How to Talk to Mares

"Spike, could you be a dear and get me the box of jewels over there?"

"Sure thing Rarity!"

"And please don’t eat any. I can’t afford to spend time going out to get more."

"Don’t worry, I won’t!" The purple dragon grabbed a chair and reached for a shelf that had the jewels Rarity pointed out.

Spike quickly ran over to Rarity and handed her the box, trying his best to resist eating one. He skipped breakfast to help the fashionista. A small price to pay to spend the day with Rarity, even if it meant doing backbreaking work. Spike had been helping Rarity out for quite a long time, hoping it would help win the affection of the beautiful mare. He’d also give her gifts, like a ruby he prepared for himself. Spike would do anything for her.

"Thank you dear. Now let’s see. I’ll need three emeralds, some rubies… Oh these pearls are absolutely magnificent! Don’t you agree Spike?"

"Uh huh. They’d look wonderful on you." Spike replied, hearts forming in his eyes.

"Yes, yes. Too bad it’s not for me. Now I’ll need some more topaz… There we are! Let’s see, what else? Hmm… It needs some more blac-" The white mare gasped. "Oh no! This is terrible, absolutely terrible!"

"What is it?" Spike ran to her as fast as he could.

"I’m all out of black fabric! I swear I had at least half a roll left this morning. Not only that, but my green and red fabrics have disappeared as well! I don’t have time to spend getting more fabrics, and with no more black, green, or red, I won’t be able to finish the orders by tonight! Those ponies expected their outfits to be finished first thing in the morning. Oh they relied on me to make them suitable attire for that party in Canterlot tomorrow night. Now what am I going to do?" Rarity wailed.

"Don't worry. I can get it for you!" Spike said.

"Oh thank you so much! What would I ever do without you, my little Spikey-Wikey?" Rarity raised Spike’s chin up with her hoof, making him blush red as a tomato.

"It’s no big deal. So what do you need?" Spike took out a parchment and a quill.

"Let’s see, I’ll need another roll of black, red, and green fabric. Let me get some bits for you." Rarity began to walk up her stairs.

"Okay, I’ll just wait here." Spike called. He sat in silence as he waited for Rarity to get him the bits for the fabrics. Spike heard the front door open.

"Oh, hey Spike!"

He turned around to see who greeted him. "Huh? Oh, hey Sweetie Belle! What’s up?" Spike greeted the crusader.

"Not much. Just came back from some crusading."

"Oh cool. What’d you guys do?" He asked.

"We tried… getting our cutie marks in …designing clothes." She said staring at the ground.

"Wait, what? Is that what happened to Rarity’s fabrics?" The baby dragon asked.

"Yeah…" She moved her hoof along the floor.

"But I thought you already tried that by making you, Applebloom, and Scootaloo costumes."

"I know, but I figured if we all tried together, then we’d have a better chance of doing a great job. Guess I was wrong. Oh please don’t tell Rarity!" She asked with pleading eyes.

Spike sighed, "Okay, but you owe me one."

The little filly jumped up. "Thanks Spike!"

"Oh, hello Sweetie Belle. When did you get here?" Rarity asked as she came down the stairs.

"Hey sis! I came home a while ago. I’m gonna’ go take a nap. Been a really long day of crusading." She said as she yawned. "See ya’ later, Spike!" Sweetie Belle ran up her stairs, into her room.

"See ya’, Sweetie Belle." Spike waved goodbye.

"Now, I’m giving you enough bits for three rolls. I need them by 3:00, no later. Can I trust you with the task at hand?" The mare asked.

"Of course! You can count on me, Rarity!"

"Okay, she said one roll of red, black, and green fabric." Spike muttered to himself as he walked to the fabric store.

"Hey Spike!"

"Oh, hey Pinkie." Spike greeted his friend Pinkie Pie briefly, focusing on what Rarity told him.

"Whatcha’ doin’?" She asked.

The dragon was hit with a sense of déjà vu. "I’m helping Rarity with an order. Gonna’ get some more fabrics for her."

"Still giving Rarity a helping hand? That’s good to see you being generous to her, especially since she’s the element of generosity! Being a generous dragon to the most generous pony we know!" Pinkie laughed.

"Uh, yeah…" The dragon replied, trying to process what his friend just said. "But we both know why I’m really doing it, right?" Spike asked.

"Huh? Oh right! About that, how’s it going between you and Rarity?"

"Good, I guess." Spike said.

"You guess? Well how come?"

"I mean, I can tell she really appreciates me doing all these things for her, but it stops at just that. She tells me thanks or she hugs me. If I’m really lucky, she’ll give me a quick peck on the cheek, but it’s like, I need more than that." Spike began to droop.

"Aw, don’t feel bad. I’m sure she cares for you deeply. She's just not showing it like you’d want her to. Rarity is always busy with her boutique, and when she’s not, she’s having fun with us, you included. She has so many things going on in her life, especially now that Sweetie Belle is living with her. She has to watch out for her sister. I’m sure if you wait long enough, she’ll really see how much you care for her. You just have to wait until she realizes that. Then, you can finally receive the affection of the mare you love so much." Pinkie told the young dragon.

Spike seemed confused that he got such a serious response from Pinkie, but soon processed what she told him. "That’s just it. I have to wait for it to happen, but I don’t know if I can. I'm keeping my crush on Rarity as controlled as I possibly can, but sometimes, the feelings are just too much. I just… I don’t know!!" Spike hollered. Pinkie gazed at him with tear-ridden eyes.

"I hate to see my friends sad, especially when there’s nothing I can do about it. I promise I'll think of something to cheer you up.” She sniffed. "I gotta’ go. Talk to ya’ later, ‘kay Spike?" She gave him a small smile.

"Okay. Thanks for the advice, I guess." Spike muttered.

Pinkie Pie trotted away to wherever she needed to be. Spike kept on walking to the store, lost in deep thought. He sighed,

"What am I going to do?" Spike walked in silence all the way to the store. A posh-looking unicorn was arranging some flowers in a vase near the entrance, spotting Spike.

"Why, hello there young dragon! How may I be of assistance to you today?" He greeted him with a peppy smile. Spike found annoyance in this, but put up with it. No matter what, he was going to get the rolls for Rarity.

"Uh, yeah. I need…um…oh! I need three rolls of fabric; one red, one green, and one… black. Can you get that for me?" He asked.

"But of course! Just let me look in my inventory, and you can be on your way." He said as he went to a room in the back.

"Okay." Spike's mind traveled to his conversation with Pinkie earlier. His brain began to replay what she said to him. I’m sure if you wait long enough, she’ll really see how much you care for her. You just have to wait until she realizes that. He sighed, and began to think. How am I supposed to wait? More importantly, how long am I supposed to wait? I love her. "I don't care what everyone else says, I do. It's not just some puppy love. I really love Rarity. So why doesn't she love me back?" Spike began to form tears in his eyes. He fought them back as hard as he could. A few seconds later, the pony returned with two rolls of fabric; one red and one green.

"Here you are! Using his magic, he handed Spike the two rolls. Spike grabbed them and handed the unicorn the bits Rarity gave him to pay with. The unicorn waved bye to him as Spike left the store. After a while of carrying the rolls, Spike grew tired. He set the rolls down, grunting. They seemed much lighter when the unicorn was handing them to him. Spike inhaled, and dug his claws into the rolls.

"C'mon Spike, you can do this! You've carried stacks of books way heavier than this!" He grunted, "For Rarityy!" Using all his might, he lifted the rolls over his shoulders and began to walk cautiously, trying to make sure the rolls didn't throw him off balance. He took step after step, each one draining him of his energy. Spike was in pain, caused by the overwhelming weight of the rolls, but every time he felt like giving up, he remembered why he even embarked on this mission in the first place: for Rarity. "For Rarity..." He began to let the rolls sink below his eyes. "For... Rari..ty..." Suddenly, the dragon collapsed, overwhelmed by the weight of the rolls. Spike's best wasn't enough. He tried his best to get back up, but his body wouldn't let him. He pushed himself too hard. As he began to drift off into unconsciousness, he saw a shadow gloom over him. "Who... Who's that?..."

"Huh?... Huh!? Rarity!!" Spike sprang up, only to recoil in pain.

"Please, don't push yourself. You already did a lot of damage to your muscles by carrying those rolls of fabric."

"Who said that? Where am I?" Spike asked, puzzled.

"I said that. And you're in the Ponyville Hospital." Spike turned to see a familiar face. He'd seen her before, during the baked bads incident.

"Nurse Redheart?" He was still puzzled. "How'd I get here?"

"Your friend brought you here. She said something about finding you on the ground and becoming alarmed when you weren't making a sound, or something like that. Anyway, the important thing is that she brought you here before your injuries got worse. Why were you doing that?" Nurse Redheart asked.

"Doing what?" Spike responded, still in a slight daze.

"Carrying those three heavy rolls of fabric? You strained your muscles because of that. Thankfully, the injuries weren't severe. You're lucky that your friend found you when she did. Let me finish writing my report and you'll be able to leave. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay?" She asked.

Spike sighed with relief, "Thank goodness. For a moment there, I thought I wouldn't be able to leave the hospital for a week."

"Well you will if you try to carry anything heavy for about a week. Relax for the week. Don't do any backbreaking work, okay?" Nurse Redheart asked with concern.

"Got it!" Spike said. Nurse Redheart continued to write for a while, until she told Spike he could leave. Spike got off of the bed he was lying in and headed out the door. In the main lobby, there was a pony waiting for him. Well, a zebra, actually.

"Zecora?" Spike asked.

"Ah, it looks like you are not harmed. When I found you, I was quite alarmed." The rhyming zebra said.

"Thanks for taking me here. Spike suddenly felt nervous. "Hey, do you know where those rolls of fabric I had with me are? They're really important."

"Do you mean these rolls of red, green, and black? You might not want to carry them, since you've already hurt your back." Zecora told Spike.

"Nah, it's okay. Ouch." Spike recoiled as a slight jolt of pain surged through his back. "Maybe not… Could you help me? I really need to get these back to Rarity."

"I would be happy to assist, and on the way, you can tell me what I've missed." Zecora said.

"You mean, tell you why I was carrying these?" Spike asked.

"Yes. Certainly, they were not for you, as using fabrics is not what you do." Zecora gave Spike a questioning look.

"Yeah... Okay. I guess I can tell you..." As they walked towards the Carousel Boutique, Spike told Zecora why he went to get the rolls, and what happened while he was getting them. Zecora listened, and began to think.

"Based on what I've heard, it seems to me, that you would do anything for this pony." Zecora said.

"Yeah... spending time with Rarity is worth doing some dumb tasks." Spike began to think about Rarity.

"But it also appears that she doesn't see, the love you have for your Rarity."

"...Yeah." Spike stopped and stared at the ground.

Zecora put a hoof on his shoulder. Spike looked up at her. "I believe you should take your friend's advice, and wait until her affection can become suffice. Wait for the right time to tell her how you feel, and the love you dream of can become real." She told him.

Spike sighed, "I was kind of hoping you had something for me that could help Rarity fall in love with me, but I guess not, huh?"

"Spike, love cannot be rushed. That can only lead to feelings being crushed." Zecora told him.

Spike sighed, "Yeah… okay." They arrived at Carousel Boutique, stopping at the front of the door. "Thanks for helping me. I hope you're not hurt." Spike said.

"Not at all. Now watch your step, and don't fall." Zecora smiled at Spike as she set the rolls down. She waved goodbye and began to walk down the road.

"Okay, good job Spike." The little dragon told himself. "You got the rolls here safely. Now, to complete the job..." Spike opened the door to the Boutique and brought the rolls inside. "Rarity?" He called out.

"Spike, is that you?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah! I got the rolls of fabric for you!" Spike said, leaving out the details of his blackout.

Rarity let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness. Now I can completely finish those outfits. I knew I could count on you!"

Spike looked around. "Um... Where are you?"

"Oh, I'm upstairs. I decided to relax for a bit in my room. Could you please just set the fabrics down near the mannequins? Thanks Spike." Rarity told him.

"Sure thing!" Spike dragged the rolls to some mannequins near him. "Need me to do anything else?" Spike asked.

"Oh no, you've done enough today. Again, thank you Spike. You've helped me so much today." Rarity said.

"No problem!" Spike said. "Anything for you, my sweet..." He said under his breath. Spike walked back to the door, taking another look around. He sighed, "If only you felt the same..." Spike closed the door.

"SPIKE!"

"Gah!!" He fell over. "What the... Pinkie?" Spike asked, clenching one of his ears.

"Yup! Spike, I figured out a way to help you smile!" She exclaimed, bubbling with excitement.

"Really? How?" He asked, suddenly filled with hope.

"Okay, so you know how I said you need to wait for her to notice your love for her?" She asked.

"Yeah? What about it?" Spike said.

"Well, I think I found a way to make it easier for her to notice!" She handed him a slip of paper.

Spike skimmed through it. "Need help with mares?... New class opening... For stallions who need help with mares? What's this all about?"

"My friend is making this class for stallions in need of improving their 'skills', as he said, with getting mares. He asked me to recruit stallions that look like they could use the help." Pinkie said.

"Doesn't that seem kinda' shallow?" Spike asked.

"If you think about it, not really. He just wants to offer his help for stallions who need it. Anyway, that's where I went after I talked with you, and when I remembered how sad you were because of your feelings for Rarity, I thought you could take the class, learn a few things, and use it with Rarity." Pinkie smiled.

"What kind of things?" Spike asked.

"You know, like talking to her, being able to compliment her well, and he says the 'final exam' is to get a date with a mare of your choice! And I think I know who you'd pick." Pinkie pointed a hoof at Spike.

"I thought you said I had to wait for the right time to do that..." Spike looked at her, confused.

"Even if you don't take the final exam, you could still learn things that you can do to help build up her feelings for you! So even if you don't ask Rarity out, you still get something out of it." Pinkie said.

"Wow… That actually sounds like a good idea. Thanks Pinkie, I'll join the class." Spike said, feelings of confidence forming in him.

"Great! The first class in is four days. Don't be late!" Pinkie said as she hopped away.

"Okay!" Spike said. "Four days... I'll learn how to win Rarity's heart!" Spike quickly clenched his mouth, completely forgetting that he was still in front of the Carousel Boutique. Hoping Rarity or Sweetie Belle didn't hear, Spike said less loudly, "I'll learn how to win her heart."

~~~~~~~~~~

"So that's why I'm here." Spike said.

"That's it? Well it sounds to me like you didn't go through as much embarrassment as I did!" Blueblood said. I could hear the annoyance in his voice.

I shot a look at him. "Blueblood, what did we discuss earlier?"

"Oh... Right. Sorry, Spike..." Blueblood said, looking away. At least I stopped things from getting worse.

"Thanks..." Spike said. Now I could hear the annoyance in his voice.

"It's good to see that you're very dedicated. It seems that you would go through Tartarus and back for Rarity."

"Yeah, whatever that is. I'd do anything for her." Spike said, with a type of fire in his eyes. This kid was determined to woo Rarity.

"I hope that my lessons can help you to make Rarity yours. Someone like you deserves to have a special somepony." I told Spike.

"Thanks, I hope so too." Spike replied.

"Okay, so that's two down, one to go." I glanced at my last student. "Doctor? Please tell us why you're here."

"Right..." He swiped sweat off his forehead. "Why I'm here..."