How to Train a Prince

by Foal Star

Rating: teen
Tags: Owlowiscious, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Rarity, Romance, Spike
Length: 18329

An old, enchanted tome from the castle of the princesses transformed Spike into a handsome unicorn stallion. With this new body he woes Rarity with lies and his new powers to make her believe he is a prince.

This story is an alternate take on the episode "Inspiration Manifestation."

After stealing a mysterious old book from the ancient castle of the princesses deep within the Everfree forest, Spike is transformed into a handsome unicorn prince. The drake then uses his new body to woe Rarity to make her believe he is a lost prince. With his newfound magic, he creates a manor in Canterlot to make the lies believable. But as his power increases and the lies become more elaborate. Twilight researches the truth about the enchanted book's origins and learns that Rarity is the only one who can break the curse. But that would also mean breaking Spike's heart.

Cover Artist: Pridark

Published 2023-01-01 19:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2023-04-03 00:25:36 UTC

Chapter One: Prince Spearheart is Born

Spike was walking through the Everfree Forest in the early afternoon after taking a mysterious book from the old castle of the princesses. He looked down at the creepy tome, made of stone and spikes on the spine. The stallion was unsure if this strange book would give Rarity inspiration. She craved that would help make her mobile puppet show for some chubby blue stallion (he assumes it is Snips' father). Still, the truth was the drake was desperate to help her in any way, and this magical book seemed to answer her problems.

It was terrifying when he looked at it over, seeing the spikes protruding from the spine, but it was in the castle of the princesses, so it may not be too dangerous. Spike then looked upward at the sun, and the young drake started wishing he could be everything she wanted in a stallion. He knew she might date him with the drake just being a stupid little dragon who was way too young for her; it would be silly ever to think he would have a chance of dating her. The stallion just wished there was a way for him to turn older and be a pony; he would give anything to make that wish come true.

With this in mind, the young drake continued walking through the forest. The ideas formed within how he started to feel more insecure about himself, which plagued his mind. It wasn't long until he began to notice that his tiny legs started to feel different and that they were much stockier than average. His entire form started to be a semblance of much thicker, and he was taller! All of this was rather sudden as he looked over his new body; his scales were now a soft, warm coat. He then tried to scratch the fins on his back and realized they were replaced with something smooth and hairy! Without even looking, he knew a mane returned his dragon spines!

"W…what is happening!?" Spike shouted; he then gasped upon hearing his voice. It wasn't pubescent like it usually sounded; instead, it was much more profound in tone than Shining Armors. The drake was utterly baffled, realizing how much he's changed within seconds. Spike had to see for himself how much his body had transformed. Spike then saw a pool of water and looked downward. There in his reflection, he had a thick square jaw, a horse-like face, and dark green eyes, not also including his wavy green hair flowing from his head and flank, which paired well with his slick violet coat, and with a tall purple horn protruding from his forehead to boot! Not only that, he couldn't see himself, but he could tell he was much older, probably around Rarity's age!

Curious, he turned his flank around and gasped in surprise; seeing his cutie mark the realization made him blink at this, seeing that his dream of being a unicorn had come true! How in Equestria could this be possible!? This had to be the result of the strange book he had found! Spike turned to see the stone book with spikes on it mysteriously gone. He galloped around the place, but he couldn't find it the book had disappeared entirely!

He then trotted back to the puddle and saw his horn look different; it was a silvery color with tiny spikes protruding from the sides of it. He noticed that the horn looked odd, but he recognized it looked similar to the book he got for Rarity.

"Oh, the book is my horn!" Spike perked up with a smile, "that means I can give the inspiration Rarity needs! And on top of that, make her my special somepony! I couldn't ask for a better wish!"

Spike gave his new horn a few taps and then exclaimed, "thank you, book! You've made my dreams come true!"

He jumped into the air clapping his hooves together, and then galloped off towards Carousel Boutique! He wouldn't waste this opportunity to proclaim his love for Rarity!

The former drake was somewhat nervous as he slowly trotted through Ponyville. He didn't look too out of place, but many ponies were giving him odd looks as he was a "newcomer" he saw some mares blushing and looking away as he passed. This made the stallion feel more confident, but he still strolled as he continued toward the boutique. Spike was starting to feel worried as he came towards the door. What was he going to say? Should Spike tell the truth about who he is? He should try lying and tell her he's a newcomer and is trying to get a suit or something!? He had to make up a story that made sense that she was obsessed with that guy Prince Blueblood before until she found out he was a total jerk. Spike felt pretty confident he would be much better than him and could still give the "fairy tale" fantasy she desired. But he would have to think up a solid backstory. Could he pretend to be a lost prince or something?

All these thoughts were rushing through his brain, and he had no idea what to do as he stood outside Carousel Boutique, sweat coming down like bullets from his brow. Eventually, the stallion mustered enough courage, knocked on the door, and stood there shaking like a leaf. That was until Rarity slowly opened the door; she seemed confused when she saw Spike and asked, "hello but do I know you?"

“Um…I…I am a P…Prince Spa…:”

"Prince Spa? What an odd name! Do you work at a spa? I would love to get my hooves done. It's been ages since my last pedicure," Rarity asked.

Spike cleared his throat and ground his hoof in the ground; he was screwing this up; he had to act fast before she thought he was just some babbling idiot! The former drake then quickly said, "Prince Spear Heart! I'm a royal prince and came for a fine suit for the…um…Grand Galloping Gala!

Rarity eyed him, seemed somewhat suspicious, not buying his story entirely, and shrugged, "well, I'm rather busy today trying to help with Foal Appreciation Day."

She then gave a defeated sigh and grumbled, "well, I was…it doesn't matter now; please come on in, darling!"

Rarity then trotted him inside the boutique and first measured his body. She helped pick out a rather stunning-looking tuxedo, plucked a rose in his pocket square, and combed his mane back. Spike couldn't help but flex his new form in a mirror, enjoying his reflection looking how good he looked as a unicorn stallion. Rarity seemed to be eyeing him the entire time and asked, "so, are you royalty?"

Spike was somewhat taken aback by the question; he started to get slightly nervous as he stammered, saying whatever came to mind that sounded that made sense to him. "Oh, uh…not exactly. I'm a…a third cousin of Princess Cadance and been removed, so officially; I'm…uh…um, not a prince."

Rarity couldn't help but snicker behind a hoof and asked, "alright, well, it's nice to meet a rather stunning prince like yourself?"

"Yes, and you seem to be rather down before?" Spike asked, looking concerned.

Rarity threw a hoof and gave an exasperated sigh, "it's nothing; I just got called out for my remodeling job on a mobile puppet theater for a client who said I wasn't good enough. I just feel down and uninspired."

Spike was livid at how that chubby stallion insulted Rarity and shouted angrily. "Oh, buck that guy! Look at this suit! It's stunning! Come on, don't let some jackass get you down!"

He didn't know where the courage came from to say that. Rarity was taken aback by his bluntness and said, "well…putting it that way, yes, I would say your right."

"We…well…thank you, it's just your reputation precedes you, is all," Spike stammered with a smile as he fixed the snazzy bow tie around his neck. The fashionista then approached him seductively and asked, "would….would you like to go out and get dinner with me?"

The stallion was speechless at first as he was starting to feel rather sweaty again, surprised that Rarity was hitting on him.

"Well, I'm free tomorrow tonight; maybe you can get us a reservation at some restaurant in Restaurant Row?" Rarity whispered sweetly while batting her eyelids at him.

Spike's heart was racing; this was what he had always wanted!? A chance to show Rarity he does love her! But it was all rather sudden, and he was somewhat stunned and unable to respond. But he eventually dared to stammer out, "tomorrow night…go..got it!"

"Alright? Well, where will I be eating!?" Rarity squealed, being rather excited.

Spike scratched the back of his mane while giving off a sheepish grin; he didn't know what to say. The stallion lived in Canterlot for most of his life, so he knew getting a reservation at any restaurant in Restaurant Row for tomorrow night would be nearly impossible. But he didn't want to disappoint his crush and quickly said, "Oh, um? Uh… let's make it a surprise!"

"Oh, how romantic!? And I assume you have a fancy mansion and a ton of servants!?" Rarity exclaimed, seeming to be caught in a daydream.

Spike gave a few blinks as he didn't want to continue lying to her, but he felt as if he didn't have a choice and stammered, "uh…yeah… it's just that I came down here alone to escape the pressures of royalty…most ponies don't know me, so it's easy to blend in with the crowds."

Rarity gave a snicker, then said, "alright, well, you have to show me all of this tomorrow!? Maybe I can help get your image out to the public. I bet you're much more refined than that snob Prince Blueblood."

She then gave a worried gasp and placed a hoof over her mouth, "oh dear, I hope I didn't offend you. He is a cousin of yours, isn't he?"

"No, none took; yeah, cousin Blueblood!? Yeah, he can be a jerk," Spike laughed nervously as he continued to lie out of his teeth, but it started getting easier.

Rarity then slowly trotted towards him rather seductively then whispered, "alright, well, I'll see you tomorrow Prince Spearheart."

Spearheart looked right into Rarity's eyes and, for the first time, felt a relaxing calm over him. It seemed that he made the first moves from her seeing him as a "younger sibling" to a coltfriend and then whispered, "yes, tomorrow."

Rarity then helped take off his suit as she punched in a cash register how much he owed, which made him start sweating again as he didn't have bits on him! But then he suddenly felt a weight appear in his mane. He tucked a hair into it and pulled out a massive sack. He then opened it up, revealing a ton of bits!

The fashionista looked up and laughed, "oh my, that is way too much!"

Spike looked upward with a sparkle in his eyes. He levitated the sack of bits to her and said, "no, you deserve this for all your hard work."

Rarity's cheeks flushed pink, then gave him a peck on the cheek, making Spike's face red as he stumbled out of Carousel Boutique. He slowly shuffled his way out of Carousel Boutique while rubbing his cheek with a goofy grin. The former drake couldn't believe that he landed a date with Rarity, something that wouldn't have been possible as a childish baby dragon. But now he had to find a way to make their first date perfect! This weird book was making his dream come true! He first should head back to Golden Oak Library and find Twilight. As much as she would be against this, it was too late; he was a full-fledged unicorn stallion and would date Rarity. Spike was sure nothing would change his mind.

Twilight was wiped out, most of her friends were engaging with the foals for Foal Appreciation Day, and she spent the day reading stories to the foals at Cheerilee's school. She gave a hoof over her brow, then plopped down onto a chair in the middle of her library. The foals drove her ragged, trying to get them to calm down, and Cheerilee had her act out the characters in the Daring Do book. Twilight shivered just thinking about the embarrassing reenactment; she was glad none of her friends were there to see it. Now she wants to cuddle up with a good book and relax.

But then the door to her library was suddenly thrown wide open as a rather sexy-looking unicorn stallion burst into the room. Twilight flew upward with her horn glowing as she shouted, "who the buck are you!? And what do you want!?"

However, the mysterious stallion wasn't phased as he threw his mane back and exclaimed, "you don't recognize me, Twilight!?"

Twilight blinked a few times as she looked over this rather pretentious stallion then her jaw dropped at realizing who this stallion was. Despite being much older than her assistant and seeing he wasn't a dragon. His mane and tail being that overly bright green, his green eyes, that overconfident smile, and his cutie mark a scroll that looked similar to one of her old friendship lessons with green flames swirling around it.

"Spike, is that you!?" Twilight shouted, confused as to what was going on.

The former dragon placed a hoof on his chest and proclaimed, "yeah, it's me! Can't you see I'm a pony now!"

Twilight rolled her eyes as she got up and looked him over, "how did this happen!? Who put a spell on you?"

Spike laughed rather nervously, then explained, "Long story short…I was going out on a stroll through the Everfree Forest then…um…this happened…It might be a poison joke or something; I'm not sure?"

Twilight eyed him; the story sounded suspicious, and she continued searching for answers. "Why were you out in the Everfree Forest? I thought you went out to help Rarity?"

Spike slowly nodded and continued to explain, "I did, and well…things didn't go so well with the puppet guy, so I went to the old castle of the princesses to find something to cheer her up. Rarity mentioned she liked those old tapestries, and I thought of taking one to her to restore it?"

Twilight followed for a long time, and she knew that poison joke grew in the Everfree Forest. But it would take at least twenty-four hours before the effects set in, so it couldn't be that. But now she knew Spike went to the old castle of the princesses, and she knew that there could be ancient magical artifacts in the rubble. She said, "ok…so whatever turned you into a stallion could be at the old castle?"

Spike seemed to sweat a little and shrugged, then said, "well, yeah, but who knows? Anyways…I…gotta…um…confess about something?”

"Yeah, what's that?" Twilight asked, eyeing him, knowing Spike she knew precisely what he would be doing with his new body, and asked, "you better not be using this as an opportunity to make a move on Rarity?"

"What!? No, of course not!" Spike laughed nervously as he waved a hoof. "I…um…uh, am thinking of moving to Canterlot while like this?"

"Canterlot!?" Twilight exclaimed, caught off guard.

"Ye…yeah, you see…that way it won't be weird with me being around looking like this, and you can tell ponies I went there…to…um…help your parents. Yeah! Or something?"

Twilight was giving him a suspicious look; she knew he was hiding something, and she would get to the bottom if he were turned into an adult stallion. She then asked, "how about you stay with Princess Celestia and Luna? They might help research a cure for you."

"Oh sure!? Good idea! Also, don't tell anypony I'm Spike, ok!? I don't want to make things weird for you?"

Twilight still wasn't budging as Spike avoided answering how exactly he became a stallion and asked again, "You're sure you have no idea what turned you into a stallion?"

"No, I don't," Spike replied much more confidently.

"And you aren't going to try to woe Rarity with this new form?"

"I won't, I promise!" Spike responded once again, seeming to get more defensive.

Twilight sighed as she brushed her mane and said, "Fine, I'll inform Princess Celestia of the situation and have her set up a room in the castle for you."

"Thank you, Twilight! You're the best!" Spike exclaimed. He then burped out some green fire from his mouth. Both Spike and Twilight were somewhat surprised. The violet alicorn couldn't help but blush and comment, "seems like you can still breathe fire?"

Spike then laughed before burping another flame and saying, "yeah, I guess so. Weird, huh?"

Twilight sat down at a desk and started writing a letter, then suggested, "ok, well before you go, maybe see a doctor? I don't know what enchantment turned you into an adult stallion, but you shouldn't be able to burp fire."

Spike turned around, showed off his flank, and said, " Yeah, sure, but it might just be magic from my cutie mark."

Twilight rolled her eyes as she sat down at her desk and continued to write her letter to Princess Celestia explaining what happened to Spike, then hoofed it over to the stallion. He eyed the letter for a minute, seeming unsure if he could burp out the flame on command. Spike then burped out another burst of fire and engulfed the letter of green love, and it seemed to have teleported like when he was still a dragon. There was no way to confirm if the letter got to Princess Celestia, but he's been doing this for years, and he had a sixth sense to know the letter got to its destination. He then looked over at Twilight and asked, "so can I go?"

Twilight sighed, seeing she still wasn't convinced that Spike was telling her the truth, but for now, there wasn't much she could do to get answers from him; then she asked, "Yes, just don't be weird and don't cause any trouble."

Spike then galloped over and hugged her. Twilight cried out in surprise as the former dragon wrapped his hooves around her body, squeezed her close to his warm coat, and cried, "thank you so much! Please don't worry about me, ok?"

Twilight's cheeks flushed red despite her concerns; she could see Spike was excited to trot around as a pony. She'll be sure to change him back, but she should at least let him enjoy being a pony. She gave him a sack of bits and said, "it's no problem, Spike; as I said, just don't go crazy; go straight to Canterlot Palace and meet with Princess Celestia."

Spike then galloped out of the house with his mane flowing over his body when he opened the door. Twilight turned towards the doorway and shouted, "and Spike!?"

"Yeah?"

Twilight glared daggers at him and said, "don't mess with Rarity."

"I promise!" Spike chirped and then galloped out the door, leaving Twilight standing there as she just continued to stand there with a cocked eyebrow. Just then, Owlicious flew through the door, and the violet alicorn looked up and asked, "do you know what happened to Spike?"

Owlowiscious gave a "hoot" and then tugged at Twilight, pointing a wing out towards the door.

"Alright, let's go to the old castle of the princesses and help me find out what happened to Spike. I know he's keeping something from me; we have to be sure this isn't something serious," Twilight added; the two flew off the door and towards the Everfree Forest.

Chapter Two: Spike's Inspiration Manifestation

Spike was somewhat relieved as he arrived in Canterlot; after a four hour train ride, he was ready to get off and stretch his new legs. The former drake then got up and slowly wobbled off the station while getting off the train. But once the stallion took his first steps on the platform, he took a deep breath of fresh air as he trotted through the cobblestone streets of Canterlot. The stallion looked around, seeing many other ponies wearing expensive clothing and waving hooves at him. Spike waved back, seeing many whispering amongst each other and some mares swooning as he trotted by.

The stallion couldn't help but proudly smile as he continued his trot. Still, eventually, that ended rather abruptly as he spotted two pegasi standing by, hitched up to a lavish chariot. The two soldiers both bowed and said in unison. "Hello, Spike; we have come to take you to Princess Celestia."

Spike grumbled under his breath, seeing Celestia send them to babysit him. "Thank you, but I don't require your assistance."

"Princess Celestia sent us to fetch you. We apologize for the inconvenience!" Both soldiers responded rather abruptly.

Spike groaned as he knew the princess wouldn't let him set up his dream-like manor and get ready to take Rarity out. The princess will probably poke and prod him as she looks for a cure, and he loses his only chance to get with Rarity. So it looked like he had no other choice. He had to transform them, or they'll ruin everything. Spike then lit the end of his horn, and tendrils of magic wrapped around the soldiers. The two smaller pegasi were now much taller, with the white-coated pegasi now dressed with golden hitches and harnesses; their short-cropped blue manes and tails were now long and wavy. They were much more prominent, with their chests stuck out and with a larger wingspan. The two pegasi seemed somewhat confused, but as they tried to talk, only incoherent neighing came out.

"Sorry, but I can't have you two report to Princess Celestia," Spike then hopped into the chariot. He then stood up rather proudly in his seat and ordered, "now my steeds find me a manor that is abandoned and worthy of a prince!"

Without question, the two pegasi flew off through the cobblestone streets rather briskly, not too fast to cause havoc but not too slow either. He then took the time to wave at the pedestrians trotting by. Many waved back, admiring the handsome-looking pony flying by. This gave Spike a much more relaxed feeling as he felt more confident he could pull this off.

During his trip, the stallion asked for directions to any fancy manors not in use or abandoned. To his luck, he was told of an old mansion belonging to an old mare who died decades ago. The trip was relatively smooth until they came outside the gate of the abandoned manor. It had a sign outside saying it was going to be demolished. It was in terrible condition, with the rooftop sunken in and the paved road leading to the mansion cracked and filled with weeds; it looked like something out of a horror novel and was perfect. He then had his escorts take him through the rusty gates and onto the old street with weeds covering the ground, and there was massive cracks and potholes, making it rather bumpy. Spike started to get rather peeved, then, without warning, the bumpiness of the road stopped. The weeds were gone, replaced with a beautiful, freshly paved street with purple and green bricks in a checkerboard pattern. They eventually came to the mansion's front doors. Spike got off his chariot to admire the outside garden, which was overrun with vines and weeds. All he did was think that Rarity would love to see a fresh garden filled with exotic flowers and decorative hedges. The stallion lit his horn, and tendrils of magic engulfed the yard outside. The magical tendrils transformed the garden from a field full of weeds and crabgrass into a freshly cut lawn with hedges depicting dragons and hedges filled with purple and green flowers. There were even stables for his fine steeds, which he had unhitched and set up with some fresh hay.

"There, uh, good boys.."

Lucky for him, the stallions didn't mind him as they were too busy eating their hay. Spike quickly scurried out of the stables, still feeling guilty about turning some of Princess Celestia's royal guard into mindless horses. Still, they would've reported to Celestia otherwise; this way, it can seem they have yet to find him. It'll buy time for his date with Rarity; he'll turn them back to normal soon afterward. Spike then went to the mansion and tapped a hoof to his chin, seeing the outside of it was in shambles and wondered how he would repair it with his magic. As those thoughts flooded his mind, his horn lit up. He started to transform the manor with the wooden planks reforming and attaching themselves, the shillings for the roof stacking themselves on each other, and windows being repaired as shards of glass returned to them. It was like he was going back in time to when the manor was first built, and that's how it looked with a fresh coat of purple paint and massive doors made of emerald.

The former drake then trotted on inside the manor and used his magic to transform the inside of the estate to his liking. With the inner walls now covered in purple wallpaper with dragons and white-coated unicorns printed onto it, the moldy carpet on the ground was replaced with emerald tiles with a violet-colored rug over the floor. Portraits now lined the walls depicting ponies that looked like him, some feminine in fancy dresses and others old grizzled ponies in fancy coats and uniforms. Old rusty suits of armor reforged themselves, and the rust disappeared, leaving a polished, gleaming metal. There were now broken downstairs, turned into a staircase made of polished emerald with a chandelier lighting overhead and spouting green flames. The dining room now had an elegant dining table aligned with candlesticks with spiraling staircases. The kitchen had a brick oven and a new stovetop filled with pots and pans.

Spike went upstairs, continuing to transform the house with his magic, reforming the rotting wood and setting up bedrooms with new canopy beds with purple carpets and fully furnished with rich-looking furniture. He came to the master bedroom, giving himself a large purple heart-shaped bed. With a roaring fireplace spouting a green flame, there were portraits of himself with Rarity plastered all over the room with a closet filled with fancy suits. He also had a massive bowl of gems near his bed. It looked perfect but to make this place look lived in, he would need servants. The stallion shivered, seeing what he did to Princess Celestia's royal guards; he didn't want to reform other ponies. He then looked around and spotted some mice scurrying about. He smirked as an idea from a fairy tale story Twilight read to him as a hatchling came to mind.

Spike then lit his horn, and tendrils of magic wrapped around the pests, and their mouse-like bodies grew into full-grown ponies. The males were turned into butlers with fancy tuxedos and the females into maids with cute prench maid uniforms. The crowd of ponies all seemed to be surprised at what happened, looking over their new bodies with all of them having gray coats, their manes a simple brown with beady brown eyes.

Spike had back a smirk seeing they had "mouse" like appearances; they bucked teeth and whiskers on their pink noses. He then continued to trot through his new homes, transforming every critter into a butler or maid. He soon had a dozen servants in the living room, all waiting on his command.

The former drake stood at the head of the group, cleared his throat, then said, "Good Afternoon, my servants; I am your master Sp- I mean Prince Spearheart, and that is what you will refer to me as."

"Yes, master Spearheart!" all the servants squeaked out in rather squeaky, high-pitched tones. Spike had to clamp down on his ears at high frequency. He then lit his horn, adjusting their voices, making the males sound more like a posh butler from his "Batmare" comics and the maids a fancy prench accent.

"Ok, let's try this again," Spike muttered as he got up on his hooves, then said, "Alright, listen up for the next two days; you'll be my servants.

"Yes, master Spear Heart." His servants all replied rather promptly in their new voices. Spike sighed in relief, seeing they sounded much more posh and refined than their annoying squeaky voices. "Alright, each of you will be assigned a portion of the house to ensure everything is clean and tidy. I also require three square meals a day of sapphire swirl cupcakes with a side of ice cream. Ensure my bed is ready for the evening every night, and that is all. Otherwise, please take any gems you want and use them to buy yourselves anything you need."

"Anything, sir!?" All his new servants exclaimed.

"Of course! You're servants, not slaves, and I've never been a bit pincher, so do as you wish," Spike explained as he clapped his hooves. The second he did so, the butlers bowed as the maids performed curtsies and then went off to do their duties, seeing them dusting, mopping, and sweeping. The stallion then went outside to see some servants clipping hedges and mowing grass. It looked like he had lived here for years; this was just another typical day for him. Spike saw he looked like the part of a handsome prince, but he needed some help selling the fact that he was indeed a handsome prince. The former drake would ask for Shining Armor's help, but he was all the way in the Crystal Empire; he could write to him, but it would take forever to correspond that way. The only other prince Spike could think of asking for help was Prince Blueblood. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with Rarity's former lover. But Spike felt like he didn't have a choice; the stallion had need somepony to teach him how to be a prince and sell it to Rarity. So with a determined look, he went out to the stables and hitched his steeds to a chariot. When he clambered into his seat, he cleared his voice and shouted, "alright, we need to find Prince Blueblood! Don't delay!"

The horses let out wild neighs as they galloped down the cobblestone streets. Spike had a bowl of gems appear as he snacked on them. The stallion relaxed in his seat as he enjoyed this new comfortable lifestyle and wondered if he could really let it all go after his date with Rarity.

As Spike made his way to find Prince Blueblood, Twilight Sparkle was deep within the old ruined castle of the princesses. She was scrounging through the ruined library, looking for a book on what was going on with Spike. It took hours, but she eventually found a ledger referring to an ancient tome of chaos magic that possessed the user. The book explained that Starswirl found the book corrupting its user to turn his house and family into gold. The old sorcerer convinced the user to give him the book to save his family, and he did so. Anything the stallion turned into gold was reverted to its original state. To ensure no pony used it again, Starswirl locked the cursed tome up deep within the palace walls made for the alicorn princesses he adopted as his daughters. From what Starswirl researched, the book can manifest almost anything from their imagination, breaking the fundamental laws of magic through chaos magic. Unless the influence of wielding the magic is somehow convinced to stop their madness, they will break, the tome's effect will cease, and the user along with anything altered by their magic, will return to normal.

Twilight then closed the book; seeing that everything happening in the book she read matched what was happening to Spike, she turned to her pet owl, who was standing by. He had helped her throughout the day tearing through the library, and he was the one who found the ledger regarding the ancient tome. Despite Spike despising Owlowiscious at first, the two have grown to be rather fond of each other, and she can tell her owl would do anything to help Spike. She ordered, "Owlowiscious, you must find Spike and see what he's up to. I'll talk to Rarity…Spike turned into an older stallion because he wanted to date her, didn't he?"

She looked over at Owlowiscious, who gave a nod and a "hoot" of approval confirming she was right. Twilight felt a pang in her chest; if what this book said was true, Rarity might be the only one to convince Spike to end the influence of the chaos magic.

The alicorn paused for a minute before she said, "while you watch Spike try to keep your distance and stay out of sight. Right now, he's as powerful as Discord. If he catches, you might transform you into something."

Owlowiscious gave another nod before flying out of the ruins. Meanwhile, Twilight sat down feeling guilty and worried she had to talk to Rarity and convince her to tell Spike she didn't love him to end this curse before it got worse. But she wasn't going to feel good about this or grateful. But seeing Spike's crush on Rarity for the past year and a half while living in Ponyville made her realize this eventually had to end. Regardless of how she felt, Spike's being influenced by chaos magic had to be stopped. She threw her wings out and flew off through the Everfree forest as she headed to Carousel Boutique.

Chapter Three: How to be a Prince?

Prince Blueblood enjoyed a peaceful afternoon, drinking tea and eating a sandwich. He was rather bored as he munched away. He was surprised to see a rather handsome-looking stallion come by in a chariot. The stallion came off and adjusted his bow tie, then said, "Hello, Prince Blueblood! My name is Prince Spearheart! And I'm the one who has come seeking aid from a fellow prince!"

The prince spat his tea out upon hearing this proclamation, another prince! How absurd he knew his royal family better than anypony, and he was certain that this mysterious purple-colored unicorn was not royalty. Prince Blueblood eyed the stallion, slowly coming over, then asked, "So, who are you again?"

The rather posh-looking unicorn adjusted his bowtie and said, "your cousin Prince Spearheart, long story short, I'm a third cousin removed, etc.," the mysterious stallion laughed sheepishly.

"And…why do you need my assistance?" Prince Blueblood asked rather sharply, not taking his eyes off the stranger for a second.

The purple-coated stallion slowly came forward and bowed his head. "Alas, I've been living away from royalty and need assistance learning to be refined as yourself."

Prince Blueblood seemed to be taken in by this notion seeing that this "Prince Spearheart" does appear rather regal. He constantly desired to have a younger brother to teach in the ways of refinement. Despite his claims and still not fully trusting him, Prince Blueblood felt then with a smirk as he replied, "alright, I'll teach you how to be a refined prince."

The purple-coated unicorn then sighed in relief and sat across from his mentor. Prince Blueblood then turned towards the waiter who came by and ordered his student a cup of Earl Grey.

Once the tea arrived, the prince explained, "First, I'll explain how to drink a cup of tea."

The stallion then slowly levitated his cup to his mouth, gently sipping it without making a sound. He settled the tea back down, turned to his student, and said, "now can you copy what I just did?"

Prince Spearheart said, "yeah, that doesn't seem too hard." He lifted his cup, sipped it with a smile, and said, "See, that wasn't so hard."

The white-coated unicorn was somewhat surprised as he replied, "are you sure you never had training? It's as if you have been a prince your entire life?"

The purple-colored unicorn seemed to quiver a little at the question, then said, "I did mention I was from royalty, and I was raised with class. I just so happen to have fallen out of the public eye."

Blueblood sipped his cup with a suspicious look on his face as he mumbled under his breath, "I see…."

The waiter then came back and gave them the sandwiches. Prince Blueblood then took a bite, placed the plate down, and said. "Waiter."

"Yes, sir?"

Prince Blueblood just threw his head up, pointed at his sandwich, and continued his complaint. "I specifically asked for mustard, and there isn't a dash of it in this sandwich."

“I…I apologize…”

"Don't just stand there stammering like an idiot! Go and fetch me another!"

The waiter quickly bowed, then left as another waiter came and gave Spearheart his sandwich. He did the same, taking a bite, then spat some out as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin, then snapped, "was I not speaking Equestrian!? I ordered my sandwich with gems!?"

The other waiter bowed and replied solemnly, "I Apologize, my lord."

The purple-coated unicorn copied Blueblood, throwing his head up and snapped, "of course, now go fix your mistake at once! And don't delay!"

The other waiter ran off as Blueblood scoffed, "such low-life commoners, I despise dealing with such riff-raff."

His student paused in what he was doing, seeming concerned, and was about to say something. "He didn't deserve to be treated like that."

"What was that?" Blueblood snapped as he turned towards Prince Spearheart, who seemed to be somewhat worried or disturbed in some way. He cleared his throat and said, "sorry, but I meant you were absolutely right; commoners...a…are beneath us."

Prince Blueblood gave a chortle, then said, "of course they are; you have to accept that if you want to become a prince?"

The purple-coated unicorn nodded, and they finished their meal quite delicately and slowly. As Prince Blueblood wiped his mouth, then said, "would you like to attend some activities with me? I was planning to attend an opera with some friends. We'll have a private booth due to my royal status."

The purple unicorn stammered, "of course! I have nothing else going on, and it would help me get my face out there."

"Yes…if you really want to spread your face, I suggest we throw a gala. Do you own a manor?"

The purple-coated pony got rather excited as he jumped up from his chair and exclaimed, "Yes…yes, I do!"

"Good, no, come let us attend various activities while there; we shall spread your name all across Canterlot!"

"That sounds wonderful!" Prince Spearheart cheered as he got up and followed him to his chariot; they set off down the road once they were settled.

As Spike learned from Prince Blueblood, Twilight nervously trotted toward Carousel Boutique. She was still unsure of what to do in her situation as she didn't want to break Spike's heart, but if she didn't, he would be cursed with chaos for Celestia knows how long. So determined to see this plan through, she knocked on the boutique's door and waited patiently for her friend to answer. Eventually, the fashionista opened the door and was surprised to see her friend; then asked, "Oh Twilight!? I didn't expect you to come by today!"

The violet unicorn bowed her head and said, "sorry, I know you're closed and probably busy, but I need to talk to you,"

The mare trailed a hoof over her mane as she didn't want to tell her she felt but considering the circumstances, it felt as if she didn't have a choice. "Look, I need to speak to you…can we talk inside?"

Rarity nods and lets her in, then sits down and talks. Twilight looked disgruntled, unsure how to continue, then said, "I need to explain something. Has a handsome purple-coated stallion with a flowing green mane approached you?"

The fashionista paused worriedly and then asked, "yes, I have. Why do you ask?"

The unicorn took a sip of her tea, thinking of how she should progress the conversation. For now, she'll try to see what Spike said to Rarity behind her back, then asked, "what did he say?"

Rarity looked up into the sky with a dreamy look, then sighed as she whispered, "oh, he was odd? The mysterious stallion told me he was a long-forgotten prince. Then we talked, and he seemed to be rather nice, so I asked him to go out on a date tomorrow."

Twilight eyed her, then asked, "Seriously!? You didn't learn your lesson with Prince Blueblood?"

Rarity rolled her eyes and said, "well, yes, I have; this prince seems a lot more refined and is nothing like that jerk."

Twilight slammed a hoof into her face seeing Rarity would date Spearheart, so she had to tell her the truth. She raised her head and said, "well, I hate to say this, but that prince is really Spike."

The fashionista blinked, somewhat surprised, then laughed, "you're kidding, right?"

Twilight shook her head, "no, I'm not; we…we both know he's had a crush on you since we moved to Ponyville."

"Right, I…I know that?"

"And you know that he would do anything to help you?"

"Yes, of course?"

"Well, he went out to the old castle of the princesses to help you get inspired again, and there he found an ancient tome that has transformed him into a prince."

The mare blinked, stunned by the news, then whispered, "your kidding?"

Twilight sighed long, exasperated, then said, "I wish I were. The stallion convinced himself he could get a date with you and is probably in Canterlot doing so."

"Oh my? I…I did find that stallion rather off…is there any way to help Spike?"

Twilight sipped her tea and said, "there's only one way you have to tell him the truth. That this isn't going to work out."

Rarity looked down with a guilty expression and whispered, "you're right; I know I should've done that before; it's just."

Twilight also looked down, "I know it'll break his heart, but we always knew this crush isn't healthy for him, and I think you just need to be straight with him."

The fashionista seemed uncertain but nodded, "right… I… I'll tell him tomorrow during our date."

Twilight sighed as she rose from the table and then said, "that's good to hear; I sent him to Princess Celestia for now. But his chaos magic is wild and probably is manipulating his mind. I'll see her to ensure Spike's ok, and hopefully, he's keeping his magic under control."

"Of course darling, this all sounds rather serious…." Rarity paused as she looked downward; with a worried look, she asked, "And what should I do until tomorrow?"

"Wait for him to come by; I'm sure he'll be here tomorrow like you planned. I don't want to make this harder for him than it should be."

"Of course.. I'll do my best," Rarity sighed, looking somewhat depressed about what she had to do tomorrow.

As Twilight left Carousel Boutique, she felt somewhat confident that Rarity would do the right thing and tell Spike that this crush on her should end. And that his transformation wouldn't make her magically fall in love with him. So until Rarity goes and sees him, there's nothing else she can do at this point. For now, she'll go out and see Princess Celestia to ensure Spike is doing okay. She flew off into the air heading towards Canterlot, hoping that her best assistant wasn't causing too much trouble.

Sike spent the entire evening going through the most tedious and dull activities, attending an opera, going to an art gallery, playing croquet (which he somehow won without knowing how to play), and eating at some posh restaurant. But despite never being raised by such posh ponies, he was surprised at how well he could mingle with these kinds of ponies. The former drake was now at some dull charity ball as he was sitting by with some other rich and fancy-looking ponies who were all gossiping and chatting; they were all fascinated with him and talking a storm about how handsome he was and how amazing it was to know there was another prince. He, of course, did his best to keep up with the lies. But the truth was he hated this life, the stuffiness of these ponies, how Blueblood mocked every commoner they walked by, their attitudes, and how they acted as if they owned everything. They seem not to care about any pony but themselves. Spike hoped that after his date, he'll return to Ponyville, as he intended to avoid becoming like these rich dirtbags. Still, until then, he'll play the part just so he can sell the lies he told Rarity tomorrow about being a prince.

One of the stuck-up older mares turned towards him and asked, "So, Prince Spearheart Prince Blueblood mentioned you'll be hosting a gala?"

Spike instantly stood up and exclaimed, "Y…yes, it's my welcoming home party!"

A rather posh stallion trotted over as he was a handsome-looking stallion with a combed blue mane and sporting a mustache. Still, despite his class, he also seemed to be relatively intelligent as he welcomed him. "Well, you have to invite everypony. Not every day a descendant of Princess Platinum comes strolling into town."

"Ahahhaha? Yeah, I um…uh was living out in the boonies for some time," Spike quickly replied as he adjusted his bowtie, looking somewhat nervous now, seeing he had to keep up with his lies to seem legit. "Um…uh, who are you?"

The stallion smiled at him, then took a hoof out and said, "Fancy Pants, my lord."

Spike gave a small gasp of surprise as he remembered how much Rarity had told him about this pony. Of all the rich ponies in Canterlot, he seemed to be the nicest and said, "Ah yes, Fancy Pants, it's good to meet you!"

Most of the posh ponies just nodded their heads. They laughed obnoxiously as Fancy Pants looked suspicious and asked, "Oh, I see!?" He turned towards the white-coated stallion and asked, "and Prince Blueblood have you confirmed this for yourself?"

Princess Celestia's nephew cleared his throat and exclaimed, "Oh yes! The stallion is one of my descendants, a third cousin removed. His side of the family was lost to the histories, but he's definitely royalty."

"Yeah..t.. that's right! I had a book on my family showing I'm a descendant of Princess Platinum!" Spike quickly stammered. He turned to Prince Blueblood, wondering why he would lie for him. He was teaching him to be posher, but he couldn't tell if he had bought his story about being a lost prince. But then Fancy Pants interrupted his thoughts. "Now, I assume we should have this party tonight, then? The sooner, the better, I say! The entire kingdom should know of your return to Canterlot!"

"T…tonight?" Spike squealed, surprised at how soon they wanted to throw him a party he hoped they would do a few days from now when he was back to being a dragon.

"Yes, tonight? We can host it at my manor! I just love throwing galas!" Fancy Pants exclaimed.

His wife Fleur blushed as she interrupted and said, "you forget, my dear, it's being renovated."

"Oh, you're right! Blast!" Fancy Pants shouted as he stomped a hoof on the ground.

Spike blinked, seeing this as an opportunity to show off the run-down manor he had transformed into a royal mansion but simultaneously was a bit nervous seeing the mice he turned to staff may seem odd. He was also unsure how to throw a lavish party for these posh ponies.

Fancy Pants turned to face the former drake and asked, "oh, and where are you staying currently?

“Oh…uh…I renovated a run-down manor near the east side of Canterlot," Spike quickly squeaked out.

Fancy Pants was rather excited, then exclaimed, "Oh my!? It's renovated already? That place has been abandoned for years! It became such a hazard we had it condemned!"

Another posh mare trotted over and asked, "how in Equestria did you have that manor renovated so fast!?"

Spike felt his forehead which was now pouring sweat. He couldn't show these posh ponies his newfound powers as it would terrify them. He had to come up with a convincing lie quickly. "Uh um…I have a great team of servants who quickly helped me finish the work. I only hire the best!"

"Oh yes, that's true. I do the same," Fancy Pants commented as many of the posh ponies clopped their hooves and gave their obnoxious laughter. They continued congratulating him as he took a moment by taking Prince Blueblood and then ran down the hall. He whispered, "Hey, Prince Blueblood, if I'm hosting a party at my manor, I must leave to get everything ready."

"Oh, you're absolutely right! I'll stay here and continue spreading the word about you. You should get going."

Spike just gave a nod and trotted off as quickly as he could without disturbing the other guests, but as he was going down a hall from the opera. Prince Blueblood was nearby, cleared his throat, and added, "Keep in mind that Canterlot's elite ponies will all be attending. If you want to make a good impression, I suggest ensuring everything is perfect for the evening."

"R..right…" Spike gulped as he ran off to his chariot and set a course to his manor. He was starting to get worried, but he had no choice, but if he wanted to have a chance with Rarity, he had to show he could hang out with the classiest ponies in Equestria! As he rode off through the streets, he wondered how he would pull this off!?

Chapter Four: An Old Flame Reignites

Spike spent the next few hours trying to return to his manor and then went to ensure everything was perfect for the party that he was planning. He went out and hired a catering company for the food. He then went to get an orchestra to come to the party. He even had Lemon Hearts organize everything, as he had no skills to do it himself. Once all the preparations were in place, the former drake could finally relax. He went to his room and relaxed on his bed, seeming out of breath. Then he noticed an owl overhead looking down at him; it didn't. It didn't take long until Spike noticed it was Owlowiscious! He should've known Twilight had probably sent her pet owl to spy on him.

"Come on!? Can't she treat me like a toddler every five seconds?"

Spike then got up and turned to see the owl flying down towards him and landing next to the drake with his wings crossed over his chest. He then asked, "come on, you've been spying on me!?"

Owlwishes came over and nodded, then gave a "hoot."

The drake turned to face the owl and explained, "Look, I know Twilight probably ordered you to tell her everything I've been doing, but ya gotta listen to me! I swear I'm only using my powers until tomorrow."

The owl just crossed his wings and gave another "hoot."

"Seriously, I promise, look…I know Rarity doesn't take me crushing on her seriously, and I don't really have a chance with her as a baby dragon. But if I show her how mature I am when I turn back into a dragon, maybe we can make things work."

Owlowiscious slammed a wing to its face and shook his head.

Spike eyed him and then snapped, "you don't trust me!? Fine, don't I'll just prove you wrong!"

The owl just rolled his eyes, unfurled his wings, and was going to leave, but before Spike shouted, "if you leave, you'll just tell Twilight what I've been up to; sorry, but I can't allow that!"

He then lit his horn, and bright green magic tendrils unfurled and wrapped around Owlowiscious. He was then transformed into a griffin with his tiny body grown out and being that of a lion; his head was squarish and weather squat. Not only was Owlowiscious a griffin, but he was also sitting on his nose wearing a pair of spectacles and a tuxedo. The griffin was rather posh, looking like a butler with a tuxedo. "My goodness, what did you do to me?"

Spike was instead surprised himself and said, "well…I…I turned you into a butler!"

"Why would you do that!?"

"Because you're going to tell Twilight on me and ruin everything!"

Owlowiscious pulled at his feathers and then shouted, "are you serious!? Blast Spike! You know that this isn't going to work, and this will all blow up in your face!"

"How do you know!?"

"Because you just turned me into a butler griffin, you could've turned me into a clock, book, or anything! But you turned me into a sentient creature that can talk because you need someone to talk you out of this mess before things go out of control!"

Spike paused, seeming somewhat receptive to Owlowiscious, but then he heard a voice. Come on, Spike, what does this owl know? You're one night away from finally being Rarity's coltfriend. Don't mess this up! Don't let him ruin your plans!

Spike shook his head "no," then said, "you're right; I need to keep myself in check to ensure this chaos magic doesn't hurt ponies, but other than that, I'm not going to give up."

"Spike!"

"Don't call me Spike, my name is Prince Spearheart, and you will address me as such!"

Owlowiscious rolled his eyes, then snapped, "you're just acting like a petulant child all Twilight, and I want is to keep you safe."

"Well, I don't need to be kept safe. I'm perfectly fine, now you're my servant, and you must do as I say!" Spike shouted.

Owlowiscious wanted to fight back, but he seemed unable to disobey Spike as there was a green glow in his eyes as he bowed and said, "yes, Lord Spearheart, I will do as you ask."

"Splendid! Now you'll keep the other butlers and maids working and ensuring everything goes smoothly."

"Yes, my lord."

Spike felt terrible for doing this to Owlowiscious. But he didn't want Twilight ruining his plans and waved a hoof, "all right now, please leave. I wish to be alone."

"Yes, my lord," Owlowiscious grumbled under his breath, and then he walked off as Spike lay on his bed and looked up at the ceiling, wondering how long he could keep this up!

Spike was now attending the party that he was hosting with the hundreds of fancy ponies being catered to by his maids and butlers. Owlowiscious was at the front door taking coats and hats as everything seemed to be working well, with many seeing him as a prince, and they didn't seem to be questioning his claims. In fact, everything was going smoothly, but as the party was getting into full swing, Prince Blueblood burst through the front, strutting through the crowd without any shame. He brought an entourage of a dozen of the rich and famous along with him. They were all chatting up a storm and being rather boisterous as Prince Blueblood waved a hoof and said, "Prince Spearheart! It's good to see you again!"

"Good Evening Prince Blueblood. I'm so happy to see you!" Prince Spearheart cheered.

The two princes bowed before each other before leaving to continue their conversation about their days and gossiping amongst the other pompous ponies. As the party continued, Spike noticed that many of the posh ponies copied whatever the princes did, from picking horderves to drinking tea. Eventually, things seemed to have quieted down, and Spike wasn't sure how to liven the party up more, so he quickly went to the head of the crowd. He clanked his glass with a spoon with many ponies, then turned towards him.

Spike cleared his throat and started his speech, "I want to thank everypony for attending tonight's gala. I have to admit I was not sure anypony would ever believe I was a prince without Prince Blueblood and, with his efforts, was able to make this night successful."

With that, everypony applauded, and then they turned towards Prince Blueblood, who bowed in response then said, "thank you for the compliment, cousin. I am delighted to have attended your gala."

Spike raised his glass above his head and exclaimed, "Now drink, dance, and be merry!"

Everypony cheered, and as the party was about to continue, Princess Celestia trotted into the room, and everypony started to bow.

The alicorn princess casually waved a hoof at her subjects, then said, "please don't be alarmed, I just heard there was a party, and I wanted to attend!"

She turned and eyed Spike, who gulped as she approached him and said, "So you're Prince Spearheart, I assume."

The former drake gulped, then whispered, "Yes, my name is Prince Spearheart."

"Well, Prince Spearheart, would you like to speak privately."

“Um…o…ok…”

The two trotted off to a nearby room where Princess Celestia placed a spell on the walls to ensure no pony overheard what they were discussing. She then turned towards the purple-coated stallion and said, "hello, Spike."

"P…Princess Celestia, you're mistaken. I'm not Spike."

The alicorn rolled her eyes and then gave an exasperated sigh, "Spike, it's not hard to see. It's you."

She looked around and said, "not that I'm disappointed in making this place look better or you playing prince, but this is all coming from chaos magic, and it's controlling you."

"Princess Celestia, listen… There's a reason for this. I'm trying to get with Rarity; this is the only way I know how."

Princess Celestia's cheeks flushed red, seeming to take a moment before she said, "Spike, listen, I know your feelings for Rarity more than you realize."

"Really!?"

Princess Celestia paused, seeming unsure, but then a faint green glow could be seen in her eyes, and whispered, "yes, it was a long time ago, but I once had a forbidden love…We spent many nights together…alone…"

She trailed off as the green glow in her eyes flickered like a flame, with tears forming on the sides. The princess wiped her face before continuing, "however, our love was not to be if we kept seeing each other; it could've spelled disaster for our entire world. But despite knowing the consequences, I selfishly kept seeing him. If it weren't for Starswirl the Bearded knocking some sense into me, I might've ended the whole world."

Spike blinked, surprised by the story; despite knowing the princess pretty well, he never knew she had a secret lover. He lowered his and whispered, "I'm sorry to hear that."

The alicorn princess took a moment to wipe her tears and regain her regal bearing before replying, "It's ok, Spike; it was a long time ago, and trust me, other than sending my sister to the moon, breaking off with my love, that was one of the hardest things that I had to do."

"You're right; that sounds horrible…but what I'm doing is different. I know this power can overtake me and do things I don't mean to, but I'm learning to control it, please! Just let me do this for one day."

Princess Celestia looked at him, seeing how desperate he was, and then sighed, "you remind me of myself when I was young…honestly, even if I took you back to the castle, you'll find a way to escape…"

She looked back at Spike, seeing his puppy dog eyes, and relented, "alright, you can play prince until you have your date with Rarity. But before I let you go, you must make a few promises."

Spike squealed in delight and exclaimed, "absolutely!"

Princess Celestia eyed him, and Spike calmed down as she said, "First, When you're on your date with Rarity, you will tell her the truth about who you really are."

Spike gulped and lowered his head. He was already planning to do that, but it still was something he was nervous about doing as he stammered, "o…ok…"

"Two, after the date, you will hold a press conference and tell everypony about the chaos magic that turned you into a prince. You will have to expose yourself and say that everything about you being royalty was a lie, that you're not a prince, so there isn't any confusion."

"Consider it done!" Spike exclaimed; despite enjoying the power and prestige that came from being a prince, he disliked hanging with these rude posh ponies, so revealing he was just a baby dragon and ruining his reputation wouldn't be too much of an issue.

"Three, after the date, you come to me, and we'll figure out how to get rid of your chaos magic together. I'll talk to Twilight to see what she's discovered."

"I understand, Princess."

Princess Celestia eyed him, seeming somewhat unsure of this decision, then said, "I'm serious, Spike; you better follow through with these promises."

"I know! I know! Trust me; I always keep my promises; it's a part of my dragon code!"

The alicorn princess gave a short nod, then said, "Alright, if you keep hold to these promises, you may continue playing a prince and have your date with Rarity. But if you break any of them, I will end this before things get out of control."

"I…I understand."

Princess Celestia then bent down to his level, hugged him with her wings, and whispered, "listen, regardless of what happens tomorrow, you can come to me for anything. I want you to be happy, but I also want you to be safe. Chaos magic isn't something you should trifle with."

"Don't worry; I'll be fine…Thank you, princess," Spike whispered back, slightly bashful and somewhat surprised by Princess Celestia's demeanor.

Princess Celestia then got up, escorted Spike to the party, and took a moment to give a speech. "Thank you, everypony. I came here to talk to this new prince, and at the moment, I cannot confirm or deny he's a prince. But for now, please continue to enjoy your party and make his stay in Canterlot comfortable."

With that, everypony in the room bowed once more as she went outside. Still, as Celestia took in the night air, she turned to face the former drake and asked, "oh, before I forget have you seen a pair of royal guards? I sent two to escort you to my castle earlier, and they haven't reported back to me all day?"

Spike gulped with a worried look on his face seeing he was going to fess up, turning her guards into feral steeds, making him play with a bowtie, "about that…"

After a harsh scolding for abusing his chaos magic, Spike transformed his feral steeds into normal royal guards. After apologizing, Princess Celestia left with her guards and flew into the air. Spike adjusted his bowtie and then gave a sigh of relief. He thought that she would have stopped everything, but she seemed to be possessed, unable to stop him. Also, the former drake was somewhat surprised at how she told him about a long-lost lover. She didn't go into details, but it touched him, and he wanted to learn more. However, something felt off about how she exposed herself as if she were forced as he whispered to himself, "how did that happen?"

"Because of me."

Spike blinked, somewhat confused by the voice speaking in his head again, and then asked, "who was that?"

Who else but you're conscious."

"Oh…ok…so you helped bring up memories of Princess Celestia's coltfriend so she would empathize with my situation?"

"If I hadn't, she would've stopped our plans, or we would've had to transform her into something to keep that from happening."

"Seriously!? I would never harm the princess!"

"Of course, but now that Princess Celestia is ok with your plans, we can finish this absurd party! Then from there, it's smooth sailing from here on out. This party will be in the papers confirming your legitimacy as a prince. You'll go to Rarity and escort her to your lavish manor. Once we take her to a fancy restaurant, you'll proclaim your love! Once then, you'll have everything you want."

"Yes, but…we will return everything to normal after the date, right!? We made a promise to Princess Celestia we would!"

"Of course! Once Rarity is in love, what else would we need for this prince's body? She'll realize all of this is just a costume; she'll see how mature and regal you are regardless of the fact you're a young dragon and be infatuated with you. I can age you a bit to make you around Rarity's age to keep things from being awkward. Trust me; you're in good hooves, just relax and enjoy your party.

Spike didn't trust this mysterious voice, wondering if the chaos magic was manifesting a spirit or, worse, a double consciousness in his mind. This was making him a bit scared, but he was set on doing what he promised after his date with Rarity he would end all of this and go to Princess Celestia to help him get rid of this magical presence. But until then, he did as the voice suggested as he trotted back into his manor. As he went back indoors, Owlowiscious gave him a glare and growled, "Enjoy your evening night out, my lord?"

Spike gave the griffin a sneer and snapped, "yes, I did! Princess Celestia has told me she will allow me to continue this charade until after my date with Rarity."

Owlowiscious continued to eye him as he growled, "you didn't use your newfound powers to alter her mind, did you?"

"What! of course not!" Spike lied, "the princess empathized with my situation. Believe it or not, she also had a lover, but Starswirl the Bearded kept her from seeing him, so she knows exactly what I'm going through."

"Did he have a good reason for doing so? From Twilight's books, Starswirl the Bearded was rather wise and wouldn't have barred the princess from seeing him if there wasn't a good reason for it."

"Does it matter!? You're acting just like that old wizard!" Spike quickly snapped, leaving out the details about how the love between Princess Celestia and this lover could've ended Equestria, and continued, "but unlike Princess Celestia, I won't have somepony keep me from my love! Just watch. I'll prove you and Twilight wrong!"

He then threw his head up and trotted off towards Prince Blueblood. The white-coated unicorn then turned towards him and asked, "are you alright? You've been absent for quite some time?"

"Yes, everything is fine…Princess Celestia prattled on about some old flame," Spike responded quickly without thinking.

Everypony around him gasped as Blueblood's eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "my aunt had an old flame! Please do tell! Don't leave out any details."

Spike gulped, feeling somewhat bad for exposing Princess Celestia's secret. Still, at the same time, he enjoyed having everyone's undivided attention. At the very least, he'll stay vague about the details. He was somewhat relieved she didn't reveal who this old lover was and said, "alright…um, I don't know much, but I'll do my best to relay what she told me."

He and Prince Blueblood then began chatting once more. Spike was feeling much more confident about everything. Princess Celestia will help him get through his date and cover for him. Then by this time tomorrow, both Twilight and Owlowiscious will see he was right, and nothing will stop him from achieving that goal.

Chapter Five: The Date

The following morning, Rarity sat in her rather elegant kitchen, drinking a small glass of tea as she read the newspaper. She was reading it rather intensely with Prince Spearheart's successful party and many of Canterlot's elite calling him the most prized bachelor in Equestria. She was amazed at the story, and despite what Twilight said earlier, she couldn't help but shake that maybe this Prince Spearheart was the real deal and not Spike in daisies. Of course, Twilight wouldn't lie to her about such a thing, but perhaps she was just mistaken? Celestia knows when she gets into a manic state; she isn't always in the best state of mind. But she won't rule out Twilight's theory that this mysterious prince isn't Spike; she'll go with him on this date and figure out the truth herself.

Rarity folded the newspaper, dabbed her lips then set off down the road to the spa as she prepared for her date.

Meanwhile, Spike was in his much more grandiose kitchen, where he was eating his favorite breakfast pancakes with gems baked into them. His servants were going about their duties, cooking and cleaning around him as he sat at his freshly polished dinner table. He was reading the same newspaper with a smile on his face. He felt like he had already succeeded in selling him as a prince to Rarity. He folded the newspaper and looked up at the chandelier overhead as he daydreamed about his date tonight. As a servant came by to clear the table, Owlowiscious stood by, looking rather angry. Spike couldn't help but gloat over proving the old bird wrong.

The drake turned towards his old friend and asked, "Hey Owlowiscious, did you read the paper!?"

The griffin didn't look amused as he said, "I did."

"And…" Spike asked with his voice trailing.

The griffin then rolled his eyes then said, "and she'll see right through you."

The drake groaned angrily, then snapped, "even if she does! She'll be curious and go on a date with me!"

Owlowiscious glared at the false prince and asked, "Is that when you will tell her the truth?"

"Of course! Ugh, you still think this isn't going to work?"

Owlowiscious placed a wing over his face, shook his head, and said, "Spike, I think you believe this will work, but that's not how reality works. You can change everything about yourself, your appearance, and your actions. But you can't force somepony to love you.

"I'm not trying to force her! I just want her to give me a chance!" Spike shouted.

He was now getting frustrated with his griffin; it didn't matter what he said; the only way to show him he was wrong was after his date with Rarity was a success. He then rose from the table, "forget this. I will go make a reservation at the fanciest restaurant in Canterlot." He threw his hooves up, rose from the table, and stomped off.

Spike stomping eventually turned to a light trot as he went down Restaurant Row. It was still quite early in the morning. Hence, the streets were primarily vacant, with a few ponies going about having brunches. He got many kind looks, with many ponies waving their hooves at him. He eventually came upon the Princess's Palace, a massive regal, looking restaurant with a vast dining area and a ballroom and looking as extravagant as it does in the magazine he read about the highest-rated restaurant in restaurant row. But getting a reservation was nearly impossible. He hoped his prestige from last night's party would help with that.

He then went over to the front desk, where a rather handsome-looking stallion waiter was organizing things. He looked at Spearheart with an odd look, then asked, "Good Morning."

"Good Morning, good sir!" Spike proclaimed rather loudly. "I am Prince Spearheart! And I require a reservation for tonight for two!"

The waiter looked upward with an annoyed look on his face, then said, "ahh, I heard of you; you're looking for a reservation?"

"Yes, anytime tonight would be perfect, and remember, I am a prince," Spike showed off a smug grin just like Prince Blueblood had taught him."

"I see," The stallion looked at the schedule and said, "yes, I have an opening tonight."

"Really!"

"Yes, one year from now, you'll have a reservation opened on the same night."

Spike started to get furious and shouted, "Seriously!?"

"I do apologize, but we are normally completely booked. Getting a table on such short notice is near impossible."

Spike gnashed his teeth, resisting using his powers to turn the pompous waiter into a penguin, and grumbled under his breath, "well, I guess I'll have to find another restaurant."

"Yes, it seems you will; good day, sir."

Spike stomped off, grumbling to himself; that was when he saw a rundown-looking restaurant; he then looked around, thinking about how to remodel the decrepit manor, and saw an opportunity. If he can't get a reservation, he'll make his own five-star class restaurant! He lit his horn and began reorganizing things, making the walls and floor glisten with polished marble; there was a fountain in the middle with statues of himself and Rarity holding each other in their hooves as water spouted from them their mouths in a pool of water.

He then went about and used his powers to transform the building, fixing it up with ease. Then setting up a single table made of white oak and aligned with a purple tablecloth and with a bouquet of white roses centered in the middle.

"There, much better!"

Spike turned to see some rats scurrying about, and like before, with the rodents around his manor, his horn lit up with green magic and transformed them into chubby chefs and some into classy looking waiters.

"Wha… what's going on?" one asked, seeing himself outfitted with a white apron and puffy chef hats sitting on his heads.

"Y…yeah!? What is this?"

Spike smirked and threw his hooves, "it's simple, your chefs, and you'll be making the best food in Equestria!"

"Oh really?"

"Yes, now go and practice!" Spike ordered; he then went off to grab his other servants, have them keep the place in order, and make it look like a proper restaurant! He skipped off down the road with a smile on his face as he felt like everything was finally ready for his date tonight!

A few hours later…

Later that evening, Rarity was now dressed in a beautiful violet dress and waited for Prince Spearheart; she then heard the clopping of hooves and saw an elegant carriage with the handsome purple unicorn coming out of it. The stallion held his head high as he trotted out of his carriage, but upon seeing the mare in front of him, the stallion stopped in his tracks, and his mouth went agape.

Rarity blushed seeing her date wearing a fancy tuxedo and looking a lot like Spike when he saw her; she couldn't help but notice the resemblance, but she would need more evidence before she was certain it was him, "good evening Prince Spearheart shall we go on our date?"

"O…Of course!" The stallion quickly exclaimed; he trotted alongside his partner, took Rarity by the hoof, and then escorted her into the carriage. She then sat across from him as it started to move, and then she began to see his nervous disposition and how he would brush his hoof across his wavy mane just like Spike. Rarity could see that even from now, the chance of him being Spike was growing every second; she then asked, "so, Prince Spearheart, how did you get a reservation in Restaurant Row so soon?"

"Well…I pulled some strings being a prince and all…."

"Hmm, I see; you've been making quite an impression despite being rather anonymous for so long.

"Well, I have been endorsed by Prince Blueblood, and well…Princess Celestia didn't endorse me being a prince, but she seemed ok with me…."

"I see," Rarity replied somewhat reluctantly; that was a huge red flag as Princess Celestia would have extensive knowledge of the royal family. Seeing how Prince Blueblood was, she wouldn't trust his judgment on anything.

"Well, um, enough about me, how about yourself?" Prince Spearheart quickly asked.

Rarity put a hoof to her mouth and chuckled, "well, I guess it's a good idea to know each other, and seeing you told me so much about yourself, I'll begin."

During the carriage ride to the restaurant, Rarity went on about her life in Ponyville, how she grew up with a dream to become a famous fashionista and have her designs known across Equestria! She had plans to open a shop in Canterlot and is in Talks with a pony named Sassy Saddles. But then the carriage came to a stop, and a servant called out, "we're here!"

Rarity was then escorted out of the carriage and towards the restaurant; her eyes went wide with amazement upon seeing the structure glisten in the moonlight. She then went through the front door, and there she was, amazed at how beautiful everything looked: the glistening marble, statues, the musicians, and waiters going about their business; it was like a dream!

The fashionista gently sat down across from Prince Spearheart. They conversed while having a lovely dinner of fresh pasta dressed with a creamy tomato sauce, tofu balls, mushrooms, and olives garnished with basil. The meal was delicious, and Rarity was enjoying every bite of her meal. They talked much about the "Canterlot Elite" and how much they despise them.

Rarity remembered from the article she read and asked, "So Prince Spearheart, how was Prince Blueblood?"

The stallion finished a bite of his spaghetti before replying, "if I'm being honest and if this is off the record, I must admit he is quite a rude and pompous oaf."

"Quite right; he was so awful when I went to the Grand Galloping Gala with him." Rarity scoffed.

"He helped me get introduced into Canterlot society, but I cannot stand how he looks down at others and treats mares."

Rarity nodded as she looked into the prince's eyes, then asked, "I agree; I think you're much more refined than that pompous windbag."

The prince's cheeks went pink as he replied, "uh…thanks…."

Rarity dabbed her lips as she finished her meal, then asked, "would you like to dance?"

"Y…yes!" the stallion exclaimed. He then got up off the table, and then the two went to the dance floor and started to dance to the beat of the music playing. They continue to dance throughout the night, but Rarity felt that with everything, she can only conclude that what Twilight said was right; this prince was indeed Spike. She always saw his love for her as a childish fascination. She never took it seriously, but now he was influenced by chaos. She didn't mind playing along but should end this before things got too serious. Then the music suddenly stopped as they looked into each other's eyes. They went for a kiss, but then she took a hoof to his lips then whispered, "Spike, I know it's you."

"W…what!?" the stallion stammered, "no, your mistaken; who is this Spike you're talking about?"

Rarity rolled her eyes, then sighed, "Spike, this is lovely, and I'm more than surprised you did all of this for me, but this has to end."

“I…I…” Spike groaned as he collapsed on the chair, then shouted, "Buck!"

Rarity slowly trotted over and whispered, "Spike, listen, I know you love me…but…you have to know this would never work."

Spike looked downward, looking somewhat depressed, and sighed, "yeah…I guess…I just thought you would take me more seriously."

Rarity placed a hoof on her cheek as she saw how sweet Spike was despite being so misguided. She wanted to reassure him that she appreciated everything he's done for her. She said, "Don't get me wrong, darling, you're an amazing dragon and would make a wonderful prince. But this…this isn't you."

Spike then Pulled at his own mane, and he seemed he wanted to shout and scream out all kinds of profanities, but he relented as he plopped back down into his chair and then gave a deflated, "fine, you win…I was wrong lying to you and pretending to be a prince."

He then looked upwards at her and asked, "are we still friends?"

Rarity came over and hugged him, saying, "of course, I value your friendship as much as I do with Twilight and all the others."

At that moment, that prideful demeanor Spike put on had faded, leaving a sheepish, blushing stallion who then said, "well…I…I guess this can end then…."

At that moment, all the magic started to fade from Spike's eyes; the restaurant around them began to regress to its decrepit state as the chefs and waiters turned back to rodents. As the rats and mice scurried off, Rarity cried out as Spike caught her. She turned to see he was back in his dragon form and sighed in relief, "thank you, Spike...though I have to ask did you have rats cook the food?"

"Well, they were five-star chefs," Spike responded squeamishly. Although the chefs were enchanted to be pony chefs, Rarity made a mental note to wash out her mouth with some mouthwash before bed.

"Well, I believe that is enough excitement for me for one night," Rarity responded as she held a hoof, "would you mind escorting me home?"

"Of course!" Spike exclaimed excitedly as Rarity felt relieved that despite being unable to win her heart, it seemed the young drake was more than ok with them just being friends.

But as they walked out onto the cobblestone streets, an aura of blue magic surrounded Rarity. She was suddenly hoisted into the air. Spike ran after her, and she cried and screamed, trying to break the magic bonds around her. As the mare levitated in the air, she turned around and saw that Blueblood was in the air with two massive white wings, elongated horn, and glowing green eyes.

"Prince Blueblood, what in Equestria do you think you're doing!"

"Just getting some revenge for humiliating me at the gala!" Blueblood jeered as he looked downward at the stubby purple-scaled dragon who shouted, "Blueblood bring Rarity back now!"

"Sorry, not going to happen!"

"But why!? Weren't we becoming friends?"

"Friends!? I would never be friends with a dragon," Prince Blueblood replied as he stuck his nose up, then continued, "You honestly think I would believe Prince Spearheart was really a prince? I just used you to lure Rarity here and waited for the chaos magic you inherited to come to me once she rejected your advances! Now I'm the most powerful being in Equestria!"

"Blueblood, you're obviously being influenced by chaos magic! Release me now, and we can help you." Rarity insisted.

Blueblood's sneer turned into an angry glare as he snapped, "as if you made a fool of me at the grand galloping gala, and yet I still love you. But knowing how you are will make you much more docile and obedient until we're officially married!"

Then Rarity's body began to change from warm fleshy to cold, stiff porcelain; she tried to talk but could barely move as she became a lifeless porcelain doll. Blueblood then flew off towards what appeared to be an ivory tower in the distance where Spike's old manor used to be. But despite Rarity's inability to move, she could see Spike running after her. She wanted to shout at him to get help, but it seemed he would try rescuing her himself.

Chapter Six: Rescuing Rarity

Spike was running across the city of Canterlot and feeling rather helpless; staring up at the tower, he couldn't help but feel guilty and stupid that he didn't see Blueblood's betrayal! He was so blind and stupid to believe that Prince Blueblood couldn't tell he was in disguise! Despite that, there was no use in mulling over past decisions, and the drake continued to run towards the tower seeing it coming closer. He then slowly approached the base of the tower and saw that there was a single set of gold doors, and standing in front of them, he spotted a familiar griffin. He squinted his eyes, got a better look, and saw that the griffin in question was rather scholarly and posh like how he was before and squinted and gasped, "Owlowiscious!?"

"There you are!" Owlowiscious cried out worriedly; he fluttered over and then asked, "Spike! I just saw Prince Blueblood as an alicorn foalnap Rarity! What is going on here!?"

Spike sighed, then said, "listen, I finally did as you suggested. I told Rarity the truth, and she rejected me. But that's not why this appeared!" he threw a claw up at the ivory tower, now trailing upward into the sky. "After I let go of trying to get Rarity to love me, Prince Blueblood took the dark magic and kidnapped her."

"Dear Celestia! We need to find Twilight and her friends! They can put a stop to this whole mess!"

Spike agreed but shook his head and said, "No, without Rarity, they can't use the elements of harmony, and Prince Blueblood is as powerful as Discord at this point."

"Then we find Discord! As Much as I despise him, he is at least reformed and can aid us!"

Spike looked upward at the tower and grumbled, "we could, but by the time we convince Discord to help, Blueblood would have officially married Rarity by then or worse. On top of that, we have no idea if he'll even help; he can take advantage of the situation seeing that without Rarity, the Elements of Harmony won't be able to keep him in check. The only way we're going to rescue her is by you doing what you did to me?"

"And what's that exactly?" Owlowiscious asked with confusion.

Spike's stern look turned into a playful smirk as he said, "talk his ear off and make him see reason."

The griffin chuckled and said in response, "splendid idea!"

Spike turned to face his old friend, held out a claw, and asked, "So, are we in agreement that we rescue Rarity tonight?"

Owlowiscious eyed him and said, "before we go, why are you doing this?

"I'm sorry for not listening to you earlier. You were right, but I'm not doing this to impress Rarity, get my powers, or become a prince again. I want to save her and Prince Blueblood," Spike responded firmly.

"Then we are in agreement," A smile grew over the griffin's face as he held out a talon and shook Spike's claw.

Spike kicked open the doors and saw a spiraling staircase filled with portraits of Blueblood Spike made a "bleh" sound and started this trek up the stairs. Spike was a bit nervous at first, wondering if there would be traps or soldiers trying to stop them. Still, as he continued to walk up the stairs, the trek was a deterrent enough as sweat poured down his forehead, and he started to feel his legs grow heavy. He eventually came upon a long hall with a dark purple carpet filled with pegasi soldiers standing guard. Spike blinked as he saw the whiskers on their faces and oversized buck teeth and recognized the soldiers as his former servants who were once rodents!

Spike whispered into Owlowiscious's ear, "wait for a second; if Blueblood is using my servants, why aren't you affected?"

Owlowiscious' sighed, "I have no idea I wasn't in your manor when Blueblood turned it into a tower."

"Why weren't you at the manor?" Spike asked rather suspiciously.

The griffin rolled his eyes and said, "Well, I followed you after you left to keep an eye on you."

"You what!?"

"Well, I didn't trust you! If you did anything to harm or coerce Rarity into being your coltfriend, I would've tried to stop you!"

"Well, that's just great! Can't you ever stop treating me like a child!"

"Well, if you weren't acting like a spoiled foal, maybe I wouldn't have to!"

Just then, they heard a loud clink! noise and they all turned to see that the guards were now pointing their spears at them. Spike gulped, not knowing how he would get past them, seeing he wasn't sure what he could do without his powers.

Owlowiscious stood before him and said, "listen, you have no chance to overpower Prince Blueblood, but just like Rarity was able to convince you to abandon these dark powers, you can do the same for Prince Blueblood. If you don't, I fear Rarity will be his thrall for the rest of her life."

Spike groaned, "did you have to remind me," as he was feeling the pressure that was a lot to be put on his shoulders. On top of all the guilt as he knew that if it weren't for him, none of this wouldn't be happening.

The griffin then looked down at him and said, "listen, I apologize for not trusting you; despite my misgivings, you did the right thing in the end. I should've had more faith in you, Spike."

The young drake looked up and saw that Owlowiscious genuinely meant what he said.

Spike was starting to feel more confident, but there still lay the issue with the guards standing across from them with their spears out. He knew that with Blueblood's magic, they probably were trained as soldiers and said, "I understand, but forget all that! How do we get past these guys!?"

Owlowiscious fixed the tie around his neck, adjusted his spectacles, then started walking towards them and, with a smirk, said, "just leave that to me! "He then cracked his neck as he stood up on his back paws, held up his claws, getting ready to fight, and said, "I've read an entire book on martial arts, and now I have a body to utilize that knowledge."

He got up and waited until the soldiers thrust their weapons toward him. Owlowiscious started to deflect them, knocking their spears away with ease. He then would use his wings and talons to casually knock out the soldiers one by one smacking them around flawlessly without incurring any wounds himself. It wasn't long until the small squad of soldiers were knocked out on the ground and lying prone on the floor. Owlowiscious then turned around with a smirk at Spike and said, "well, it seems that I'm starting to enjoy this new body."

Upon seeing how insanely good Owlowiscious was at fighting, Spike's mouth was wide open. He quickly shook his head, feeling a pang of jealousy as he said, "Yeah, don't get used to it; you're going to be an owl after this."

"Oh, ho! Maybe I can convince Twilight I would be much more useful in this body, and she'll let me stay like this!

"As if!? If I can't stay a hot unicorn stallion, you don't get to be a badass griffin!" Spike jeered.

"There they are after them! They can't stop the wedding!" the rest of the servants roared.

The two turned to see another contagion of guards come in front of the stairwell they just came from. Owlowiscious turned to face the new foes; he then flared his wings and shouted, "Spike, get going! I'll hold them off!"

Spike groaned; he didn't want to leave Owlowiscious behind, but at this point, the drake didn't have a choice. If he doesn't, Rarity will be forced to marry Prince Blueblood against her will, and he can't let that happen!

"Ok, Owlowiscious! Hold them off; I'll get Rarity!" Spike then sprinted back down the hall towards two massive gold doors and burst through them into a chapel.

The chapel room was overly elaborate, with a dark blue carpet leading through rows of church benches that lined either side of the room. On the sides were stained glass windows depicting Blueblood as an alicorn prince. And there standing at the altar was Rarity standing as still as a statue with her glossy eyes and curved painted smile. Across from her was the gallant-looking Prince Blueblood in his tuxedo with a playful smirk across his face. But as the drake burst into the room, the prince glared at Spike and shouted, "it's too late, Spike! We were about to give our vows and legally bind this marriage!" He pointed to a copy of Princess Celestia. Still, this version had buck teeth and whiskers on her cheeks, indicating it was a mouse transformed into a copy of her. She held out a long scroll with Celestia's signature formed on a document.

"With who proceeding? With what witnesses!? This marriage is void even if I didn't come to a stop it!" Spike shouted; he then snapped, "this is insane, Blueblood; just stop this, and we can pretend like this never happened!"

The alicorn prince turned to face Spike with his glaring green eyes and wings flaring as he shouted, "Insane!? Insanity was the night this mare decided to make a fool of me! Insanity was pretending to be your friend and vouching for you with your obvious lies! Insanity is always the gum stuck to everypony's horseshoe when I should be treated as a prince!"

Spike was a bit stunned by everything Prince Blueblood was saying as it sounded like how he was just the other day, and he realized how entitled he had acted before. Spike sighed, "Listen, Blueblood, I can't stop you; you could turn me into a statue, a toad, or even a pile of ash. But the truth is Rarity will never love you. She will just be a toy or a statue, and I would've done the same to her. This magic is corrupting you and making your worst inclinations come out. If you allow it to grow, you will only worse until you're no better than King Sombra!"

"Shut up!" you don't know anything about me!" Prince Blueblood roared; he then turned his horn, pointing it at Spike with the tip glowing green. Spike stood there shaking, scared at what Blueblood would do to him. Still, then Owlowiscious' voice came into his mind. He had to say something to get Blueblood to snap out of whatever the chaos magic that was controlling him and asked, "Blueblood is this how you're going to win Rarity's love by killing me?"

The prince paused as he slowly lowered his gaze with the horn dimming. "I…I don't want to hurt you…I just…"

"I know, you just want Rarity to love you, but we can't force that on her. She had to choose us, and even if she doesn't, we have to accept that," Spike responded rather bluntly, as despite feeling the truth in those words, they still hurt.

Spike clenched his fists and waited to be hit by a blast of magic. Still, instead, he saw tears begin to fill the unicorn's eyes and the green hue drift away, and as it did, the prince's wings evaporated into green dust as well. As the magic dissipated, leaving Prince Blueblood looking confused. As he looked around the room with a surprised expression on his face, he had snapped out of the magic that had him in its clutches. Then Rarity started to move as the enchantment on her also began to break. The fashionista blinked, confused, looked around, and asked, "what's happening? Where am I?"

Prince Blueblood turned towards her and stammered, "I…I foalnapped you, but…that wasn't me I...I was being controlled."

Just then, the entire tower began to shake and rumble, with the ceiling starting to collapse on top of them. Spike shouted, "we can catch up later! For now, we need to get out of here!"

But just as the tower began to crumble around them, Owlowiscious came bursting through the door and soared into the chapel catching Spike, Blueblood, and Rarity into his talons, threw the three onto his back, and flew out through one of the stained glass windows and soared into the night sky. Spike turned to see the ivory tower crumble, with the bricks turning into a cloud of fine green dust until all that was left was the decrypted manor. Spike couldn't help but see that despite it once being a posh manor and an ivory tower, it would always be a run-down, abandoned manor and no amount of magic can change what you are on the inside.

When Owlowiscious arrived in Ponyville, it was still night, with the only light being the silvery glow from the moon shining down as the griffin dropped Spike and Rarity together, with the fashionista looking rather woozy and seeming to look rather faint with her wedding. Spike came over and helped her as Blueblood nervously stepped aside, looking somewhat guilty.

Rarity blinked, then said, "what happened last night? The last thing I remember was I was being foalnapped by somepony…" the mare then looked over at Prince Blueblood, pointed a hoof, and shouted, "it was you! You foalnapped me!"

The prince slowly stepped back with a nervous expression. "Look, I can explain! I didn't mean to do that; the dark magic it spoke of reminded me of how you embarrassed me at the Galloping Gala! I tried not to think about it, but it was like an urge I couldn't resist!"

Rarity eyed the prince, but Owlowiscious held up a talon and explained rather bluntly, "Rarity, I know it's hard to believe, but Prince Blueblood is telling the truth."

The fashionista blinked, staring at the griffin with wide eyes, and asked, "and who are you?"

The griffin blushed as he bowed and said, "you would've known me as Owlowiscious."

Rarity blinked with a confused, tired look, and the griffin sighed and added, "Twilight's pet owl."

"Oh!" Rarity cried out, but then she looked over the griffin, and she seemed to recognize resemblances to Twilight's pet owl and gasped, "you're telling the truth! How did you turn into a griffin!?"

Owlowiscious shrugged and said, "I can't honestly tell you why I am still a griffin. But I was transformed this way by the dark magic that once held both Spike and Prince Blueblood in its grasp," He then cleared his throat and continued, "as I tried to explain. The dark magic that transformed me is possessive, and their actions weren't done entirely of their own accord."

Prince Blueblood and Spike nodded "yes" but squeaked as Owlowiscious turned towards them with a glare and scolded them like foals. "But that doesn't take away the fact that both of you tossed Rarity around like a trophy without any regard for her well-being! I will fully report everything that transpired tonight to both Twilight and Princess Celestia."

Blueblood cried out in horror and was going to speak up, but Spike interrupted, holding up a claw, and said, "I understand; we both need to be held responsible."

"Well, hold on?" Rarity added; she slowly trotted over to Owlowiscious and said, "I don't think any punishment is necessary."
She turned towards the two and said, "I understand both of you wanting me to be your "special somepony" and having mixed feelings about me turning you both down."

Rarity first turned towards Prince Blueblood and said, "Listen, I had a deep crush on you before, but you're just so rude and horrible to ponies that aren't as regal as yourself. I think you should live here in Ponyville and get to know ponies outside of the posh friends you hang out with."

The prince gave a slight nod and said, "I…I understand."

Rarity turned to Spike and said, "and you, Spike, we already talked, and I know you're sorry for everything, but my decision from before still stands; all I ask is just keep being my friend, ok?"

Spike nodded and said, "will do Rarity."

She then turned towards Owlowiscious and asked, "So, is that all?"

"Well, if you're satisfied, then I am as well, I'll still write a report, but I'll make sure to let both Twilight and Princess Celestia know that no punishment is necessary," Owlowiscious responded with a smirk as he winked at Spike who grumbled a curse under his breath seeing the old bird was bluffing.

Rarity then let out a yawn and said, "well, it is rather late. And after this rather eventful night, I need a good night's rest."

"Yes, I assume Spike needs his rest as well," Owlowiscious responded as he bent a wing towards the drake, who gave a tired nod and plopped his flank onto Griffin's back.

Prince Blueblood slowly trotted towards Rarity and asked, "seeing that no trains are available and I'm far from my own manor, would you mind if I bunked with you tonight?"

Rarity groaned and waved a hoof, "come on, just don't expect me to cook or clean for you. You want breakfast; you'll have to get it yourself."

"Of course! I'll be self-sufficient," the prince squeaked, seeming to be relatively happy he was sleeping in a bed tonight.

Owlowiscious then soared into the air and headed to Golden Oaks library with Spike looking down at Rarity, who was looking at him. The drake couldn't help but be happy Rarity was safe and sound; that was all that mattered.

Chapter Seven: Tea

The next day came like any other, except Spike was now standing in Twilight's room with a guilty look as he awaited his punishment for all the chaos he had caused the day before. Twilight was sitting at her desk with a dozen of scrolls and crumpled pieces of paper with her eyes bleary and with bags under them showing she didn't get any sleep the previous night before. The mare turned towards the drake with an angry look in her eye and snapped, "you are so lucky that Rarity is so lenient."

"I know…" Spike mumbled; he just looked down at his clawed feet, feeling too guilty to make eye contact with Twilight. After a lengthy press conference with Prince Blueblood, the young drake was also tired. They confessed everything that occurred the day before to the public. Luckily most ponies were ok with what happened, seeing no harm befell anypony. Also, as Rarity wanted, she ensured the didn't receive any punishment as no one was technically hurt or harmed.

"Well, Master Spike has learned his lesson," Owlowiscious explained in his overly posh tone. The former owl was still a griffon holding a silver platter with a mug of coffee for both Twilight and Spike.

After serving the two their drinks, the griffin walked over to Twilight's side. It started to groom her frazzled mane with a comb and suggested, "Now I do know you were busy cleaning up Spike and Prince Blueblood's mess, but everything has been dealt with."

"Well, except for you," Twilight whispered sweetly as she gazed at her former owl. The alicorn was still somewhat surprised to see her former pet, now a talking griffin who has basically become her butler, as she whispered, "I still have no idea how you were immune to Blueblood's control when the enchanted book possessed him or why you didn't turn back to normal with the magic dissipated."

Owlowiscious shrugged in response and said, "well, consider this a welcome change for the time being."

Spike just sipped his coffee, silently mulling over everything. Despite the mixed emotions, it still felt like an extended fever dream, as he was more than happy that Rarity was safe and sound. Not only was he was mourning the loss of his hot sexy stallion body but also his one and only chance to be with Rarity.

"Spike…Spike?"

The little drake peered up, blinking his eyes as he must've been so lost in thought he couldn't hear Twilight speaking, and asked, "uh yeah?"

Twilight sighed as she pointed at a letter and said, "Rarity says she wants to have tea with you. Is that ok?"

The drake's weary demeanor suddenly vanished as he exclaimed, "say what!?"

"Yes, she asked if you were available to have tea. Honestly, I'm surprised as you are," Twilight responded in a shocked tone.

Spike quickly finished his coffee, gulping it down, then slammed it onto the platter and said, "well, there's no time to waste." The drake was about to leave, but then Twilight cleared her throat, and Spike slowly turned to face Twilight as she got up from her chair and was now on all fours. She bowed and said, "Spike, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I know most of this wasn't completely your fault. Princess Celestia explained you did what you did out of love and was glad to learn you followed her instructions."

"Thanks, Twilight. I am really sorry for lying to you-."

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around him, drifted her wings around him, and squeezed him as she said, "I'm just glad you're back safe and sound."

Spike paused, seeing she looked somewhat worried and scared, seeing she must've thought something horrible had happened to him the night before. It made him feel even more guilty, and he hugged her back as he responded, "it's ok, Twilight, don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

The alicorn broke off the embrace and brushed his spines before wiping the tears from her eyes. "Ok, Spike, go see Rarity. Tell me how things go when you get back, ok?"

"Alright," Spike whispered back; he then quickly bowed his head, rushed downstairs, and headed out the door.

It wasn't long until Spike was now in Carousel Boutique, sitting across from Rarity in her quaint, little polished kitchen, sipping tea and eating small pastries. The two were tense as they were silent throughout the meal. Eventually, Rarity looked up and asked, "so? How did the press conference go?"

Spike ran a claw down his face as he groaned loudly, "it was awful everypony was going to cause a riot. I was scared out of my mind!"

Rarity gasped, "I heard it was rather unpleasant…but after Celestia spoke, I assumed everything calmed down?"

"Yeah, things did; it was rather dull after Princess Celestia spoke about how Prince Blueblood and I were cursed with dark magic that gave us access to chaos magic. Then Prince Blueblood apologized and confessed that the dark magic played a part in why he lied about Prince Spearheart's validity as royalty."

Rarity nodded, listening intently as she sipped her tea, then commented, "sounds like quite a pickle you landed yourself in."

Spike couldn't help but chuckle as he sipped his cup and said, "yeah, I did, but it's over now. The princesses surveyed the areas where I used my chaos magic, and anything we transformed had reverted to its original state, including all the rodents."

Upon hearing about the rodents, Rarity almost spat out her tea as she dabbed her lips and said, "yes, about that."

Spike couldn't help but look somewhat guilty but said, "yes, it seemed some magical residue lingered, and they were found trying to perform chores and cooking at a manor. Lucky for us, we have Fluttershy, whose taken them under her wing."

"Well, I guess everything is mostly back to normal," Rarity squeaked with a shiver seeing she was still squeamish seeing all of the rodents that cooked her meal last night.

Spike couldn't help but smirk and said, "except for Owlowiscious."

The fashionista chuckled and said, "yes, seeing Twilight's pet owl as a griffin was quite something. Are there any plans to turn him back to normal?"

Spike shook his head and said, "no, as far as I know, he's staying that way; it's odd…I don't understand. I'm not a magic expert, but he should've reverted to normal."

Rarity shrugged, "I'm sure they can think of something, or he can stay like that. I have to admit he did look rather stunning as a griffin."

Spike groaned as it was terrible enough Owlowiscious was a much better assistant than him; now he was a posh butler to contend with; as he said, "don't get me started; Twilight's already getting too attached."

"Well, I don't think it's bad if Owlowiscious stayed as a griffin. I found him quite charming."

"Well, you didn't know him as an owl!"

The two suddenly burst into laughter. Rarity then sat back with tea in hoof then asked, "so…are you still mad at me?"

The drake shook his head and said, "no, I was never angry at you. You were right. I was forcing my wants and desires on you without your say, which was wrong of me."

"And…how about your feelings for me?"

Spike held his tea and said, "I agree; let's stay as friends…for now…."

"For now…" Rarity whispered back as they clinked their cups and sipped silently. After a moment of silence Spike felt like he should change the topic then asked, "So, how was Blueblood last night?"

Rarity rolled her eyes and let out a loud, exaggerated sigh, "oh, don't get me started."

It wasn't long until Rarity started to ramble about how rude Prince Blueblood was and how he was complaining about the spare guest room she had him sleep in and how he complained all the time about his breakfast, and how he was constantly getting up at night and asking for more blankets or a nightlight. Spike couldn't help but laugh and listen to Rarity complain about Blueblood as if he was her child. At this point the conversation was much more relaxing and felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulder just enjoying her company and not having this looming weight of trying to get her to see him as more than a friend. One day they could make a relationship work, but for now, this was fine, and Spike was content with himself just being a young single dragon.