Wanna Be My Wingpony?by Blue DragonChaptersCrushesSpike the SwagonA Rainbow Streaked with GrayCrushes“Two rolls of parchment… Check. Five quills… Check. Ugh, why does Twilight always make me do errands? It’s not fair,” Spike grumbled. He rolled up the checklist and stuffed it back in his bag. The everyday bustle of Ponyville and its citizens gave life to the market around him, but he’d learned to ignore it. It was easy compared to what Canterlot sounded like at this time of day. He took a few more steps before coming to an abrupt halt. “Wait… Didn’t Twilight say something about needing a library book back from Rarity?” A smile stretched across his face. “Yeah, I think she did… not,” he chuckled before changing course to the Carousel Boutique. Twilight didn’t have to know he was stopping by Rarity’s. Besides, he deserved a break after spending the past thirty minutes of his life downtown on market day. Twilight owed him. Soon he was standing before his crush’s threshold. He’d been here too many times to count, and each visit he wished he never had to leave more than the last. He outstretched his fist and was about to knock, but something stopped him. From within he heard the song of an angel followed by a chorus of shattering glass. At first Spike was stunned. Then, the realization that Rarity was in danger set his heart ablaze and left his legs shaking. “I’m coming for you, Rarity!” He shoved the door open and ran inside, the bell ringing faintly behind him. “Where are you, Rarity? I’m gonna save you!” Spike’s chest puffed out and he imagined himself as Rarity’s knight in shining armor. The smell of victory always within his grasp, his handsome, chiseled features all but forgotten. He took long strides with quiet foot-falls, his deep voice calling out for his beloved. It was with a pounding in his heart that he searched for her. “Sweetie Belle! What did I tell you about using your magic in the house?!” Rarity screamed from the kitchen. Spike raced over and into the room, prepared to fight demons and evils the world only knew. Instead, he was caught in Rarity’s magic. “Careful, dear! There’s glass shards all over. Sweetie, just what have you done?” Rarity’s heated gaze fell upon her sister. Sweetie’s eyes filled with tears as she poked a hoof at the ground. “I’m sorry, Rarity! I didn’t mean to do it, honest! I was just practicing my magic for show and tell so I could have the best presentation on Monday…” Rarity sighed and her eyes wandered over the room. Dishes had spilled from their cabinets and littered the floor, varying in levels of ruin. Just below Spike there was a particularly sharp looking shard, and he was glad Rarity had caught him in time. The fashionista returned her attention to her little sister. “It’s quite alright, Sweetie. Just don’t do it again, okay? Go outside, and take Spike with you. I wouldn’t want either of you to get hurt.” As soon as he was released from her magic he was protesting. “I can help you clean up! Twilight doesn’t need me back for a while and—” Rarity shooed both of them out of the room and toward the door. “I can do it myself, but I appreciate the offer. I have many orders I need to fill by tonight, and many more by tomorrow… But is there anything I can help you with first?” Spike frowned, but found it impossible to lie to her. He shook his head. “...No, I was just stopping by. Are you sure you’re okay here? By yourself?” Rarity flashed an amused smile, and Spike noticed the bags under her eyes. “Nonsense, darling! I’ve been waiting for this chance all day,” she chuckled before stopping herself. “No offense of course, Sweetie Belle.” “None taken,” she said automatically. Rarity nuzzled her, and Sweetie leaned into the contact. Rarity smiled brightly before turning back into her boutique. “I shall be off, then. I have a lot of work I must attend to. You can come back later if you’d like, Spike, and I’ll see you at dinner, Sweetie.” With that, the door closed behind her, leaving the dragon alone with the filly. Spike sighed and stood back up, brushing himself off and straightening the bag at his side. “I guess I’ll go to Apple Bloom’s to see what she’s planning for show and tell... See ya later, Spike!” Sweetie Belle said as she took off. Spike glanced back at Rarity’s home and workplace. A smile soon graced his features. “She said I could come back later… Success!” He pranced down the streets on his way back to the library, managing to trip and fall only once. He couldn’t wait to see Rarity later that day. Hopefully she wouldn’t hurt herself cleaning up after Sweetie Belle’s stunt. If he was lucky, maybe he would get the chance to ask her out on a date and she’d accept and they’d have so much fun that she’d decide to finally admit her undying love for him, the fearsome fire-breathing dragon that’d saved her life on multiple occasions, and then they’d— Spike was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t been paying attention to where he was going. So much so, in fact, that he ended up running into someone. “Hey! Watch it!” Spike fell over with a plop. Two times, he thought as his tail was painfully pinned underneath him. He looked up and met reddish pink eyes. “Rainbow Dash?” The background around her came into focus, and Spike realized he was already back at the library. Strangely, Rainbow Dash was in a bush beside the library’s lower window when he’d run into her. Even weirder was the fact that he’d actually been so out of it that he was fixing to walk straight into a bush. “Oh, it’s just you, Spike.” Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief before her eyes widened. “Spike?!” She grabbed the dragon and pulled him into the bush with a snap. “What’re you doing?!” he yelped at once, glowering at his long-time friend. Rainbow shoved a hoof into his mouth. “Look, if you say a word about this—”Spike pushed her hoof aside. “What are you talking about?” He crossed his arms. Rainbow Dash’s wings twitched along with her eyes. “Don’t play dumb! Actually… yeah, that works. Keep doing that.” She glanced from side to side, her eyebrows coming down sharply. Spike stared at her blankly for several seconds before shaking his head. “Uh… Rainbow Dash? I think you may have a few loose screws upstairs.” She shot him a glare before smacking his head with a hoof. “Ow!” “I’m perfectly fine, thank you very much... But do you seriously mean you don’t know why I’m hiding in a bush?” “Um… because you’re practicing for the Wonderbolts?” Rainbow gave him a ‘you can’t be serious’ look. “...Yeah, I have no idea.” The bushes rustled as Rainbow Dash leaned back. Spike massaged his still aching tail. She let out a sharp breath. “Really? I thought you were going to tell Twilight…” “Tell Twilight what?” Spike’s annoyance grew with every word he spoke. He tapped his foot against the ground, his claws still wrapped around his throbbing tail. Rainbow frowned thoughtfully and a few minutes of silence reigned. Finally, she spoke up. “First you have to Pinkie Promise that you won’t say anything.” Spike nodded, but she shook her head. “All the motions and the chant, too.” He sighed. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my ey—ow!” His tail abandoned, Spike now nursed his wounded eye. Unshed tears gleamed in it. Rainbow Dash looked like she wanted to laugh, but she continued speaking. “Well… Here goes nothing…” She took a deep breath. “I have feelings for Twilight.” “WHAT?!” Spike jumped to his feet, his eyes wide and locked on his friend. Rainbow Dash shrugged. “What did you expect? Now be quiet; you’re going to give us away.” “But that means you were spying on her!” Spike accused. He glared at her and was about to turn tail and run before she grabbed a hold of him. “Hey, you promised! Besides, I wasn’t spying—I just happened to crash into this bush and caught sight of Twilight reaching up for a book on a high shelf—” “That is too spying,” he mumbled. “How can I keep this a secret? I live with her!” “If you don’t stay quiet about it I’ll tell Rarity that you like her.” Spike’s eyes widened. “How did you know I liked Rarity?!” Spike jumped to his feet, every possible scenario flying by his mind’s eye. “If Pinkie Pie and Twilight spilled—oh, I can’t believe this! How could they?!” “Calm down, no one told me!” Rainbow said, a thoughtful frown plastered on her muzzle. “Wait, were you keeping it a secret?” Spike glared at her. “Yes, I was, and I’d like to keep it that way. How did you know?” “...Just a mare’s intuition.” Rainbow waved the topic off with a hoof. “Anyway, I’ll tell Rarity if you even think about telling Twilight.” “You wouldn’t.” “I would.” The two glared at each other, sparks flying. Finally, Spike sat back and leveled his gaze up toward the window Rainbow must’ve been spying through. “Fine.” Rainbow Dash smiled cheekily. “I knew I could count on you, Spike.” Her eyes wandered up to the same window that his had. The corners of her lips dipped down until she looked like a deer before headlights. “Oh, horseapples! She’s looking over here!” Rainbow Dash dove down so she was as close to the ground as possible. Spike didn’t do anything, and for once in his life he was glad he was short. “Do a mare a favor, will you?” Rainbow pleaded. “Get her attention off me. I’ll pay you back somehow.” Spike mulled over his choices. His thoughts wandered to Rarity and how he was going to be visiting her later that day. Then, something occurred to him. “Rainbow, I’ve got an idea I think you’ll like!” “Can we talk about it later?! If Twilight figures out I’m here, oh man, I’ll never have a chance with her!” Rainbow clasped her hooves together. “I’ll do whatever you want me to if you do this for me.” Spike’s smile widened. “Now that’s what I like to hear.” He stood up and walked over to the library’s entrance. He took a deep breath and forced a scowl on to his face as he opened the door. Twilight’s attention was now on him. “Spike? What happened to you?” He bit his tongue, forcing fresh tears to his eyes. “I fell over on the way back here and landed on a bush. You know, that one full of thorns? I hurt all over!” he whined. Twilight glanced between him and the window, her book now abandoned. “I thought I heard something… Are you okay?” Twilight stepped closer, investigating the seriousness of the wounds he’d actually accumulated on the way there. “It kinda hurts,” he admitted, “but I think I’ll be alright. Here’s all the stuff you made me go get, anyway.” Spike reached a claw down into his bag and pulled out the parchment and quills. Twilight beamed before taking them from his outstretched hands. “You’re the best,” she said, giving him a much-deserved nuzzle. His only complaint was that he hadn’t gotten it from Rarity, but he hoped he’d get one later that night. Heck, he’d be happy if Rarity so much as said his name. Hopefully Sweetie Belle wouldn’t be practicing her magic again, if things went his way. Spike blinked. “You know… There is something I wanted to ask.” Twilight’s eyes met his, her eyebrows arching. “Spike, if this is about the Fleet Foxes’ concert—” “It’s not!” Spike promised, “I just wanted to go to Rarity’s later.” His gaze strayed toward the window where he saw Rainbow Dash, her hooves thrashing wildly. She was trying to tell him something, but it was hard to tell what she was miming. “Well, I don’t see why not… What are you looking at?” When Twilight turned back toward the window for a third time, Rainbow Dash dropped back to the ground before she could be spotted. Twilight hummed before looking at Spike again. “Thanks, Twilight! I’ll be sure to clean up when I get back—and is there anything you wanted me to do now?” From the corner of his eye he could see Rainbow return to the window. She pointed toward him, then at herself, and finally up at the sky. She moved her lips as if to say “My house,” and pointed at herself again. With that, she took off with a rainbow trail blazing after her. Spike returned his focus on Twilight, hoping she hadn’t noticed his lack of attention. She smiled. “Actually, I was hoping you could put the new parchment and quill to good use. Since I just finished up that last experiment—you know, the one detailing the negative and positive effects of Poison Joke on a pony—I figured it was about time to let Princess Celestia know of my findings. It’s been a while since I last sent her a letter.” “More like yesterday,” he joked. Twilight gave him a look. “You do want to go to Rarity’s, don’t you?” Spike laughed sheepishly before grabbing hold of the quill and parchment Twilight had taken from him seconds earlier. “ ‘Dear Princess Celestia,’ right?” Author's Note I'd like to thank both TalltalePony and [url=htp:// for helping me shape this chapter up. Spike the SwagonSeveral hours had passed before Spike was finally able to get away from Twilight. At first she’d wanted him to write Princess Celestia a letter, then she wanted him to dust the shelves, and after that she’d asked him to sweep the floor. It was when she was about to ask him to do something else that he reminded her that he had plans for the evening, and it was only then that she finally gave him a break. “Alright, Spike,” she had said. “You can go. But you have to clean up when you get back, okay?” Spike had agreed under the condition that he could stay out as long as he wanted to—which, in Twilight’s eyes, was apparently “be back by nine.” Either way, he was still looking forward to seeing Rarity, and also hearing Rainbow Dash—the ever boastful pegasus—thanking him for a job well done. Should I go to Rainbow Dash or Rarity’s place first? Spike wondered as he stepped outside. Well… might as well see Rainbow first, so I can stay with Rarity for the rest of the day. ‘Business before pleasure,’ I guess. Spike looked up into the sky, where not a single cloud was in sight. He glowered suddenly. “How am I supposed to know where Rainbow’s house is? It could be anywhere!” He kicked the ground and let out an annoyed grunt. Then, an idea sparked in his mind. He licked one of his fingers and held it high in the air. A cold draft blew past it, at Spike’s right side. He smiled at his genius. “Should be that way,” he said to no one in particular. Ponies gawked at him as he ran past, disbelief flashing through their eyes and disapproval in their stances. Spike took no notice of it and continued on his way. When seconds turned into minutes and he was still searching for Rainbow Dash’s home, he started getting a little worried. But that worry became anxiety as the familiar town of Ponyville was replaced with open fields. He skidded to a stop when he realized that, if he continued any further, he’d end up in the Everfree Forest, in which he was certain Rainbow Dash didn’t live. “What the heck? It should be here!” He huffed, directing his gaze upward. A shadow fell over him as a cloud blocked the sun. A huge cloud. He jumped when he saw that it was Rainbow’s home looming over him, as if it’d been there all along. It was one of the biggest, most elaborate houses Spike had ever seen—and that was definitely saying something considering he was from Canterlot. A rainbow befitting its owner could be seen from atop it, and not too far from Spike a rainbow waterfall crashed down onto the land. Spike regained his cool with a precarious glance around, letting out a cough. “I totally knew that was there,” he said to himself, a nervous laugh following after. He cupped his claws around his mouth and shouted to the sky: “Rainbow Dash! Are you up there?” No response. “Come on, Rainbow, I know you’re home!” No sign of life. “RAINBOW DASH!” “What is it?! Somepony better be on their deathbed!” An annoyed Rainbow Dash poked her head out from her cloud home, glaring daggers down at the dragon below. “Er…” Spike swallowed, having not expected a cranky Rainbow Dash to greet him. Her mane looked even more messy than usual, stray hairs sticking up in disarray. It was clear even to Spike that she’d been trying to get some sleep. “Spike?” Her expression lost its bite and she straightened up. “What’re you doing here?” “Um, you sort of told me to come?” he said sheepishly. Rainbow stared at him for a few seconds more, then flew down to meet him. When she landed, she made an attempt to smooth her mane out—which didn’t really work. “When did I say that?” she mumbled almost to herself. Spike found it hard not to crack up at her when she was this out of it, but was able to keep to himself composed at the thought of getting smacked. He cleared his throat. “You were outside of the library spying on Twilight when I walked right into you”—Rainbow’s eyes widened—”and Twilight almost saw, and then you wanted me to get her attention off you—” “Okay, okay, I get it!” Her hooves had lifted up in defense. She let out a breath, the muscles in her shoulders relaxing as she let her forelegs drop back down. “You were saying something about an idea, and you made it sound like it was good. That’s why I wanted you to come see me.” “Oh.” Spike blinked. “Well… I like Rarity and you like Twilight. Right?” “I don’t see your point,” Rainbow Dash replied bluntly, her eyes narrowing. Spike continued, “I’ve known Twilight for, like, my whole life, and you’re best friends with Rarity. Right?” “Yeah…? Wait, you can’t seriously be saying—” Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up with excitement, but Spike spoke right over her. “That we could help each other out? Yes, yes I am,” he finished smugly, his chest sticking out with pride. Rainbow Dash was enthralled with the idea, a sudden bout of energy coursing through her. It took all her willpower to keep from taking flight. Instead, she forced a nonchalant expression on her face. “Oh? I’d be down for that. Not that Ineed help or anything, but I can lend a helping hoof.” Spike, on the other hand, didn’t try to hold back his happiness. He grinned widely and thrust his hand out. Rainbow couldn’t keep from smiling a little herself as she lifted a hoof. The two shook on it. “Great,” Spike said happily. “I’m actually just about to head to Rarity’s right now.” Rainbow Dash frowned. “Really? What for?” “To spend time with her, duh.” Spike let out a laugh, which was cut short when his friend tsked disapprovingly. “Oh, Spike, you’ve got a lot to learn… How can you expect to get Rarity to fall for you like this?” She shook her head. Spike’s eyes doubled in size. “What? Am I doing something wrong?” Rainbow smiled. “You came to the right mare, Spike-ster. Heck, if she doesn’t fall head over hooves in love with you by tonight I’ll be surprised. You know what? Wait here, lemme go grab some stuff,” Rainbow said as she flew back up into her home. Spike waited patiently for her to return, rocking back and forth on his heels. The sun was nearing the horizon, and that made him wonder if he was even going to have time to go to Rarity’s. Spike watched Rainbow Dash as she landed in front of him, a devious smile playing on her lips. In her forelegs was a pile of some questionable articles of clothing. “What’s that?” Spike asked at once, pointing a claw at them. Rainbow didn’t reply at first, opting to pull a baggy t-shirt from the pile. It seemed like it’d be a loose fit on the dragon, but not to the point where he’d be tripping on it. Rainbow grinned. “When I was a filly, I had a reputation to uphold. I figured my old clothes might fit you, and what could be cooler than something I’ve worn? Here, let me help you get it on.” Before Spike could protest, Rainbow had pulled the plain white shirt over his head. It reached all the way down to his knees. “Next up, classy jeans.” She pushed them to his chest and made him put them on, which he did begrudgingly. “Make sure to tuck the shirt in,” she reminded, then frowned as she assessed the dragon’s new look. “Are you sure about this?” he asked as he tucked the shirt in. Rainbow nodded. “Of course! As a filly, all the kids envied me and my sense of style. They thought I was so awesome none of them could find the courage in ‘em to talk to me.” Rainbow Dash hesitated before grasping an old tattered looking baseball cap. She stared at it for a long time before finally placing it on Spike’s head, making sure it was tilted just so. As a last touch, she made sure to put a couple of chains around his neck. “...Make sure to take care of that hat. It’s really important to me, alright?” Rainbow commented quietly as she pulled away. It was weird hearing something like that coming from a pony like Rainbow Dash, but Spike nodded with a salute, which almost sent the hat off his head. The mare shook her head at him, causing him to shrink back in embarrassment. After a while, she tapped a hoof against her chin. “Something’s missing.” Then, she hopped up and spread her wings. She fluttered just above the ground, her forelegs crossed over her chest. “It’s your attitude,” she concluded. “You’ve gotta carry yourself confidently.” Spike straightened his posture and rolled his shoulders back, trying to forget about what’d caused him to hunch over. It was hard with all those clothes weighing him down, but he managed. “Uh… how’s this?” “Better,” Rainbow amended. “Alright, now you have to talk like you’re me. Girls like Rarity like a bad boy with confidence, not someone that does everything she wants when she wants it.” “Hey!” Rainbow ignored his outburst. “Give it a try,” she said instead. Spike frowned before beginning the facade. “Oh, I didn’t see you there, Rarity.” His voice cracked when he tried to make it deep, causing his morale to falter. “Would you… er…” “Make sure you don’t stutter, alright? That makes you seem less confident. You’re doing good so far, though.” Spike cast out his reluctance and decided to give it his all. He let a smile take over his features as he mentioned a joke he’d heard a while ago. “Hey there, Rarity. I’m not trying to impress you or anything, but I don’t look both ways when I cross the road.” “That’s actually not bad.” Rainbow chuckled in approval. “I think you’re ready.” Spike beamed, hopping from foot to foot in excitement. The chains on his neck rattled at the movement. “Really? You think she’ll be impressed?” “Remember who you’re talking to, Spike! Also… don’t do that. It’s not cool.” It was around seven thirty when Spike finally stood outside the Carousel Boutique. He’d come across a couple of ponies on the way, who gave him strange looks. Pinkie in particular had praised him on his style before continuing her trot in the general direction of the library. Cheerilee had said hello, as usual, before doing a double-take, but Spike took that as a compliment—along with all the stares. He recalled Rainbow Dash telling him that, when she was a filly, ponies didn’t approach her because of how envious they were, and it made him giddy to think he looked that good. From the way this was going so far, Rarity was going to be his in no time! He’d be surprised if she didn’t throw herself at him at the sight of his fresh attire. Spike glanced to his right, where Rainbow stood hidden between the Carousel Boutique’s window and door. Even when Rarity opened the entrance, she would still be out of sight. Rainbow Dash nodded toward him, an encouraging smile on her face. The dragon looked ahead, new determination flashing in his eyes. He raised a fist up to knock and did so without hesitation. Like before, he heard Rarity’s beautiful voice from within, except this time it was not in song; instead, it was the tone she used in everyday conversation. Within a few seconds, the door opened and the bell overhead chimed. Spike was mesmerized by her beauty, becoming tongue-tied at once. Rarity, on the other hand, stared at the little dragon and was unable to bring forth words for very different reasons. “Er… Spike, dear, is that you?” “Yeah,” he replied, taking his time. “Mind if I come in?” Rarity stepped aside as Spike waddled in. The door closed behind him. “Are you certain you feel alright?” Concern laced her tone as her eyes combed over his figure once more, not bothering to hide the grimace the action provoked. “I’m fine. How have you been?” He leaned against the wall beside him, but slipped and almost fell in the process. As he righted himself, a nervous chuckle escaped his lips. “...I meant to do that.” Rarity didn’t mention his slip-up, much to his relief. “I’ve been doing well since I last saw you this morning. The kitchen’s all tidied up and I finished all the orders I needed to. Sweetie Belle’s… somewhere in the house, though I don’t quite recall exactly where. She, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are actually having a sleepover tonight.” “You let Sweetie Belle have a sleepover with two other fillies after what happened this morning?” Spike replied, forgetting his role. Outside, Rainbow Dash face-hoofed. “Well, yes. They’re collaborating on a project for school, and I wasn’t going to deny them that.” She smiled. “Would you like to talk over tea? I would really like to know where you got your new outfit.” Spike, oblivious to Rarity’s intentions, grinned at the compliment. He thanked Rainbow Dash internally. “It’s a long story; wouldn’t want to burden you with it.” Rarity waved his comment off with a hoof. “Nonsense, darling! I would absolutely love to hear all the details.” The two made their way into her kitchen, taking a seat at the table. Spike found it hard to get comfortable in the ill-fitting clothes, but did his best not to show it. Rarity already had a cup of tea simmering in front of her, and levitated another for Spike. Soon, fresh tea was poured into it and placed on the table in front of him. Spike wasn’t a big fan of tea—in fact, he hated it with a passion, and usually got Twilight to make him some hot chocolate instead—but he would suck it up for Rarity. He took the cup in his claws and, against his better judgment, gulped it down. The hot liquid scalded his tongue and brought tears to his eyes. He spit it out, and as his luck would have it, it went straight over the table and spewed all over Rarity. She jumped up at once, the burn causing her to grit her teeth, then rushed over to the sink and washed cold water over her forelegs. Despite his own tongue’s cries, he hopped up and joined Rarity in the matter of seconds. “Rarity! Are you okay?!” he exclaimed, his stomach flopping wildly. He reached over to help, but she rejected it. “I’m alright, Spike,” she managed with a small smile. “Just… give me a moment to compose myself.” The dragon shuffled backwards, giving her the space she needed. His eyes, still full with unshed tears not entirely from the burn, were cast on the floor. He felt silly now, in baggy clothes that didn’t suit him at all. He’d even gone and hurt Rarity, however minor it was. Not long later, Rarity had freshened herself up. Her skin still looked really sensitive, but Spike guessed it was numb at this point. Guilt gnawed at his chest. “You really shouldn’t take in so much tea at one time, darling. The art is in taking sips.” Rarity sat back down at her side of the table as if none of the previous events had transpired, and even wiped up the remnants of Spike’s spout with a towel levitated in her magic. The dragon was rather embarrassed, but he hopped back into his chair and tried to forget about his mistake. The evening wasn’t ruined yet. “I’m sorry, Rarity,” he said in spite of himself. “I really didn’t mean to do that.” The unicorn shook her head. “Don’t worry about it; I understand.” From upstairs the sound of fillies shouting and stomping could be heard. Rarity glared at the ceiling. She took a deep breath before turning back to Spike. “Now, as I was about to say—” CRASH! This time, Rarity had no reservations. She got up, her face full of rage, and said in such a calm voice that it unnerved Spike, “I’m sorry, Spikey, but we’re going to have to postpone this meeting to a later date. I’ll talk to you later.” She walked in a short clip over to the stairs and up them without a second to waste. Spike could hear her calling Sweetie Belle’s name distantly, and it was then that he decided to take his leave. He sighed, trudging lamely toward the front door. His heart was heavy and weighed him down far more than the clothes he wore. He’d never screwed up this bad—except maybe that one time he’d gotten really greedy and almost got himself and Rarity killed. Still, he’d had high expectations for this evening, and it sucked to have them taken away so easily. When he opened the door, Rainbow Dash was giving him one of those big winner smiles. But when it wasn’t returned, her confidence faltered. “Did everything go okay?” “No, it went terrible. I don’t think she liked my—your clothes. I even spit hot tea all over her!” He winced, frowning deeply. “Oh wow… That’s gotta hurt.” She grimaced. “Well, there’s always next time. I mean, there’s no need to get upset about it, right?” “I guess…” Spike replied, unconvinced. He was already pulling the clothes off and folding them neatly. “Come on, Spike. You can’t give up that easy; heck, Rarity might just be playing hard to get and you’re just falling for it!” “Huh…” Spike thought about it for a few minutes as he tugged the last article of clothing off of him: the jeans. “That actually makes sense. Maybe she is just testing me, to make sure I’m worthy of her love!” Spike had lightened back up, smiling brightly. He handed Rainbow Dash her old clothes. “Just imagine: Spike, the fearsome fire-breathing dragon slash awesome knight, getting the fairest mare of them all due to his sheer awesomeness and determination! How cool would that be?” The two laughed until they were a ways from Rarity’s home, then they walked in silence, both lost in thought. “So… what’s Twilight doing tomorrow?” Rainbow asked after a while. She stopped walking, causing Spike to turn back and look at her. He let out a laugh. “You’d want to know,” he teased. The pegasus glared playfully. “I helped you out today, didn’t I? It’s only fair the favor’s returned.” Spike chuckled at this, his eyes wandering to the sky. It was beautiful tonight. “...She’s planning on taking a break from her studies between twelve o’clock and two. Stop by then.” As his eyes took in more detail and he considered the brightness of the stars, he realized just how dark everything around him had become. His eyes widened. Twilight was going to kill him. “I gotta go, see you tomorrow, Rainbow Dash!” Spike exclaimed as he ran as fast as he could back to the library. He could hear Rainbow’s laughter echoing behind him, and he hoped Twilight would go easy on him. Author's Note Special thanks go to my friend TalltalePony for all his help on this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next chapter, because I certainly am excited to write more! A Rainbow Streaked with GrayIt’d been a long night for Spike. After he’d gotten home, Twilight had all but set his tail on fire. He ended up being a whole hour late, which apparently threw off her entire schedule. She then proceeded to yell at him for the next thirty minutes, which obviously messed up her plans even more, before finally calling it quits. Of course, she still forced Spike to live up to his promise—which was to clean the entire library before he went to sleep. As punishment, she sat there and made sure he did every little thing, never once letting her stern eyes stray from him and his mundane tasks. Spike wasn’t sure if she was just plain mad or if she really had been worried, but either way he just wished he could get some shuteye. There were few things Spike was truly afraid of, and among those were facing Twilight’s wrath. When she was in a really bad mood, he knew it was best just to take cover and hope for the best. When he’d mopped the floor for the second time, Twilight stopped him and sent him upstairs. She was still fuming silently, possibly going over how else he was going to be punished the following morning. Spike cursed Rainbow Dash and himself for getting caught up in it. Luckily for him, he was able to sleep peacefully. His dreams consisted of ice cream and Rarity—his two favorite things. Like all good things, however, they were swiped away from him right when it was at the good part. “Spike, wake up!” The dragon groaned when a draft blew over his back, making it clear that Twilight had taken his blanket away. “What time is it…?” he muttered, his eyes still closed. “It’s time for you to get up.” Twilight nudged him out of his basket, much to his dismay. He rubbed his eyes wearily. “Fine, fine…” Spike stretched his limbs out with a yawn, his eyes landing on Twilight. Her mane was messy and her eyes glassy. He frowned. “Are you alright?” Twilight gave him a small smile. “I’m fine, Spike. I was just up all night rearranging my schedule, and came to the conclusion that sleep was the least important.” “Oh… I’m sorry, Twi, I really didn’t mean to keep you up.” “No need to worry, Spike. I should apologize for acting the way I did. I’ve been pretty stressed as of late; the princess wants me to put together a presentation based entirely on my studies here in Ponyville—all of which pertaining to friendship—for the griffon kingdom. She wants to improve Equestria’s relations with the other nations, and she figured friendship would be the best way to go about that. And since I’m currently studying it…” Spike glowered indignantly at this. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?! That sounds super important! When did this happen? How can I help? Gosh, I’m sorry, Twi—” A hoof was pushed into his mouth, halting any more apologies he might have spit out. Twilight grimaced lightly. “Remember that letter from the princess a few days ago? Well, there was a second parchment that we must have missed; I noticed it while you were at Rarity’s. Needless to say, I, uh… freaked out a little.” A bashful blush settled over Twilight’s cheeks, but she continued on. “She needs it done by tomorrow night—which, had I known about it the day she sent it, I would’ve had plenty of time—but that isn’t the case. I woke you up because I need you to take care of anypony that happens to come in looking for a book. I seriously can’t be interrupted, alright?” Spike saluted. “Sure thing, Twilight! I gotcha covered.” Twilight nodded briskly before turning around and heading down the stairs. Spike was about to follow her, until he realized something. He slapped himself. “Oh man, this isn’t good… Just perfect… Now Rainbow’s gonna show up and Twilight’s going to be too busy to see her. Why me?” The dragon looked over at a nearby clock and deduced that it was eight thirty. That wasn’t too bad; he wouldn’t have to deal with Rainbow for another few hours. See, there totally wasn’t anything to worry about— SMACK! Spike’s head whipped over to the window of the bedroom, where the loud sound of something banging on glass was coming from. He half expected to see Rainbow Dash there, but was surprised when the sight of pink greeted him. “Oh, hey, Spike! Is Twilight in there?” Pinkie Pie asked, standing on the balcony. Spike had absolutely no idea how she’d gotten up there, and he really didn’t want to know. “Um… Pinkie?” Spike found himself unable to speak any other words, and he settled on blinking at his friend. Pinkie giggled, and rested a hoof on the glass. “Are we having a staring contest?! I’ll totally beat you at it, ‘cause Fluttershy’s taught me a thing or two, and now I know all her secrets!” Pinkie pressed her face against the window, somehow creeping Spike out even more. Her eyes were practically popping out of her skull, unblinking. Spike jumped back. “N-no, Pinkie, we’re not having a staring contest.” She let out a gasp, her lower lip quivering. “Aww, but they’re so much fun!” The dragon was about to respond when Pinkie opened the window and crawled inside of her own accord. She seemed to have forgotten all about her momentary sadness, a big smile stretching over her muzzle. “Anyway, where’s Twilight? I’ve got the newest pie from Sugarcube Corner and wanted to give it to her this morning!” She bounced up and down, and Spike became aware of the box on her back. It redoubled his doubts on how she could have climbed up to the second floor from outside. “Uh… I would let you go see her, but she’s really busy right now. She stayed up late last night—” “I know! My ears flopped, my stomach dropped, and my teeth chatter-opped! That means a friend stayed up super late. Yup, see, that’s what this pie is for—cheering her up!” Spike stared at her for several seconds before shaking his head. Knowing Pinkie, she probably just wanted to check on Twilight—and from the looks of it, she had her work cut out for her. “You won’t bother her too much, right?” A nod. “I don’t see why you can’t go give it to her then, just make sure to…” Pinkie had effectively disappeared, a light pink trail leading out the open door. “...keep it down.” Spike shook his head, chuckling. He hopped down the stairs, musing what he was going to do for the day. Breakfast was obviously the first thing on his list, and he needed to figure out what he was going to do about Rainbow Dash. Considering the task Twilight had given him, he figured he wouldn’t get a minute away from the library. That meant he wouldn’t get the chance to go tell her… He just hoped she was prepared. But this was Rainbow Dash he was thinking about. She was the coolest, fastest pegasus around! There was no way she could be anything but awesome, whether or not she was in the company of her crush. Spike poured syrup over his waffles, his mouth watering. It’d been a bit since the last time he got to indulge in his guilty pleasure—waffles filled with gems. While they didn’t rank too highly on his favorites list, he still loved the way they melted in his mouth and made his belly warm when he swallowed. Not to mention Twilight usually caught him sneaking gems out of her stash… And that was always a pain. Once Spike had finished up his breakfast and cleaned his dishes (no evidence), he heard the library’s door opening—perfect timing. He jogged out of the kitchen to meet whoever had come inside, and was momentarily surprised at what he saw. “...What’re you guys doing here?” The three fillies gawked at him, seeming to be offended by his question. Scootaloo scoffed. “What, are we not allowed to read books anymore?” “Of course you’re allowed to read. You three just don’t seem like the type of ponies to sit around reading, much less spending time in a library…” Apple Bloom looked genuinely angry now; her nostrils flared and her eyes flashed. “I’ll have ya know, Spike, that Ah read Romare and Julio all on mah own!” She puffed her chest out in pride before trotting around him and into the library. “Now, we’re lookin’ for a book on magic.” The other two fillies followed after Apple Bloom, and Spike raced over to them. “Wait! Magic? Isn’t that a bit… out of your league?” “That’s why we’re here for a book!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she started pulling out random novels. “Show and tell’s almost here and we seriously need something to blow away Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s display. They always get their parents to buy something super expensive that looks great, and now it’s our turn!” Spike mulled this information over, and part of him wished Twilight wasn’t in the basement. He knew this wasn’t a good idea, but he didn’t know how to tell them that. Even if he did, they’d probably do something rash anyway. Better to have them be knowledgeable about it than have them do it with no foresight, right? The dragon nodded to himself. He walked over to the other side of the library and scanned over the titles. ‘Starswirl’s Guide to Magic’? How about no. ‘Photo Finish’s Autobiography: The Magix’? Yeah, that’s not what I was looking for. ‘Magic for Beginners’... That sounds right. Spike pulled out the book and quickly looked over it. It didn’t have anything too serious or complicated for them, so he called them over. “This book will be perfect for you guys.” Sweetie Belle took hold of the book and smiled. “This’ll be great! Thanks, Spike! You should totally come see our presentation tomorrow; it’ll be amazing!” Apple Bloom jumped at the thought. “Yeah! We should invite everypony! We’ll show Diamond Tiara who’s boss!” Before Spike could say another word, the Cutie Mark Crusaders scampered off. Spike let out a sigh as he looked over the mess Scootaloo had made in her search. He set to picking it up, but didn’t get very far before another pony entered. The library was a lot more busy than usual, but he managed to get what they needed easily. Several hours went by that way, and neither Twilight nor Pinkie had come back upstairs. As the clock ticked on and the time went by, Spike grew more and more bored. It was with a blatant sigh in his tone that he regarded the next visitor. “Hello and welcome to the Ponyville library. How may I help you?” “What’re you doing, Spike?” The dragon jumped, no longer feeling a lack of interest. “Rainbow Dash?” The pegasus in question smirked, though she looked less sure of herself than usual. She flew over next to him, sending cursory glances around the library. “So, where is she? It’s like, one thirty, and you said she would take a break around now.” “Yeah, well… um, something’s come up.” The ground suddenly looked really appealing. He couldn’t bring his eyes up to meet hers. “What do you mean?” “Turns out she’s doing some super important task for the princess, and she can’t be bothered.” The sound of a hoof slapping a pony’s forehead could be heard. “Really? Ugh… how long until she’s done? Sometime soon, right? This is Twilight we’re talking about here.” Spike shook his head. “No, it’ll be a while. That much I’m sure of.” Even though she didn’t say anything, it was her silence that clued him in on her disappointment. He forced his gaze upward, trying to gauge how bad it was. Rainbow was frowning, but she didn’t look too bothered. “That’s okay… I’ll just stop by and say hi. That sounds like a good idea, right?” Rainbow grinned as a thought struck her. “Yeah, a good friend would check on another friend when something big like that came up. And I’m a good friend of Twilight’s, so it’s only natural that I’d go make sure everything was alright.” “Um… Right?” Spike said uncertainly. Rainbow trotted over to the stairs that led to the basement and raced down them. The dragon lagged behind, wanting to see how things would go, but not wanting to invade on anyone’s privacy. Still, Spike comforted himself with the thought that Rainbow had spied on him and Rarity earlier, so why couldn’t he do the same? As the pegasus flew into the room, Spike stayed beside the door, hidden from view but close enough to see the lab below. Papers were strewn all over, multiple charts and graphs stapled to the walls. Twilight was writing something down onto parchment, apparently documenting her speech, and Pinkie was listening and giving her input whenever there was a lull. The box from earlier lay just to the side, half of the pie inside eaten. Spike watched as Rainbow almost lost her balance, and he winced. Probably should’ve told her Pinkie was here… The pegasus recovered herself and smiled at the two ponies, though they still hadn’t noticed her. She landed. “Hey, guys. What’re you up to?” Spike chewed his lip. She sounded nervous. “Rainbow Dash?” Pinkie bounced up and gave her a big hug. “It’s nice to see ya!” Twilight smiled briefly, though Spike could see that she wasn’t very happy about being interrupted. The twitch of her lips when she smiled gave her away. “It is nice to see you, Rainbow Dash. I’m working on a presentation for Princess Celestia concerning friendship, and Pinkie’s giving me her opinion.” “Oh yeah?” Rainbow stuck her chest out. “I bet I could help you too!” Twilight thought about it for a while before nodding. “Alright, sure. Just take a seat.” Rainbow plopped down happily, and Pinkie did the same. Twilight cleared her throat before speaking. The scratching of her quill could be heard at the same time. “Friendship is a fickle thing, but in its entirety, it’s worth it. Your friends will always be there for you, even on your worst days, and even when you’ve…” she trailed off, her brow furrowing. “Had a fight?” Pinkie suggested. Rainbow wouldn’t be outdone, apparently. “Gotten into hot water?” Twilight frowned. “Had a fight it is…” Rainbow huffed indignantly, but it wasn’t loud enough for Twilight to hear. The unicorn continued. “They are the stepping stones to a better life, and I wouldn’t change them for the world. I’ve never been happier than my days spent in Ponyville, and I have my friends to thank for that.” She looked up at the two other ponies. “How was that?” Rainbow was about to answer, but Pinkie was faster. “It was pretty good! But maybe you should add another part where you say something specific-al to the griffons? Kinda to pull them in and get them to buy your apples?” “That’s a good idea, Pinkie! You’re a genius. Alright, so let me see here… It doesn’t matter what species you are or where you grew up, everypony has the potential to be a good friend. And that is what I hope to bring to all of you.” Rainbow jumped at the opportunity to speak, and Spike could tell she’d been itching to redeem herself from her rejection earlier. “You know what goes well with a speech? You could do a really cool spell and capture the griffons’ attention with a flawless maneuver! I’m positive you could pull it off.” Twilight shook her head. “The griffons might take that as a challenge and things could get even worse between the two nations. But you’re right, I need something to wrap everything up.” Pinkie’s hoof shot up into the air, and she seemed to exert happiness. Twilight nodded toward her, and she blurted out, “A PARTY!!!” At first Twilight looked like she was going to shoot the idea down right away—her hoof was even lifted as if to restrain Pinkie—but then she paused. A spark flashed through her eyes. “...That actually isn’t a bad idea at all! Though, not quite a Pinkie party, but a small, organized one. With cake and punch, and maybe a couple of games. Absolutely no pranks, of course. Wouldn’t want anyone to feel singled out…” “I could help you plan it!” Pinkie jumped up. “Oooh, we could make a game called pin the tail on the griffon!” Rainbow stood up too. “Yeah, that sounds good. And maybe I could—” “And streamers! Everypony loves streamers!” “And a search and find, in which each guest is given a checklist and must find another griffon that meets each question’s specifications?” “Sure!” chirped Pinkie. “Those are always fun.” “Would you mind coming with me to the griffon kingdom to help me get all this stuff set up? It’d be comforting to see a friendly face in the audience, you know. Though, I’d understand if you couldn’t; I have to leave tomorrow and we’d be gone for three days.” “I wouldn’t mind at all. It’d give me the chance to make more friends, and I’m always up for helping somepony out! I’m sure the Cakes would be fine with it, too.” Pinkie beamed. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, gaining the attention of her two friends. She smiled sheepishly. “Any room for one more?” “Hm… I don’t know, Rainbow. I don’t want to overstep my boundaries by going to another country and bringing too many friends… And don’t you have weather duties here in Ponyville?” “Oh… Yeah, you’re right. Maybe next time, then…” Both Pinkie and Twilight began speaking animatedly about the details of the party, as well as some of the minor things concerning her speech. Rainbow sat disconnected from the conversation, and Spike couldn’t help feeling bad for her. The other two were ponies that easily got distracted—especially about a subject matter like this—and would never notice that they were unintentionally pushing Rainbow out of their conversation. “Ouch…” he said, watching with pained eyes. This was even worse than his mishap the other day; at least Rarity had acknowledged him. Rainbow Dash was out of her element here, and it really showed. Soon she just flew back up the stairs, and neither pony had noticed. Spike backed away from the door and ran back up the stairs before Dash could’ve noticed him. When she’d made it to him, he gave her a little smile. “...How’d it go?” “Great. She’s fallin’ for me already, I just know it.” She smiled weakly. “Anyway… uh, did you get invited to Scootaloo’s thing at school? She said you were going, and I was just wondering if that was true. And sorta wondering if you knew what they were planning.” Spike was bothered by her lie, but decided to let it go. He said, “I’m not entirely sure. Some sort of presentation for show and tell is all I know.” Rainbow shrugged. “I’m sure it’ll be good, whatever it is. You busy?” “Not really, why?” “Let’s go do something fun. Libraries are too stuffy, and it’s really starting to cramp my wings. How about we forget about the ponies we love for a bit and just kick back?” Spike let a smile cross his features. “That sounds like a great idea… but just for the day, right?” “Right.” Author's Note My sincerest thanks go to TalltalePony for his help on this chapter. His writing's awesome, so you should check it out. On another note, this chapter took longer than I anticipated, but I hope it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Crushes“Two rolls of parchment… Check. Five quills… Check. Ugh, why does Twilight always make me do errands? It’s not fair,” Spike grumbled. He rolled up the checklist and stuffed it back in his bag. The everyday bustle of Ponyville and its citizens gave life to the market around him, but he’d learned to ignore it. It was easy compared to what Canterlot sounded like at this time of day. He took a few more steps before coming to an abrupt halt. “Wait… Didn’t Twilight say something about needing a library book back from Rarity?” A smile stretched across his face. “Yeah, I think she did… not,” he chuckled before changing course to the Carousel Boutique. Twilight didn’t have to know he was stopping by Rarity’s. Besides, he deserved a break after spending the past thirty minutes of his life downtown on market day. Twilight owed him. Soon he was standing before his crush’s threshold. He’d been here too many times to count, and each visit he wished he never had to leave more than the last. He outstretched his fist and was about to knock, but something stopped him. From within he heard the song of an angel followed by a chorus of shattering glass. At first Spike was stunned. Then, the realization that Rarity was in danger set his heart ablaze and left his legs shaking. “I’m coming for you, Rarity!” He shoved the door open and ran inside, the bell ringing faintly behind him. “Where are you, Rarity? I’m gonna save you!” Spike’s chest puffed out and he imagined himself as Rarity’s knight in shining armor. The smell of victory always within his grasp, his handsome, chiseled features all but forgotten. He took long strides with quiet foot-falls, his deep voice calling out for his beloved. It was with a pounding in his heart that he searched for her. “Sweetie Belle! What did I tell you about using your magic in the house?!” Rarity screamed from the kitchen. Spike raced over and into the room, prepared to fight demons and evils the world only knew. Instead, he was caught in Rarity’s magic. “Careful, dear! There’s glass shards all over. Sweetie, just what have you done?” Rarity’s heated gaze fell upon her sister. Sweetie’s eyes filled with tears as she poked a hoof at the ground. “I’m sorry, Rarity! I didn’t mean to do it, honest! I was just practicing my magic for show and tell so I could have the best presentation on Monday…” Rarity sighed and her eyes wandered over the room. Dishes had spilled from their cabinets and littered the floor, varying in levels of ruin. Just below Spike there was a particularly sharp looking shard, and he was glad Rarity had caught him in time. The fashionista returned her attention to her little sister. “It’s quite alright, Sweetie. Just don’t do it again, okay? Go outside, and take Spike with you. I wouldn’t want either of you to get hurt.” As soon as he was released from her magic he was protesting. “I can help you clean up! Twilight doesn’t need me back for a while and—” Rarity shooed both of them out of the room and toward the door. “I can do it myself, but I appreciate the offer. I have many orders I need to fill by tonight, and many more by tomorrow… But is there anything I can help you with first?” Spike frowned, but found it impossible to lie to her. He shook his head. “...No, I was just stopping by. Are you sure you’re okay here? By yourself?” Rarity flashed an amused smile, and Spike noticed the bags under her eyes. “Nonsense, darling! I’ve been waiting for this chance all day,” she chuckled before stopping herself. “No offense of course, Sweetie Belle.” “None taken,” she said automatically. Rarity nuzzled her, and Sweetie leaned into the contact. Rarity smiled brightly before turning back into her boutique. “I shall be off, then. I have a lot of work I must attend to. You can come back later if you’d like, Spike, and I’ll see you at dinner, Sweetie.” With that, the door closed behind her, leaving the dragon alone with the filly. Spike sighed and stood back up, brushing himself off and straightening the bag at his side. “I guess I’ll go to Apple Bloom’s to see what she’s planning for show and tell... See ya later, Spike!” Sweetie Belle said as she took off. Spike glanced back at Rarity’s home and workplace. A smile soon graced his features. “She said I could come back later… Success!” He pranced down the streets on his way back to the library, managing to trip and fall only once. He couldn’t wait to see Rarity later that day. Hopefully she wouldn’t hurt herself cleaning up after Sweetie Belle’s stunt. If he was lucky, maybe he would get the chance to ask her out on a date and she’d accept and they’d have so much fun that she’d decide to finally admit her undying love for him, the fearsome fire-breathing dragon that’d saved her life on multiple occasions, and then they’d— Spike was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t been paying attention to where he was going. So much so, in fact, that he ended up running into someone. “Hey! Watch it!” Spike fell over with a plop. Two times, he thought as his tail was painfully pinned underneath him. He looked up and met reddish pink eyes. “Rainbow Dash?” The background around her came into focus, and Spike realized he was already back at the library. Strangely, Rainbow Dash was in a bush beside the library’s lower window when he’d run into her. Even weirder was the fact that he’d actually been so out of it that he was fixing to walk straight into a bush. “Oh, it’s just you, Spike.” Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief before her eyes widened. “Spike?!” She grabbed the dragon and pulled him into the bush with a snap. “What’re you doing?!” he yelped at once, glowering at his long-time friend. Rainbow shoved a hoof into his mouth. “Look, if you say a word about this—”Spike pushed her hoof aside. “What are you talking about?” He crossed his arms. Rainbow Dash’s wings twitched along with her eyes. “Don’t play dumb! Actually… yeah, that works. Keep doing that.” She glanced from side to side, her eyebrows coming down sharply. Spike stared at her blankly for several seconds before shaking his head. “Uh… Rainbow Dash? I think you may have a few loose screws upstairs.” She shot him a glare before smacking his head with a hoof. “Ow!” “I’m perfectly fine, thank you very much... But do you seriously mean you don’t know why I’m hiding in a bush?” “Um… because you’re practicing for the Wonderbolts?” Rainbow gave him a ‘you can’t be serious’ look. “...Yeah, I have no idea.” The bushes rustled as Rainbow Dash leaned back. Spike massaged his still aching tail. She let out a sharp breath. “Really? I thought you were going to tell Twilight…” “Tell Twilight what?” Spike’s annoyance grew with every word he spoke. He tapped his foot against the ground, his claws still wrapped around his throbbing tail. Rainbow frowned thoughtfully and a few minutes of silence reigned. Finally, she spoke up. “First you have to Pinkie Promise that you won’t say anything.” Spike nodded, but she shook her head. “All the motions and the chant, too.” He sighed. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my ey—ow!” His tail abandoned, Spike now nursed his wounded eye. Unshed tears gleamed in it. Rainbow Dash looked like she wanted to laugh, but she continued speaking. “Well… Here goes nothing…” She took a deep breath. “I have feelings for Twilight.” “WHAT?!” Spike jumped to his feet, his eyes wide and locked on his friend. Rainbow Dash shrugged. “What did you expect? Now be quiet; you’re going to give us away.” “But that means you were spying on her!” Spike accused. He glared at her and was about to turn tail and run before she grabbed a hold of him. “Hey, you promised! Besides, I wasn’t spying—I just happened to crash into this bush and caught sight of Twilight reaching up for a book on a high shelf—” “That is too spying,” he mumbled. “How can I keep this a secret? I live with her!” “If you don’t stay quiet about it I’ll tell Rarity that you like her.” Spike’s eyes widened. “How did you know I liked Rarity?!” Spike jumped to his feet, every possible scenario flying by his mind’s eye. “If Pinkie Pie and Twilight spilled—oh, I can’t believe this! How could they?!” “Calm down, no one told me!” Rainbow said, a thoughtful frown plastered on her muzzle. “Wait, were you keeping it a secret?” Spike glared at her. “Yes, I was, and I’d like to keep it that way. How did you know?” “...Just a mare’s intuition.” Rainbow waved the topic off with a hoof. “Anyway, I’ll tell Rarity if you even think about telling Twilight.” “You wouldn’t.” “I would.” The two glared at each other, sparks flying. Finally, Spike sat back and leveled his gaze up toward the window Rainbow must’ve been spying through. “Fine.” Rainbow Dash smiled cheekily. “I knew I could count on you, Spike.” Her eyes wandered up to the same window that his had. The corners of her lips dipped down until she looked like a deer before headlights. “Oh, horseapples! She’s looking over here!” Rainbow Dash dove down so she was as close to the ground as possible. Spike didn’t do anything, and for once in his life he was glad he was short. “Do a mare a favor, will you?” Rainbow pleaded. “Get her attention off me. I’ll pay you back somehow.” Spike mulled over his choices. His thoughts wandered to Rarity and how he was going to be visiting her later that day. Then, something occurred to him. “Rainbow, I’ve got an idea I think you’ll like!” “Can we talk about it later?! If Twilight figures out I’m here, oh man, I’ll never have a chance with her!” Rainbow clasped her hooves together. “I’ll do whatever you want me to if you do this for me.” Spike’s smile widened. “Now that’s what I like to hear.” He stood up and walked over to the library’s entrance. He took a deep breath and forced a scowl on to his face as he opened the door. Twilight’s attention was now on him. “Spike? What happened to you?” He bit his tongue, forcing fresh tears to his eyes. “I fell over on the way back here and landed on a bush. You know, that one full of thorns? I hurt all over!” he whined. Twilight glanced between him and the window, her book now abandoned. “I thought I heard something… Are you okay?” Twilight stepped closer, investigating the seriousness of the wounds he’d actually accumulated on the way there. “It kinda hurts,” he admitted, “but I think I’ll be alright. Here’s all the stuff you made me go get, anyway.” Spike reached a claw down into his bag and pulled out the parchment and quills. Twilight beamed before taking them from his outstretched hands. “You’re the best,” she said, giving him a much-deserved nuzzle. His only complaint was that he hadn’t gotten it from Rarity, but he hoped he’d get one later that night. Heck, he’d be happy if Rarity so much as said his name. Hopefully Sweetie Belle wouldn’t be practicing her magic again, if things went his way. Spike blinked. “You know… There is something I wanted to ask.” Twilight’s eyes met his, her eyebrows arching. “Spike, if this is about the Fleet Foxes’ concert—” “It’s not!” Spike promised, “I just wanted to go to Rarity’s later.” His gaze strayed toward the window where he saw Rainbow Dash, her hooves thrashing wildly. She was trying to tell him something, but it was hard to tell what she was miming. “Well, I don’t see why not… What are you looking at?” When Twilight turned back toward the window for a third time, Rainbow Dash dropped back to the ground before she could be spotted. Twilight hummed before looking at Spike again. “Thanks, Twilight! I’ll be sure to clean up when I get back—and is there anything you wanted me to do now?” From the corner of his eye he could see Rainbow return to the window. She pointed toward him, then at herself, and finally up at the sky. She moved her lips as if to say “My house,” and pointed at herself again. With that, she took off with a rainbow trail blazing after her. Spike returned his focus on Twilight, hoping she hadn’t noticed his lack of attention. She smiled. “Actually, I was hoping you could put the new parchment and quill to good use. Since I just finished up that last experiment—you know, the one detailing the negative and positive effects of Poison Joke on a pony—I figured it was about time to let Princess Celestia know of my findings. It’s been a while since I last sent her a letter.” “More like yesterday,” he joked. Twilight gave him a look. “You do want to go to Rarity’s, don’t you?” Spike laughed sheepishly before grabbing hold of the quill and parchment Twilight had taken from him seconds earlier. “ ‘Dear Princess Celestia,’ right?” Author's Note I'd like to thank both TalltalePony and [url=htp:// for helping me shape this chapter up.
Spike the SwagonSeveral hours had passed before Spike was finally able to get away from Twilight. At first she’d wanted him to write Princess Celestia a letter, then she wanted him to dust the shelves, and after that she’d asked him to sweep the floor. It was when she was about to ask him to do something else that he reminded her that he had plans for the evening, and it was only then that she finally gave him a break. “Alright, Spike,” she had said. “You can go. But you have to clean up when you get back, okay?” Spike had agreed under the condition that he could stay out as long as he wanted to—which, in Twilight’s eyes, was apparently “be back by nine.” Either way, he was still looking forward to seeing Rarity, and also hearing Rainbow Dash—the ever boastful pegasus—thanking him for a job well done. Should I go to Rainbow Dash or Rarity’s place first? Spike wondered as he stepped outside. Well… might as well see Rainbow first, so I can stay with Rarity for the rest of the day. ‘Business before pleasure,’ I guess. Spike looked up into the sky, where not a single cloud was in sight. He glowered suddenly. “How am I supposed to know where Rainbow’s house is? It could be anywhere!” He kicked the ground and let out an annoyed grunt. Then, an idea sparked in his mind. He licked one of his fingers and held it high in the air. A cold draft blew past it, at Spike’s right side. He smiled at his genius. “Should be that way,” he said to no one in particular. Ponies gawked at him as he ran past, disbelief flashing through their eyes and disapproval in their stances. Spike took no notice of it and continued on his way. When seconds turned into minutes and he was still searching for Rainbow Dash’s home, he started getting a little worried. But that worry became anxiety as the familiar town of Ponyville was replaced with open fields. He skidded to a stop when he realized that, if he continued any further, he’d end up in the Everfree Forest, in which he was certain Rainbow Dash didn’t live. “What the heck? It should be here!” He huffed, directing his gaze upward. A shadow fell over him as a cloud blocked the sun. A huge cloud. He jumped when he saw that it was Rainbow’s home looming over him, as if it’d been there all along. It was one of the biggest, most elaborate houses Spike had ever seen—and that was definitely saying something considering he was from Canterlot. A rainbow befitting its owner could be seen from atop it, and not too far from Spike a rainbow waterfall crashed down onto the land. Spike regained his cool with a precarious glance around, letting out a cough. “I totally knew that was there,” he said to himself, a nervous laugh following after. He cupped his claws around his mouth and shouted to the sky: “Rainbow Dash! Are you up there?” No response. “Come on, Rainbow, I know you’re home!” No sign of life. “RAINBOW DASH!” “What is it?! Somepony better be on their deathbed!” An annoyed Rainbow Dash poked her head out from her cloud home, glaring daggers down at the dragon below. “Er…” Spike swallowed, having not expected a cranky Rainbow Dash to greet him. Her mane looked even more messy than usual, stray hairs sticking up in disarray. It was clear even to Spike that she’d been trying to get some sleep. “Spike?” Her expression lost its bite and she straightened up. “What’re you doing here?” “Um, you sort of told me to come?” he said sheepishly. Rainbow stared at him for a few seconds more, then flew down to meet him. When she landed, she made an attempt to smooth her mane out—which didn’t really work. “When did I say that?” she mumbled almost to herself. Spike found it hard not to crack up at her when she was this out of it, but was able to keep to himself composed at the thought of getting smacked. He cleared his throat. “You were outside of the library spying on Twilight when I walked right into you”—Rainbow’s eyes widened—”and Twilight almost saw, and then you wanted me to get her attention off you—” “Okay, okay, I get it!” Her hooves had lifted up in defense. She let out a breath, the muscles in her shoulders relaxing as she let her forelegs drop back down. “You were saying something about an idea, and you made it sound like it was good. That’s why I wanted you to come see me.” “Oh.” Spike blinked. “Well… I like Rarity and you like Twilight. Right?” “I don’t see your point,” Rainbow Dash replied bluntly, her eyes narrowing. Spike continued, “I’ve known Twilight for, like, my whole life, and you’re best friends with Rarity. Right?” “Yeah…? Wait, you can’t seriously be saying—” Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up with excitement, but Spike spoke right over her. “That we could help each other out? Yes, yes I am,” he finished smugly, his chest sticking out with pride. Rainbow Dash was enthralled with the idea, a sudden bout of energy coursing through her. It took all her willpower to keep from taking flight. Instead, she forced a nonchalant expression on her face. “Oh? I’d be down for that. Not that Ineed help or anything, but I can lend a helping hoof.” Spike, on the other hand, didn’t try to hold back his happiness. He grinned widely and thrust his hand out. Rainbow couldn’t keep from smiling a little herself as she lifted a hoof. The two shook on it. “Great,” Spike said happily. “I’m actually just about to head to Rarity’s right now.” Rainbow Dash frowned. “Really? What for?” “To spend time with her, duh.” Spike let out a laugh, which was cut short when his friend tsked disapprovingly. “Oh, Spike, you’ve got a lot to learn… How can you expect to get Rarity to fall for you like this?” She shook her head. Spike’s eyes doubled in size. “What? Am I doing something wrong?” Rainbow smiled. “You came to the right mare, Spike-ster. Heck, if she doesn’t fall head over hooves in love with you by tonight I’ll be surprised. You know what? Wait here, lemme go grab some stuff,” Rainbow said as she flew back up into her home. Spike waited patiently for her to return, rocking back and forth on his heels. The sun was nearing the horizon, and that made him wonder if he was even going to have time to go to Rarity’s. Spike watched Rainbow Dash as she landed in front of him, a devious smile playing on her lips. In her forelegs was a pile of some questionable articles of clothing. “What’s that?” Spike asked at once, pointing a claw at them. Rainbow didn’t reply at first, opting to pull a baggy t-shirt from the pile. It seemed like it’d be a loose fit on the dragon, but not to the point where he’d be tripping on it. Rainbow grinned. “When I was a filly, I had a reputation to uphold. I figured my old clothes might fit you, and what could be cooler than something I’ve worn? Here, let me help you get it on.” Before Spike could protest, Rainbow had pulled the plain white shirt over his head. It reached all the way down to his knees. “Next up, classy jeans.” She pushed them to his chest and made him put them on, which he did begrudgingly. “Make sure to tuck the shirt in,” she reminded, then frowned as she assessed the dragon’s new look. “Are you sure about this?” he asked as he tucked the shirt in. Rainbow nodded. “Of course! As a filly, all the kids envied me and my sense of style. They thought I was so awesome none of them could find the courage in ‘em to talk to me.” Rainbow Dash hesitated before grasping an old tattered looking baseball cap. She stared at it for a long time before finally placing it on Spike’s head, making sure it was tilted just so. As a last touch, she made sure to put a couple of chains around his neck. “...Make sure to take care of that hat. It’s really important to me, alright?” Rainbow commented quietly as she pulled away. It was weird hearing something like that coming from a pony like Rainbow Dash, but Spike nodded with a salute, which almost sent the hat off his head. The mare shook her head at him, causing him to shrink back in embarrassment. After a while, she tapped a hoof against her chin. “Something’s missing.” Then, she hopped up and spread her wings. She fluttered just above the ground, her forelegs crossed over her chest. “It’s your attitude,” she concluded. “You’ve gotta carry yourself confidently.” Spike straightened his posture and rolled his shoulders back, trying to forget about what’d caused him to hunch over. It was hard with all those clothes weighing him down, but he managed. “Uh… how’s this?” “Better,” Rainbow amended. “Alright, now you have to talk like you’re me. Girls like Rarity like a bad boy with confidence, not someone that does everything she wants when she wants it.” “Hey!” Rainbow ignored his outburst. “Give it a try,” she said instead. Spike frowned before beginning the facade. “Oh, I didn’t see you there, Rarity.” His voice cracked when he tried to make it deep, causing his morale to falter. “Would you… er…” “Make sure you don’t stutter, alright? That makes you seem less confident. You’re doing good so far, though.” Spike cast out his reluctance and decided to give it his all. He let a smile take over his features as he mentioned a joke he’d heard a while ago. “Hey there, Rarity. I’m not trying to impress you or anything, but I don’t look both ways when I cross the road.” “That’s actually not bad.” Rainbow chuckled in approval. “I think you’re ready.” Spike beamed, hopping from foot to foot in excitement. The chains on his neck rattled at the movement. “Really? You think she’ll be impressed?” “Remember who you’re talking to, Spike! Also… don’t do that. It’s not cool.” It was around seven thirty when Spike finally stood outside the Carousel Boutique. He’d come across a couple of ponies on the way, who gave him strange looks. Pinkie in particular had praised him on his style before continuing her trot in the general direction of the library. Cheerilee had said hello, as usual, before doing a double-take, but Spike took that as a compliment—along with all the stares. He recalled Rainbow Dash telling him that, when she was a filly, ponies didn’t approach her because of how envious they were, and it made him giddy to think he looked that good. From the way this was going so far, Rarity was going to be his in no time! He’d be surprised if she didn’t throw herself at him at the sight of his fresh attire. Spike glanced to his right, where Rainbow stood hidden between the Carousel Boutique’s window and door. Even when Rarity opened the entrance, she would still be out of sight. Rainbow Dash nodded toward him, an encouraging smile on her face. The dragon looked ahead, new determination flashing in his eyes. He raised a fist up to knock and did so without hesitation. Like before, he heard Rarity’s beautiful voice from within, except this time it was not in song; instead, it was the tone she used in everyday conversation. Within a few seconds, the door opened and the bell overhead chimed. Spike was mesmerized by her beauty, becoming tongue-tied at once. Rarity, on the other hand, stared at the little dragon and was unable to bring forth words for very different reasons. “Er… Spike, dear, is that you?” “Yeah,” he replied, taking his time. “Mind if I come in?” Rarity stepped aside as Spike waddled in. The door closed behind him. “Are you certain you feel alright?” Concern laced her tone as her eyes combed over his figure once more, not bothering to hide the grimace the action provoked. “I’m fine. How have you been?” He leaned against the wall beside him, but slipped and almost fell in the process. As he righted himself, a nervous chuckle escaped his lips. “...I meant to do that.” Rarity didn’t mention his slip-up, much to his relief. “I’ve been doing well since I last saw you this morning. The kitchen’s all tidied up and I finished all the orders I needed to. Sweetie Belle’s… somewhere in the house, though I don’t quite recall exactly where. She, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are actually having a sleepover tonight.” “You let Sweetie Belle have a sleepover with two other fillies after what happened this morning?” Spike replied, forgetting his role. Outside, Rainbow Dash face-hoofed. “Well, yes. They’re collaborating on a project for school, and I wasn’t going to deny them that.” She smiled. “Would you like to talk over tea? I would really like to know where you got your new outfit.” Spike, oblivious to Rarity’s intentions, grinned at the compliment. He thanked Rainbow Dash internally. “It’s a long story; wouldn’t want to burden you with it.” Rarity waved his comment off with a hoof. “Nonsense, darling! I would absolutely love to hear all the details.” The two made their way into her kitchen, taking a seat at the table. Spike found it hard to get comfortable in the ill-fitting clothes, but did his best not to show it. Rarity already had a cup of tea simmering in front of her, and levitated another for Spike. Soon, fresh tea was poured into it and placed on the table in front of him. Spike wasn’t a big fan of tea—in fact, he hated it with a passion, and usually got Twilight to make him some hot chocolate instead—but he would suck it up for Rarity. He took the cup in his claws and, against his better judgment, gulped it down. The hot liquid scalded his tongue and brought tears to his eyes. He spit it out, and as his luck would have it, it went straight over the table and spewed all over Rarity. She jumped up at once, the burn causing her to grit her teeth, then rushed over to the sink and washed cold water over her forelegs. Despite his own tongue’s cries, he hopped up and joined Rarity in the matter of seconds. “Rarity! Are you okay?!” he exclaimed, his stomach flopping wildly. He reached over to help, but she rejected it. “I’m alright, Spike,” she managed with a small smile. “Just… give me a moment to compose myself.” The dragon shuffled backwards, giving her the space she needed. His eyes, still full with unshed tears not entirely from the burn, were cast on the floor. He felt silly now, in baggy clothes that didn’t suit him at all. He’d even gone and hurt Rarity, however minor it was. Not long later, Rarity had freshened herself up. Her skin still looked really sensitive, but Spike guessed it was numb at this point. Guilt gnawed at his chest. “You really shouldn’t take in so much tea at one time, darling. The art is in taking sips.” Rarity sat back down at her side of the table as if none of the previous events had transpired, and even wiped up the remnants of Spike’s spout with a towel levitated in her magic. The dragon was rather embarrassed, but he hopped back into his chair and tried to forget about his mistake. The evening wasn’t ruined yet. “I’m sorry, Rarity,” he said in spite of himself. “I really didn’t mean to do that.” The unicorn shook her head. “Don’t worry about it; I understand.” From upstairs the sound of fillies shouting and stomping could be heard. Rarity glared at the ceiling. She took a deep breath before turning back to Spike. “Now, as I was about to say—” CRASH! This time, Rarity had no reservations. She got up, her face full of rage, and said in such a calm voice that it unnerved Spike, “I’m sorry, Spikey, but we’re going to have to postpone this meeting to a later date. I’ll talk to you later.” She walked in a short clip over to the stairs and up them without a second to waste. Spike could hear her calling Sweetie Belle’s name distantly, and it was then that he decided to take his leave. He sighed, trudging lamely toward the front door. His heart was heavy and weighed him down far more than the clothes he wore. He’d never screwed up this bad—except maybe that one time he’d gotten really greedy and almost got himself and Rarity killed. Still, he’d had high expectations for this evening, and it sucked to have them taken away so easily. When he opened the door, Rainbow Dash was giving him one of those big winner smiles. But when it wasn’t returned, her confidence faltered. “Did everything go okay?” “No, it went terrible. I don’t think she liked my—your clothes. I even spit hot tea all over her!” He winced, frowning deeply. “Oh wow… That’s gotta hurt.” She grimaced. “Well, there’s always next time. I mean, there’s no need to get upset about it, right?” “I guess…” Spike replied, unconvinced. He was already pulling the clothes off and folding them neatly. “Come on, Spike. You can’t give up that easy; heck, Rarity might just be playing hard to get and you’re just falling for it!” “Huh…” Spike thought about it for a few minutes as he tugged the last article of clothing off of him: the jeans. “That actually makes sense. Maybe she is just testing me, to make sure I’m worthy of her love!” Spike had lightened back up, smiling brightly. He handed Rainbow Dash her old clothes. “Just imagine: Spike, the fearsome fire-breathing dragon slash awesome knight, getting the fairest mare of them all due to his sheer awesomeness and determination! How cool would that be?” The two laughed until they were a ways from Rarity’s home, then they walked in silence, both lost in thought. “So… what’s Twilight doing tomorrow?” Rainbow asked after a while. She stopped walking, causing Spike to turn back and look at her. He let out a laugh. “You’d want to know,” he teased. The pegasus glared playfully. “I helped you out today, didn’t I? It’s only fair the favor’s returned.” Spike chuckled at this, his eyes wandering to the sky. It was beautiful tonight. “...She’s planning on taking a break from her studies between twelve o’clock and two. Stop by then.” As his eyes took in more detail and he considered the brightness of the stars, he realized just how dark everything around him had become. His eyes widened. Twilight was going to kill him. “I gotta go, see you tomorrow, Rainbow Dash!” Spike exclaimed as he ran as fast as he could back to the library. He could hear Rainbow’s laughter echoing behind him, and he hoped Twilight would go easy on him. Author's Note Special thanks go to my friend TalltalePony for all his help on this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next chapter, because I certainly am excited to write more!
A Rainbow Streaked with GrayIt’d been a long night for Spike. After he’d gotten home, Twilight had all but set his tail on fire. He ended up being a whole hour late, which apparently threw off her entire schedule. She then proceeded to yell at him for the next thirty minutes, which obviously messed up her plans even more, before finally calling it quits. Of course, she still forced Spike to live up to his promise—which was to clean the entire library before he went to sleep. As punishment, she sat there and made sure he did every little thing, never once letting her stern eyes stray from him and his mundane tasks. Spike wasn’t sure if she was just plain mad or if she really had been worried, but either way he just wished he could get some shuteye. There were few things Spike was truly afraid of, and among those were facing Twilight’s wrath. When she was in a really bad mood, he knew it was best just to take cover and hope for the best. When he’d mopped the floor for the second time, Twilight stopped him and sent him upstairs. She was still fuming silently, possibly going over how else he was going to be punished the following morning. Spike cursed Rainbow Dash and himself for getting caught up in it. Luckily for him, he was able to sleep peacefully. His dreams consisted of ice cream and Rarity—his two favorite things. Like all good things, however, they were swiped away from him right when it was at the good part. “Spike, wake up!” The dragon groaned when a draft blew over his back, making it clear that Twilight had taken his blanket away. “What time is it…?” he muttered, his eyes still closed. “It’s time for you to get up.” Twilight nudged him out of his basket, much to his dismay. He rubbed his eyes wearily. “Fine, fine…” Spike stretched his limbs out with a yawn, his eyes landing on Twilight. Her mane was messy and her eyes glassy. He frowned. “Are you alright?” Twilight gave him a small smile. “I’m fine, Spike. I was just up all night rearranging my schedule, and came to the conclusion that sleep was the least important.” “Oh… I’m sorry, Twi, I really didn’t mean to keep you up.” “No need to worry, Spike. I should apologize for acting the way I did. I’ve been pretty stressed as of late; the princess wants me to put together a presentation based entirely on my studies here in Ponyville—all of which pertaining to friendship—for the griffon kingdom. She wants to improve Equestria’s relations with the other nations, and she figured friendship would be the best way to go about that. And since I’m currently studying it…” Spike glowered indignantly at this. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?! That sounds super important! When did this happen? How can I help? Gosh, I’m sorry, Twi—” A hoof was pushed into his mouth, halting any more apologies he might have spit out. Twilight grimaced lightly. “Remember that letter from the princess a few days ago? Well, there was a second parchment that we must have missed; I noticed it while you were at Rarity’s. Needless to say, I, uh… freaked out a little.” A bashful blush settled over Twilight’s cheeks, but she continued on. “She needs it done by tomorrow night—which, had I known about it the day she sent it, I would’ve had plenty of time—but that isn’t the case. I woke you up because I need you to take care of anypony that happens to come in looking for a book. I seriously can’t be interrupted, alright?” Spike saluted. “Sure thing, Twilight! I gotcha covered.” Twilight nodded briskly before turning around and heading down the stairs. Spike was about to follow her, until he realized something. He slapped himself. “Oh man, this isn’t good… Just perfect… Now Rainbow’s gonna show up and Twilight’s going to be too busy to see her. Why me?” The dragon looked over at a nearby clock and deduced that it was eight thirty. That wasn’t too bad; he wouldn’t have to deal with Rainbow for another few hours. See, there totally wasn’t anything to worry about— SMACK! Spike’s head whipped over to the window of the bedroom, where the loud sound of something banging on glass was coming from. He half expected to see Rainbow Dash there, but was surprised when the sight of pink greeted him. “Oh, hey, Spike! Is Twilight in there?” Pinkie Pie asked, standing on the balcony. Spike had absolutely no idea how she’d gotten up there, and he really didn’t want to know. “Um… Pinkie?” Spike found himself unable to speak any other words, and he settled on blinking at his friend. Pinkie giggled, and rested a hoof on the glass. “Are we having a staring contest?! I’ll totally beat you at it, ‘cause Fluttershy’s taught me a thing or two, and now I know all her secrets!” Pinkie pressed her face against the window, somehow creeping Spike out even more. Her eyes were practically popping out of her skull, unblinking. Spike jumped back. “N-no, Pinkie, we’re not having a staring contest.” She let out a gasp, her lower lip quivering. “Aww, but they’re so much fun!” The dragon was about to respond when Pinkie opened the window and crawled inside of her own accord. She seemed to have forgotten all about her momentary sadness, a big smile stretching over her muzzle. “Anyway, where’s Twilight? I’ve got the newest pie from Sugarcube Corner and wanted to give it to her this morning!” She bounced up and down, and Spike became aware of the box on her back. It redoubled his doubts on how she could have climbed up to the second floor from outside. “Uh… I would let you go see her, but she’s really busy right now. She stayed up late last night—” “I know! My ears flopped, my stomach dropped, and my teeth chatter-opped! That means a friend stayed up super late. Yup, see, that’s what this pie is for—cheering her up!” Spike stared at her for several seconds before shaking his head. Knowing Pinkie, she probably just wanted to check on Twilight—and from the looks of it, she had her work cut out for her. “You won’t bother her too much, right?” A nod. “I don’t see why you can’t go give it to her then, just make sure to…” Pinkie had effectively disappeared, a light pink trail leading out the open door. “...keep it down.” Spike shook his head, chuckling. He hopped down the stairs, musing what he was going to do for the day. Breakfast was obviously the first thing on his list, and he needed to figure out what he was going to do about Rainbow Dash. Considering the task Twilight had given him, he figured he wouldn’t get a minute away from the library. That meant he wouldn’t get the chance to go tell her… He just hoped she was prepared. But this was Rainbow Dash he was thinking about. She was the coolest, fastest pegasus around! There was no way she could be anything but awesome, whether or not she was in the company of her crush. Spike poured syrup over his waffles, his mouth watering. It’d been a bit since the last time he got to indulge in his guilty pleasure—waffles filled with gems. While they didn’t rank too highly on his favorites list, he still loved the way they melted in his mouth and made his belly warm when he swallowed. Not to mention Twilight usually caught him sneaking gems out of her stash… And that was always a pain. Once Spike had finished up his breakfast and cleaned his dishes (no evidence), he heard the library’s door opening—perfect timing. He jogged out of the kitchen to meet whoever had come inside, and was momentarily surprised at what he saw. “...What’re you guys doing here?” The three fillies gawked at him, seeming to be offended by his question. Scootaloo scoffed. “What, are we not allowed to read books anymore?” “Of course you’re allowed to read. You three just don’t seem like the type of ponies to sit around reading, much less spending time in a library…” Apple Bloom looked genuinely angry now; her nostrils flared and her eyes flashed. “I’ll have ya know, Spike, that Ah read Romare and Julio all on mah own!” She puffed her chest out in pride before trotting around him and into the library. “Now, we’re lookin’ for a book on magic.” The other two fillies followed after Apple Bloom, and Spike raced over to them. “Wait! Magic? Isn’t that a bit… out of your league?” “That’s why we’re here for a book!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she started pulling out random novels. “Show and tell’s almost here and we seriously need something to blow away Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s display. They always get their parents to buy something super expensive that looks great, and now it’s our turn!” Spike mulled this information over, and part of him wished Twilight wasn’t in the basement. He knew this wasn’t a good idea, but he didn’t know how to tell them that. Even if he did, they’d probably do something rash anyway. Better to have them be knowledgeable about it than have them do it with no foresight, right? The dragon nodded to himself. He walked over to the other side of the library and scanned over the titles. ‘Starswirl’s Guide to Magic’? How about no. ‘Photo Finish’s Autobiography: The Magix’? Yeah, that’s not what I was looking for. ‘Magic for Beginners’... That sounds right. Spike pulled out the book and quickly looked over it. It didn’t have anything too serious or complicated for them, so he called them over. “This book will be perfect for you guys.” Sweetie Belle took hold of the book and smiled. “This’ll be great! Thanks, Spike! You should totally come see our presentation tomorrow; it’ll be amazing!” Apple Bloom jumped at the thought. “Yeah! We should invite everypony! We’ll show Diamond Tiara who’s boss!” Before Spike could say another word, the Cutie Mark Crusaders scampered off. Spike let out a sigh as he looked over the mess Scootaloo had made in her search. He set to picking it up, but didn’t get very far before another pony entered. The library was a lot more busy than usual, but he managed to get what they needed easily. Several hours went by that way, and neither Twilight nor Pinkie had come back upstairs. As the clock ticked on and the time went by, Spike grew more and more bored. It was with a blatant sigh in his tone that he regarded the next visitor. “Hello and welcome to the Ponyville library. How may I help you?” “What’re you doing, Spike?” The dragon jumped, no longer feeling a lack of interest. “Rainbow Dash?” The pegasus in question smirked, though she looked less sure of herself than usual. She flew over next to him, sending cursory glances around the library. “So, where is she? It’s like, one thirty, and you said she would take a break around now.” “Yeah, well… um, something’s come up.” The ground suddenly looked really appealing. He couldn’t bring his eyes up to meet hers. “What do you mean?” “Turns out she’s doing some super important task for the princess, and she can’t be bothered.” The sound of a hoof slapping a pony’s forehead could be heard. “Really? Ugh… how long until she’s done? Sometime soon, right? This is Twilight we’re talking about here.” Spike shook his head. “No, it’ll be a while. That much I’m sure of.” Even though she didn’t say anything, it was her silence that clued him in on her disappointment. He forced his gaze upward, trying to gauge how bad it was. Rainbow was frowning, but she didn’t look too bothered. “That’s okay… I’ll just stop by and say hi. That sounds like a good idea, right?” Rainbow grinned as a thought struck her. “Yeah, a good friend would check on another friend when something big like that came up. And I’m a good friend of Twilight’s, so it’s only natural that I’d go make sure everything was alright.” “Um… Right?” Spike said uncertainly. Rainbow trotted over to the stairs that led to the basement and raced down them. The dragon lagged behind, wanting to see how things would go, but not wanting to invade on anyone’s privacy. Still, Spike comforted himself with the thought that Rainbow had spied on him and Rarity earlier, so why couldn’t he do the same? As the pegasus flew into the room, Spike stayed beside the door, hidden from view but close enough to see the lab below. Papers were strewn all over, multiple charts and graphs stapled to the walls. Twilight was writing something down onto parchment, apparently documenting her speech, and Pinkie was listening and giving her input whenever there was a lull. The box from earlier lay just to the side, half of the pie inside eaten. Spike watched as Rainbow almost lost her balance, and he winced. Probably should’ve told her Pinkie was here… The pegasus recovered herself and smiled at the two ponies, though they still hadn’t noticed her. She landed. “Hey, guys. What’re you up to?” Spike chewed his lip. She sounded nervous. “Rainbow Dash?” Pinkie bounced up and gave her a big hug. “It’s nice to see ya!” Twilight smiled briefly, though Spike could see that she wasn’t very happy about being interrupted. The twitch of her lips when she smiled gave her away. “It is nice to see you, Rainbow Dash. I’m working on a presentation for Princess Celestia concerning friendship, and Pinkie’s giving me her opinion.” “Oh yeah?” Rainbow stuck her chest out. “I bet I could help you too!” Twilight thought about it for a while before nodding. “Alright, sure. Just take a seat.” Rainbow plopped down happily, and Pinkie did the same. Twilight cleared her throat before speaking. The scratching of her quill could be heard at the same time. “Friendship is a fickle thing, but in its entirety, it’s worth it. Your friends will always be there for you, even on your worst days, and even when you’ve…” she trailed off, her brow furrowing. “Had a fight?” Pinkie suggested. Rainbow wouldn’t be outdone, apparently. “Gotten into hot water?” Twilight frowned. “Had a fight it is…” Rainbow huffed indignantly, but it wasn’t loud enough for Twilight to hear. The unicorn continued. “They are the stepping stones to a better life, and I wouldn’t change them for the world. I’ve never been happier than my days spent in Ponyville, and I have my friends to thank for that.” She looked up at the two other ponies. “How was that?” Rainbow was about to answer, but Pinkie was faster. “It was pretty good! But maybe you should add another part where you say something specific-al to the griffons? Kinda to pull them in and get them to buy your apples?” “That’s a good idea, Pinkie! You’re a genius. Alright, so let me see here… It doesn’t matter what species you are or where you grew up, everypony has the potential to be a good friend. And that is what I hope to bring to all of you.” Rainbow jumped at the opportunity to speak, and Spike could tell she’d been itching to redeem herself from her rejection earlier. “You know what goes well with a speech? You could do a really cool spell and capture the griffons’ attention with a flawless maneuver! I’m positive you could pull it off.” Twilight shook her head. “The griffons might take that as a challenge and things could get even worse between the two nations. But you’re right, I need something to wrap everything up.” Pinkie’s hoof shot up into the air, and she seemed to exert happiness. Twilight nodded toward her, and she blurted out, “A PARTY!!!” At first Twilight looked like she was going to shoot the idea down right away—her hoof was even lifted as if to restrain Pinkie—but then she paused. A spark flashed through her eyes. “...That actually isn’t a bad idea at all! Though, not quite a Pinkie party, but a small, organized one. With cake and punch, and maybe a couple of games. Absolutely no pranks, of course. Wouldn’t want anyone to feel singled out…” “I could help you plan it!” Pinkie jumped up. “Oooh, we could make a game called pin the tail on the griffon!” Rainbow stood up too. “Yeah, that sounds good. And maybe I could—” “And streamers! Everypony loves streamers!” “And a search and find, in which each guest is given a checklist and must find another griffon that meets each question’s specifications?” “Sure!” chirped Pinkie. “Those are always fun.” “Would you mind coming with me to the griffon kingdom to help me get all this stuff set up? It’d be comforting to see a friendly face in the audience, you know. Though, I’d understand if you couldn’t; I have to leave tomorrow and we’d be gone for three days.” “I wouldn’t mind at all. It’d give me the chance to make more friends, and I’m always up for helping somepony out! I’m sure the Cakes would be fine with it, too.” Pinkie beamed. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, gaining the attention of her two friends. She smiled sheepishly. “Any room for one more?” “Hm… I don’t know, Rainbow. I don’t want to overstep my boundaries by going to another country and bringing too many friends… And don’t you have weather duties here in Ponyville?” “Oh… Yeah, you’re right. Maybe next time, then…” Both Pinkie and Twilight began speaking animatedly about the details of the party, as well as some of the minor things concerning her speech. Rainbow sat disconnected from the conversation, and Spike couldn’t help feeling bad for her. The other two were ponies that easily got distracted—especially about a subject matter like this—and would never notice that they were unintentionally pushing Rainbow out of their conversation. “Ouch…” he said, watching with pained eyes. This was even worse than his mishap the other day; at least Rarity had acknowledged him. Rainbow Dash was out of her element here, and it really showed. Soon she just flew back up the stairs, and neither pony had noticed. Spike backed away from the door and ran back up the stairs before Dash could’ve noticed him. When she’d made it to him, he gave her a little smile. “...How’d it go?” “Great. She’s fallin’ for me already, I just know it.” She smiled weakly. “Anyway… uh, did you get invited to Scootaloo’s thing at school? She said you were going, and I was just wondering if that was true. And sorta wondering if you knew what they were planning.” Spike was bothered by her lie, but decided to let it go. He said, “I’m not entirely sure. Some sort of presentation for show and tell is all I know.” Rainbow shrugged. “I’m sure it’ll be good, whatever it is. You busy?” “Not really, why?” “Let’s go do something fun. Libraries are too stuffy, and it’s really starting to cramp my wings. How about we forget about the ponies we love for a bit and just kick back?” Spike let a smile cross his features. “That sounds like a great idea… but just for the day, right?” “Right.” Author's Note My sincerest thanks go to TalltalePony for his help on this chapter. His writing's awesome, so you should check it out. On another note, this chapter took longer than I anticipated, but I hope it was enjoyable nonetheless.
