put the Cake Twins to sleep was almost impossible and tired me out. Wake me for dinner." With that said, Spike walked upstairs and into his room. Meanwhile, Twilight and the others began to cook up a plan to catch the secret admirer. "Okay, so what's our plan?" Applejack asked. "Well, since he stopped by the store yesterday, we've got another six days before he goes back there again. That's when we'll strike," Rainbow Dash said. So, it was arranged. With the plan in place, Twilight, the other Element Bearers, the CMC, Starlight, Gabby, and Smolder could only wait in anticipation for the day they could confront and finally unmask this mysterious admirer. Yes, one way or another, they'd catch this lovestruck creature and he'd have to fess up to them about why he kept doing this.
Chapter III: The Day Of The PlanJuly 9, 2019, Outside the Letter Shop, 9:30 A.M. This was the day that everyone looked forward to. The day that they'd finally be able to catch the secret admirer in the act. Spike didn't want to come, he said he didn't feel like going out today. Currently, Twilight, the other Element Bearers, Starlight, the CMC, Smolder, and Gabby had all taken up positions in nearby trees and bushes. They had the letter shop completely surrounded and were now lying on wait for the admirer to show up. They were only waiting for about 15 minutes when a small figure wearing a tan trench coat, a grey top hat, and red-rimmed sunglasses came strolling up the path with a small backpack. He looked like he didn't want to be spotted and didn't seem to notice the twelve pairs of eyeballs watching his every move. He walked into the store, was in there for about ten minutes before coming back out again with his backpack full of new envelopes and gifts. The second they heard the bell to the front door ding and saw the admirer step outside again, the dozen girls were ready to strike. "Now!" Twilight shouted. Everyone jumped out of their hiding spots and rushed to surround the admirer. At long last, it seemed they'd finally caught their man...or so they thought. The second he heard Twilight shout, the admirer took of flying, which successfully made him lose seven of his twelve pursuers in the first ten seconds. Twilight, Smolder, Gabby, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, however were a different story. Although they had forgotten to cover the air, that didn't mean they were going to give up right away. They flew after the admirer and the chase was on. The three ponies, Dragon, and Griffon flew as fast as they could, but no matter how hard they flew, they couldn't close the gap. It didn't help that every now and again, the admirer would make a sharp turn unexpectedly and he'd widen the gap just a little bit. After 15 minutes of flying non-stop, Fluttershy grew tired and couldn't go on. After another five minutes of flying, Gabby and Twilight both hit their limit and had to land. Now only Rainbow Dash and Smolder remained. The admirer was growing tired, and the Dragon and Pegasus were now slowly closing the gap between them. Right when it seemed like they had him, however, the admirer took a sharp turn upwards and was now flying towards the thick clouds and the two tomboyish girls didn't expect his move. By the time they had put two and two together, the admirer had managed to fly into clouds and had disappeared from sight. "Augh," Rainbow Dash groaned. "Why did the weather patrol have to make it cloudy today?" Having lost sight of their target, Smolder and Rainbow Dash had no other choice but to head back to where the others were. Twilight, Gabby, and Fluttershy were already back with the other seven girls. By now, the two ponies and griffon had managed to catch their breath and had regained the ability to speak again. "What happened?" asked Twilight. "He got away," Smolder replied. "He made a sharp turn upward toward the clouds and took us both by surprise. He flew into the clouds, and we lost sight of him." Disappointed groans echoed throughout the street. "You gotta be kidding," Starlight complained. "Now we have to try again in another week?" "It would appear so," Twilight sighed. "Maybe we'll get them next time." "Yeah," Gabby added. "It's not like we'll not have another chance to catch him." "You're right," Smolder replied. "We'll get 'em next time." With nothing left to do or say, the twelve girls headed back home. Little did they know, however, that their chance to unmask the admirer would come much sooner than they expected. Friendship Castle, 8:48 P.M. Twilight let out a yawn as she headed from her bathroom to her bed. Ordinarily, she'd usually be in bed after 10:00 P.M., but all the hard flying that she did today really wore her out. She was looking forward to falling asleep and pushing all her fatigue away, and she did just that. 10:51 P.M. Twilight was abruptly awoken by the sound of a loud crash. The crash came from a wooden coat rack hitting the floor. She sat up and looked around, only to see an envelope hit the floor and the front door to the bedroom slam shut. She instantly noticed that it was an envelope that resembled that of the numerous love letters that she was getting. There was also a heart-shaped box of chocolates spilled on the floor as well. The Lavender Alicorn's fatigue disappeared in less than a second and she immediately jumped out of bed and gave chase. The admirer had escaped them once, but he wasn't going to escape them twice. The crash was loud enough that it woke up the other five Element Bearers and Starlight and they walked into the large hallway to see a small figure whizz by them, followed closely by Twilight. "That's the admirer!" Twilight shouted to the others. "He's not escaping us this time!" Like Twilight, the fatigue of the other six ponies disappeared instantly as well. They jumped up and joined Twilight in pursuing the admirer. No matter how much he hoped or tried, he wasn't going to slip by them this time. Presently, they approached the staircase that led to the entry way of the castle. If the admirer got out those doors, he was home free. Near the staircase on the upper lever was a small area rug. What the admirer, nor did the ponies, realize was the carpet wasn't perfectly flat because they couldn't see in the dark. The admirer tripped on a large hump in the uneven rug, was sent airborne, and tumbled down the staircase. The ponies could've sworn they heard a faint crack as the admirer took his tumble. Their demeanor changed from determined to catch the admirer, to being worried for his safety. They hadn't meant for that to happen. "Starlight, find the light switch," Twilight ordered. "Girls, you're going to follow me and were going to check on the admirer." The Element Bearers ran down the stairs and approached the downed creature. He was clutching his right leg and he sounded like he was quietly crying. They were no more than five feet away from him when Starlight found the light switch and the whole place lit up. In the process, the seven ponies could now have a good look at who the admirer finally was. The Element Bearers and Starlight all gasped when they realized who he finally was. Author's Note Cliffhangers. Dont'cha hate 'em? Don't worry next chapter won't be a long wait.
Chapter IV: Finally Revealed/Coming CleanAuthor's Note I'm not really good when it comes to these little confessions, but, like the funeral speeches, I gave it my best shot. Please enjoy. Next and final chapter coming April 16th. Chapter IV: Finally Revealed/Coming Clean "SPIKE?!" The Element Bearers and Starlight said simultaneously. "You're the admirer?!" Rarity asked. Spike was in unimaginable pain. His right leg hurt like no tomorrow and his right wing wasn't as mobile as it was before. No doubt in his mind that he sprained, if not broke, them both. "Ugh, yes, girls. You caught me," Spike groaned. "I'm the admirer." The Element Bearers knew now wasn't the time to ask questions. They helped Spike out of his coat and called for help. Spike was loaded onto a stretcher and taken to a hospital. The seven ponies made it their goal to see him first thing in the morning. Ponyville Hospital, JULY 10, 2019 8:11 A.M. Spending the night at the hospital wasn't a whole lot of fun for Spike. The bed was uncomfortable, so he didn't get a good night's sleep. The searing pain in his leg and wing wasn't helping him much either. Then, he was woken up at 7:00 A.M. for those annoying hospital tests and so the doctors could X-ray his wing and leg. Now, the tests were done, and Spike was sitting in bed with his leg and wing now wrapped in a bandage. His bed sat next to a window which gave him a clear view of the Friendship Castle. He let out a sad sigh and tears welled up in his eyes. "The girls probably hate me now," he said to himself and began to cry silently. Meanwhile The second the seven ponies' alarm clocks went off, they were up like rockets. They had never been so quick to get out of bed before. They managed to freshen up and be out the door in about 15 minutes. The trip took another ten minutes, so they had to spend 25 grueling minutes trying to get to their Spike. Wait, their Spike? Why were they thinking that? They couldn't be falling for him, could they? No. No, it couldn't be that. Could it? The second they heard about Spike being the admirer, Smolder, Gabby and the CMC became very excited. They did feel extremely bad he got injured, but were happy because they now knew that Spike felt the same way towards them as they did towards him. HOSPITAL LOBBY, 8:11 A.M. At long last the twelve girls were in the hospital. "Hello, girls," the nurse said. "Who are you here to see?" "His name is Spike," replied Twilight. "He's a small, purple Dragon with green eyes." "Ah, I know who you're referring to," the nurse said. "Follow me." As they were nearing Spike's room, they could hear what sounded like quiet crying. Then, they heard six words that shocked them to their core. "The girls probably hate me now." That sentence coupled with hearing Spike crying made Smolder, Gabby, and the CMC's hearts break into a thousand pieces. They knew they needed to set things straight as soon as possible. The boy they loved was in despair, and after all the times he had helped them out of their funks, they felt it was high time to return the favor. The Element Bearers and Starlight also felt a pain in their chests listening to their Spike cry. Wait, what? It happened again. Why did they keep thinking of him like that? It couldn't be love, right? Sure, Spike was their friend. Yes, he was always such a kind, sweet, loving, and overall caring soul. Not to mention he seemed to always help them out of a jam, and he was so eager to help out no matter what he was doing. Was this how Smolder, Gabby, and the CMC's felt about Spike? Did they really love him this much? It must be for them, but that couldn't be the case for the Element Bearers and Starlight. Could it? They walked into the room to see Spike sitting on the bed, wiping fresh tears out of his eyes as he silently cried. He didn't seem to notice them come in. The nurse cleared her throat and got the crying Spike's attention. "Good morning, dear," the nurse said. "You have visitors." She left the room and left the teary-eyed Dragon alone with his love interests. Spike let out a sniffle. "I know," he sighed. "You all probably hate me now for putting you through this, and I understand." "Spike, we don't hate you for this," Twilight said. Spike's demeanor changed from sad to surprised. "Wait, what?" Spike asked. "But what about all those letters I sent to all of you, and it irritated you all to no end? Then, when I heard about Smolder and the Cutie Mark Crusaders had their own love interests. I internally felt bad for pestering them so much even though they had no interest in me." Smolder was next to speak. She walked up to Spike, took his hand, and looked her crush right in his eyes. Her sky-blue irises making contact with his emerald irises. She felt warm touching his hand with hers. "Actually, Spike, there's something that I, as well as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, need to tell you," Smolder said. "The person who we've had our eyes on..." Smolder paused for a moment to let Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo walk up. Now, all four girls were facing their love interest, and they felt like fainting. "...is you," they finished together. Spike was even more shocked. Gabby also moved up to join the other four girls. "I also have to admit that I, too, love you, Spike," she confessed "What? But, why me?" he asked. "Do you remember the time you helped my brother, Garble?" Smolder asked. "Yeah?" Spike said unsure of where this was headed. "Well," she continued "After you reformed him, I began to feel strange around you. My heart would always start to pump faster, and all I wanted to do with you was wrap you in a tight hug and never let go. You're just an overall kind and sweet boy who'd do anything to please anyone. I fell in love with you because of your kindness and big heart." Spike blushed red and smiled. Up next was Apple Bloom. She was speaking one again on not just her behalf, but also Sweetie and Scootaloo's behalf as well. "You've always been there to help not just me, but Sweetie and Scoots as well, out of a jam. You've helped all three of us with trying out over forty talents in hopes of finding our Cutie Marks, you've stood up to those who've bullied us, and then there was the time you took care of me when I had a cold on your day off and you didn't even ask for anything in return. It was when I woke up the next morning feeling almost completely better that I began to feel something strange when I thought about you. When I asked Big Mac about it, he told me it was love. It was, like Smolder, your big heart and kind soul that gave my friends and I a crush on you." she confessed. "Actually," Sweetie added. "If I'm being honest here, I had a crush on Spike since I first laid eyes on him." "I started having feelings for Spike once I really got to know him," Scootaloo said. "He's always made me laugh or brightened my day when I was feeling a bit down." Spike's blush deepened. Gabby went up next. "Do you remember that dreadful brute, Rocky?" she asked Spike's blush disappeared. "Please don't remind me of that idiot," he groaned. "Well, after you helped me out of my slump, I too started having feelings for you. I was so excited whenever we hung out together. It didn't matter what we did, I just wanted to be with you." Gabby confessed. Spike's blush returned and it grew ten times deeper when all five girls suddenly surrounded him and smothered his face and the top of his head with kisses. "You have no clue how long I've been wanting to do that to you," Smolder said as she stroked Spike's cheek and gave him a seductive look. Spike smiled. "You know, Smolder, I think what I like most about you is how much you've grown and become such an open and inviting soul. I'm not going to lie when you're happy around me I feel happy too," Spike smiled. "You've also shown me that Garble's not the only one who can act like a burnt marshmallow. You did act a bit smoky when you first came here, but you very quickly revealed your sweet side and I wouldn't change a thing about you." Smolder chuckled and blushed. "Aww," she said. "Thanks, Spike." Spike then turned his attention toward the CMC and Gabby. "Then, there's you three," Spike smiled. "You girls have determination that I've never seen in anyone to find your purpose in the world. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, you've really matured right before my eyes even before you got your cutie marks. You're always so eager to complete a task even before you start to complete it. I admire that a lot about someone. If I were to have to pick one of you to be with, I couldn't leave the other two out. You're all perfect and, like Smolder, I wouldn't change a thing about you." The Cutie Mark Crusaders all blushed heavily before fainting from their crush telling them exactly how they felt about them. Spike then turned his attention to Gabby. "Gabby, when it comes to being cheerful, you've clearly taken tips from the always loveable Pinkie Pie." Pinkie blushed and giggled. She was starting to embrace these newfound feelings for Spike. "Like Pinkie," Spike continued. "You always know how to brighten someone's day. You're sweet, loving, and, quite frankly, the coolest Griffon I've met. Yes, I too didn't care what activities we did together. I just wanted to be with you. As we hung out, I felt myself grow closer to you. You can't really blame me, right?" Gabby giggled and blushed, "Not one bit." "Well, now that we have you five out of the way," Rarity said. "It's time for Spike to tell us why he loves us."\ Spike smiled warmly at his other seven best friends turned love interests. He would've been nervous, but telling the CMC, Gabby, and Smolder how he felt about them, as well as listening to what they had to say about him, motivated him to finish what he started. He cleared his throat. "Well," he started. "I've always loved how Rainbow Dash was loyal to me after the dragon migration. She kept checking in on me and even took me to a Wonderbolts show. Twilight, of course, cast a cloud walking spell on me for that one. I told her it was alright, but she was persistent because she felt she owed me after she teased me. I fell in love with her because of her determination to right a wrong no matter what the cost and how she always aims to please a friend if they are down." "Well, thanks kid," Rainbow Dash said. Her usual, somewhat cocky tone was gone. She felt touched. Spike then turned his attention towards Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie," he said. "I love how you're always there to make me laugh or smile and you're always unpredictable, but in a good way. I remember, after the dreadful Sludge incident, you baked me a double-decker cake for my "Make Spike Feel Better" party. I felt truly touched by your gesture of kindness. You claim to bake sweet goodies, but you don't even realize that no matter how many sweets you bake, they will ever be as sweet as you are. I love you because of your joy and sweet personality." Pinkie blushed and then walked up and pecked Spike's forehead, before the lovestruck dragon turned his focus to Applejack. "Applejack," said Spike. "Do you remember when I worked off that life debt I owed you?" Applejack chuckled, "Yeah?" "Well, when I was working of that debt, I thought, "why not try and really get to know more about the Apple Family?", and that's just what I did. I learned how you and Big Mac inherited the farm at a very young age and how you and your brother balanced taking care of the farm with raising Apple Bloom and caring for Granny Smith. In the process of learning your family history, I felt myself grow closer to not just you, but the entire Apple family. You're hard workers and have sweet souls. I do know that, like Pinkie, you make tons of apple pies or other sweets, but they don't come anywhere near being as sweet as you. In addition to me being in love with your hard working and kind attitudes, the southern charm of both you and your sister seemed to hit it off with me really well." Applejack went redder than one of her apples. Apple Bloom, who had awoken shortly before Spike started his little confession to Applejack, fainted again, still blushing heavily. "Uh, is she going to be okay?" Spike asked. "It's alright," assured Applejack. "Bloom's always been like that when she talks about you to Mac, Granny, or me." Spike then looked at Fluttershy, who was blushing heavily and trying to hide her face behind her mane. She walked up to Spike so she could listen to what he had to say. Spike gently brushed her mane away from her face, mentally noting how silky it felt to touch, so he could get a good look at her. "Fluttershy, I knew you and I were going to hit it off the second I met you," Spike chuckled. "I still remember how you scooped me up in your hooves and took me inside your cottage when you first saw me. In the time that I've known you, I've seen you really come out of your shell and show all of us the kind Pegasus you really are. I know you were originally scared of Dragons, but I saw you overcome that fear thanks to me and I began to feel these strange feelings for you shortly after I met you. I realized that I had grown to have a crush on you, but now I was at a crossroads, because, at the time, the only other mare I had a crush on at the time was Rarity. I thought I would've grown out of it because I was younger then. However, I felt my feelings of love for you grow stronger and it was about that time I began to notice my other best friends romantically. I think they were cemented when I was visited by you every day for a week just to make sure I was okay after Sludge left. Your sweet personality and how you always cared for me in my time of need captured my heart like a bee to a freshly-bloomed flower." Fluttershy smiled warmly. She felt truly touched by Spike's confession. She planted a kiss right on his cheek and nuzzled his head lovingly. Leaving him blushing even more than before. Then it was Starlight's turn. "Starlight, you've and I have always had a close relationship. Your knowledge on friendship really has grown right before my eyes and Twilight's eyes. I know sometimes you've had a minor mishap here and there, but you learned so much from it, and you've become a lot more confident in trying to make friends with others, from reconnecting with Sunburst to trying to reform Chrysalis even though she didn't accept your offer. That's something I really admire about someone. I loved how you always were by my side in my time of need, and I did the same to you. I began to notice you romantically after the Sludge incident, when you checked in on me once every hour. You even went to the Dragon Lands to try and find him. I've loved you for your confidence and your ability to take the lead in any situation to help any of us out of a jam." Starlight blushed, giggled, and blew Spike a kiss. Now, it was time for Spike to face his very first love of his life, Rarity. Spike felt his heart pump faster than it had ever had. Even though he had been encouraged by Gabby, the CMC's, and Smolder to finish his confessions to his seven best friends. Spike still felt a bit nervous. "Rarity, I believe you're aware that I've already had a crush on you," he started. Rarity nodded. She walked up to him and wrapped a hoof around him to motivate him to keep going. "Rarity, your generosity for others knows no bounds. I remember having a crush on you from the moment I met you. At first, i just felt like that because of how beautiful you looked, but as time went on, I really didn't care how you looked. I mainly began to love you because of how generous you were to me as well as the others. I felt reborn again every time you gave me a kiss on the cheek." Rarity blushed slightly as Spike continued. "I still remember all the times I helped you with Gem Hunting or Dress Making. It was hard work, but I was motivated to complete it just to see you smile. Your smile or happy expression is the only thing I want out of helping you. Not a few gems that I can eat later, not a kiss for appreciation, as much as I enjoy those. Just seeing you happy is what I desire most. I also want to make clear that you're a very talented mare when it comes to designing dresses or other fancy clothing. I love you because of your generosity and your creative nature." Rarity's blush tone turned from a slight blush tone into a tone that was as red as a rose. "Aww," she said. Before anyone could stop her, the fashionista kissed Spike full on the lips for a solid five seconds. She pulled away so Spike could get to the final pony in line, Twilight Sparkle. "Then there's you, Twilight. You and I have been together since the beginning. You've taken care of me, waited on me hand and foot, and we've become close friends very quickly. In the 13 pony years we've been together, I began to be drawn to your intelligent nature and your determination to please the Princess. You've always considered me not just your assistant, but as your best friend. I've felt the same way towards you, but after the Sludge incident, I noticed you romantically after you comforted me, and you stood by me every step of the way. You even let me cuddle with you in bed every night for a week. You know, come to think of it, I think I started to really fall in love with all of you after that fiasco. I've loved how you always cared about me especially after that incident with Owlowiscious. You and I seemed a lot closer after that and it didn't stop there. Like Rarity, I know I do a lot of hard work for you, but in the end, your happiness is the only reward I want, because I love you, Twilight. That goes the same for the others as well." Twilight felt absolutely touched by her best friend's confession to her. As she processed what he said to her, a switch flipped in the Lilac Alicorn's head. She was unsure, at first, about considering Spike more than a friend. After his confession, however, she began to realize, not just the things she'd done to him, but the things that he had done for her. The other Element Bearers and Starlight seemed to be thinking the exact same thing. How he was always there for them in their time of need, how he always dropped what he was doing to help them with whatever they were doing, and how he was always ensuring that they were all happy, so that he could be stress-free knowing that fact. "Now that I've gotten all those out of the way, there's only one question left. Who gets to be with me? I love you twelve, you twelve love me, but I have to pick one of you and the other eleven will have their hearts broken," Spike sighed. After the twelve girls heard that, they immediately walked toward Spike and wrapped him in an affectionate hug. "Actually, Spike," Twilight began. "That's not the case. When Celestia gave you to me to take care of, she also gave me a book on dragons. As it turns out, your breed of dragon is a rare breed that is known to build a harem of up to 15 girls. If they do build this harem, their instinct to build a hoard, as well as go into a greed-induced growth spurt will disappear." Spike's face lit up. "S-So this means-" he started. "Yes, Spike, it does," Smolder said. They all broke away for a brief second before Starlight spoke up. She had a little something she wanted to say on not just her behalf, but also the behalf of the other eleven girls that stood by her today. "You know," Starlight began. "You've always talked about how we've always been there for you, but you never stop and think about how you've been there for us. You always have put aside your needs or what you're doing to help any of us with the slightest problem we encounter. You've always considered me your friend despite my screw-ups, which you never get mad at me for by the way, you successfully changed Fluttershy's opinion on Dragons, you are always eager to help out a friend if you feel that they need to be repaid when they've done something good to you, you always prove someone wrong when they underestimate you and you don't even gloat about it, and you're eager to clear creatures' names if you believe they have good in them. Not once have you been wrong on that subject, I should add. You also helped Rarity try to woo Trenderhoof despite your own feelings for her and you work yourself to the point of exhaustion with you getting barely, if any, reward from it at all. That, however, ends today." Tears of joy welled up is Spike eyes as his new harem members huddled together around him and wrapped him up in another embrace. He felt calm and at ease in their embrace as he listened to their individual heartbeats. "I love you, girls," he said in a soft tone. "We love you too, Spike," all twelve girls responded simultaneously. Yes, life, it seemed, was only going to get better from here on out.
Chapter V: Coming HomeSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
