Rarity levitated the pink scarf towards her and wrapped it around her neck, looking at herself in the mirror. "Fabulous as always Rarity." She complimented herself, batting her eyelashes and swaying her tail. A knock at her door bid her to, reluctantly, leave the mirror. She trotted to the door and opened it with her magic, smiling at the little dragon who stood there. "Hello Spike! Thank you for coming to help me collect gems, especially after that incident with the Diamond Dogs a couple years ago." She greeted, stepping into the cool Autumn morning.
Spike smiled at her. She was so beautiful; Her sapphire eyes, her ivory coat and that glossy purple mane. He admired her sleek form before snapping out of his momentary trance. "It's no problem Rarity! Twilight told me you said that we'd be going to a different spot this time." He replied, brushing off her unnecessary thanks.
Rarity gave him a smile before turning her attention to the wagon she was pulling behind her in her blue aura. "This wagon should come in handy if we get as many gems as last time. Do be a dear Spike and take this for me?" There was no hesitation as a purple claw grabbed the handle and Spike started pulling it behind him as they walked. She noticed he wasn't wearing anything to protect himself from the cold and a concerned frown etched across her face. "Are you sure you aren't cold?" She inquired, leaning a bit closer.
Spike could feel her warm breath on his cheek and smell the lilac perfume she was wearing. It wreathed around him and he breathed it in, letting loose a tiny sigh. "I'm fine Rarity, honest. Thick scales keep the cold out!" He pointed at his scaly hide, a proud expression on his purple and green face.
The alabaster unicorn nodded in understanding and looked back to the road ahead, her hooves crunching on the thin frost. The rest of the trek to the gem field continued in silence with Spike sneaking the occasional dreamy look at Rarity when she was admiring the scenery, which was almost the entire time. After a half hour they reached the small field and Spike instantly stopped walking, eyes widening in fear as he recognized the field.
There was a giant mess of twigs, trees and leaves littered about beside a large heap of broken rocks. To one side was the border of the Everfree Forest. It was the field where Applejack and Spike both had nearly been killed by Timberwolves, the field where Spike had saved Applejack's life. It brought back memories of the events a few months prior, both good and bad.
Rarity noticed the change in her friend's mood and the memory of what had happened rushed upon her and she gasped. "Oh Spike, I'm sorry! I completely forgot about what happened her. Come, we shall find a new spot to find gems." She apologized, gesturing for them to leave.
Spike looked at her and shook his head. "It's fine Rarity. I don't mind looking here, we don't need to find a new place." He reassured, walking into the rocky field. The dirt sank slightly beneath his feet and he turned to see if she was coming. He smiled at her and to his glee she followed, though reluctantly.
For the next while the two worked. Spike went to the spots Rarity indicated with her gem-finding spell and dug them out. After a lot of digging the wagon was piled high with gems of every shape, size and color.
Rarity lowered her horn as she scanned for more gems. Her hoof struck something and she wobbled. She let out a quiet gasp and righted herself before she fell into the dirt. Her hooves were already getting a nice powdery coating of the filthy substance, Celestia forbid she ruin her styled mane and tail! She looked at the rock she had nearly tripped on and picked it up in her magic and inspected it. Just a normal, dirty, dull and drab rock. She sniffed disdainfully and threw it behind her, hearing a swish and hollow thunk as it landed in the forest. What sounded like a loud growl made her turn to look at Spike, who was running over. "Please Spike, if you're that hungry then have a gem from the cart. That growling is most rude." She chided.
Spike stopped and looked at her in confusion. "My stomach didn't-" He was cut off as a loud roar made him turn around to see a huge lion face come out of the forest. The little drake's jaw gaped as the Manticore stepped out of the darkness, teeth bared in a ferocious snarl as its eyed blazed with fury. There was a bruise forming on its forehead from where a rock had fallen, or been thrown in this case, on it.
Spike went stiff with fear as it advanced, tail with deadly stinger raising and tensing as it prepared its poisons and toxins. He was in a fearful trance, his world crumbling to darkness except for the fearsome beast before him. As another roar pounded against his skull, he moved with the most speed he could muster.
Rarity let out an unlady-like shriek of pure terror as she backed away swiftly, her entire form trembling. She ignored the dust and dirt collecting on her coat, once so pristine and tidy. She cried out as Spike ran and the Manticore advanced on her, raising a paw. The claws extended like flick knives, gleaming in the sunlight. Her vision was dominated by purple and green scales as Spike pushed her away just as the paw came down, missing her by mere inches. She started running, adrenaline starting its journey through her veins.
Spike ran after her. Everything was a blur, blue mixed with brown and grey. There was fire in his veins, burning as he pumped his small legs. She was just ahead of him as he made sure the Manticore didn't catch up with her. The border of the field was in here, so close to escaping. Everything would be fine, he'd saved Rarity and now he would be able to meet with her as they ran. So close, he could almost reach it.
Then Spike tripped.
It all happened so fast. He was about to escape, to be congratulated for being a hero to his fair maiden, he would feel amazing. But in his haste to escape the claws of death, he failed to noticed what was in his path. His foot caught something, a rock or a stray branch he didn't know, but all his hopes for what would've happened fell with him, shattering upon impact with the dusty floor. The world exploded into a blur across his vision as his world soared around him, a blur of brown, grey and blue. He was light as air, from that he could tell that he was flying through the air as he fell. Everything rushed around him, the once horizontal atmosphere going vertical. Dragon met ground, hammer met anvil and the lightness he felt was forced to a heavy slam. Stars exploded across his vision as the connection was made solid and the adrenaline died as quickly as it came. As the last of the flames faded, so did his ignorance to pain. He let out a horrible cry and clutched his leg, fighting back tears as pain filled his body.
Rarity halted as she heard Spike's pained yell. She turned around and saw him lying on the ground, holding his leg as the beast charged. It charged right for Spike, muscles rippling under its golden coat. Claws unsheathed, teeth bared, stinger dripping with liquid venom.
And time did slow.
"Rarity run!"
Spike's voice sounded so muted in her ears, her eyes wide as she looked at the scene unfold.
"Forget about me, save yourself!"
The small voice got louder and louder as it rang in her ears, driving into her soul to be imprisoned. The small dragon was injured, he couldn't run, but he wanted her to stay safe. The light of indecision came to her blue eyes. In reality it was seconds, in her world it was eternity.
Fight or flight?
"RUN!"
That one word sliced through her conscience. Her decision came to light as her internal war toned itself down. Her muscles screamed at her to stop, her common sense reared its ugly head to try and get her to change her mind and everything she was argued against that one tiny spark somewhere in her brain.
Rarity ran.
She ran fast, she ran hard and she ran with her internal war raging inside her baby blue sapphire eyes. Her hooves pounded against the dirt as her muscles, however misused, pumped. She ran long, over endless dimensions of space and time. The beckoning call of her destination glowed brightly in her mind's eye as it neared, drowning her senses and pounding in her ears. She could hear the wind rushing, the dirt crunching, the pebbles rolling and even the sounds of her laboured breathing. Everything was like rolling thunder in her ears. But the pieces of her decision, the sureness she felt, came together like a puzzle that flashed in her eyes, drowning out the war within. The war that died. Her final step ended in a leap that carried her the final distance from where she was to where she was meant to be. Time sped up little by little as that one spot of the ground neared. The noises got louder as her hooves collided with the floor.
The roar of the Manticore.
The sound of the whistling air as its paw whipped towards Spike.
The strangled cry of the injured dragon.
"NO!"
Was that her voice? It was full of determination. A determination borne of her hardened emotions.
Rarity jumped in front of Spike.
She turned just as claw met flesh, saving herself from being scratched in the eyes.
The Manticore's claws met her white coat. They tore right above her shoulder and came out before hooking and shallowly carving her cheek, just missing her eye.
Rarity never flinched. Not once. The blood started flowing, thickly from her damaged side and a light trickle from her cheek. But the fire in her eyes burned with the intensity of a thousand suns, flames fuelled by rage as she advanced on the brute. No fear made her quake, no nervousness made her shiver, nothing would stop her. She shoved her face into the beast's and jammed her hoof forcefully onto his chest, her voice raised with authority and fury, "How dare you! Not only did you cause my dear friend Spike to hurt himself, you had the nerve to claw me! That is not how you treat a lady! Get out of my sight you filthy beast!" She hollered, glaring so hard it would give Fluttershy's Stare a run for its bits.
The Manticore backed away, never before having seen the courage of the likes of this mare. It had an uncertain look in its brown eyes before it turned tail and jogged back into the forest, not running in fear, not walking in shame, but a calm jog. It's tail swished before vanishing into the undergrowth. The danger had passed, the beast was gone.
Rarity had done it.
Spike had pulled himself into a sitting position, his eyes wide. As the mare who saved him turned to him, he saw the blood running down her foreleg. "Rarity you're hurt!" He exclaimed, looking at the claw marks on her cheek and just above her shoulder with concern clear on his draconic face.
Rarity waved a hoof, dismissing his worries. "I'm fine Spike, don't worry about it. Can you stand?" She asked, stepping closer to him and looking at his leg.
Spike nodded slowly. "Pretty sure I am." He stood up slowly, but before he even got to his full standing height a wash of pain made his injured leg crumple beneath him. He groaned and grabbed his leg, falling to one knee. "I-I can't stand." He grunted, his leg trembling at the slightest amount of pressure. He was suddenly picked up and placed on something downy soft, his face pressed into a luxurious purple mane. He leaned back and looked at Rarity, who smiled warmly at him. "Don't worry Spike. I'll take you to the hospital." She started walking, before her hooves hit the ground harder and she broke into a gallop, Spike holding on to her neck.
~~~~~
"Alright Miss Rarity. You'll need to replace the bandages twice a day, once in the morning when you wake up and once before you go to sleep."
Rarity looked at the bandages. They covered the deep gashes and wrapped around her chest diagonally. The scratches on her face weren't deep so they'd applied some alcohol and a patch to keep infections out.
Spike was having his leg bandaged. He hadn't broken anything, but he did have a minor sprain and some nasty bruises. He would be bed ridden for a week or so, but it wasn't anything too serious. When the bandages were done, he climbed down carefully and limped over to Rarity.
Rarity leaned down and levitated him onto her back. They exited the hospital and Rarity made for Golden Oaks, carrying the wounded Spike.
Spike had a questioning glance on his face. "Why didn't you run Rarity? You could've run and saved yourself, but you saved me. And now you've got those scratches because of it." He sighed, his face adopting a guilty look.
Rarity stopped and levitated Spike, sitting down and hugging him. "Spike you're my dear friend. I would never leave one of my friends to die, I would never leave anypony to die. Never think that I or anypony else will leave you to be killed or injured Spike. It takes a truly cruel and vile soul to do such a thing." She explained. "I will NEVER let you fall by yourself. I'll be there to catch you." She whispered.
Spike smiled and hugged her back. "Thanks Rarity. It means a lot." He murmured in her ear.
With that, Rarity placed him on her back again and continued to the library. Twilight was probably worried sick, the poor dear. But as the sun set, nothing too bad had happened to the two. If anything, their brush with death had brought them closer. A new sensation of love for Rarity emanating from the small dragon and a sense of admiration for Spike coming from the unicorn mare. The bonds of friendship grew stronger between them, like the soft embrace of angel wings.
Friendship just worked like that.
