The Cost of a Stone is its Rarity
“Okay, Rarity, enough is enough!” Twilight Sparkle stood in the door to the Carousel Boutique while rain poured outside and lightning flashed behind her dramatically. “We need to talk.”
Rarity almost gaped at the scene Twilight made, but then her sense of taste filed the entire affair into her ‘trite/cliché’ mental assessment folder system and all she could do was notice how soggy Twilight’s wings and mane looked, certainly not befitting a formerly-kindred-unicorn of Twilight’s currently alicorn-princess standing.
“Twilight, darling, what in Celestia’s name could be worth coming out in such horrific weather at this forsaken hour of the night?” she chided gently.
She used her magic to send a thick cloth over to Twilight, then paused shy of letting it touch to rummage through the rest of her stock for a slightly less expensive fabric to use in drying her off, “and please do mind where you drip,” she added, “I’m in the middle of a rather important project.”
Twilight snatched the fabric away from her with her own magic and shook herself like a dog, sending a spray of water in all directions. Before Rarity could begin her shriek of horror, Twilight caught all of the droplets in the bubble of magic she formed around herself, and tossed them all out the door before swatting the door closed with a snap of the cloth.
“All your projects are important for you, Rarity. But do you want to know what’s REEEALLY important? To me? How about Spike turning down a proposal from the Princess of the Draconian Empire? The one I’m supposed to be forming an alliance to our nation with as part of my princess/ambassadorial duties for Celestia?”
Rarity winced; in Twilight’s agitated state she was twisting the fabric around itself while she paced about the main floor room. Rarity made a few delicate attempts to grab it away from Twilight before she could further stretch it out of true.
“Yes, that’s all quite upsetting, dear, perhaps you should put the sheet down and have a nice cup of-“ Rarity lost the magical grip she had finally managed to get on the corner of her precious cloth as Twilight’s words finally sank in.
“My Spikey-wikey did what?”
A short tidying up and room change brought them both to the kitchen, where Rarity put on a kettle of water to boil and began sorting through her stock of teas to find the one that properly suited the situation. Rarity had pulled out a seat for Twilight, but her friend continued to pace about her kitchen.
“You mean to tell me our little Jade proposed?” Rarity asked, pulling out the Earl Grey; a respectable classic for regal diplomatic meetings. “Aren’t they both rather young to already be discussing marriage? For dragons, I mean.”
Twilight snorted indignantly, “Little? Rarity, they’re both almost the size of full grown stallions now.”
Rarity sighed and put back the Earl Grey; Twilight had always had trouble maintaining her royal composure under stress, the last thing Twilight needed was a stimulating tea that might encourage further undignified outbursts.
“It’s just that it doesn’t seem that long ago,” Rarity ammended placatingly as she pulled out a nice, calming green tea for Twilight, “that Spike was barely eye level with a foal when he stood up straight.”
“You should see him when he stands up now. He makes the royal guard nervous anytime he smiles. Well, the rookies anyway.”
“Oh posh. How could anyone be nervous around Spike? He’s so thoughtful and charming. Why, he’s the most reliable man I know, aside from maybe Fancypants. I always feel at ease with him around. No, I certainly can’t fault Jade’s taste,” Rarity opened her canister of Chai Tea and breathed in the fragrance. “Oh, and let’s not forget how he heroically rescued her when she ran away from home.”
“Or how he convinced her not to abandon her kingdom and become a wild dragon,” Twilight finally sat down at the table, setting the cloth over the back of her chair.
“Oh, he was so dashing! A girl never forgets the first time a knight comes to save her,” Rarity leaned on the table and sighed wistfully, gazing dreamily over Twilight’s head.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, “That sounds like experience speaking. When have you been saved by a knight?”
That broke Rarity out of her reverie; “Me? Why w-whatever do you mean? Oh my, is that the water I hear boiling?”
Rarity got up to check the stovetop, but there wasn’t even the vaguest hint of steam coming from the spout.
“Come on, boil, you stupid pot,” she muttered. She could feel Twilight’s glare burning holes in the back of her neck. She found herself longing to have the innocently oblivious unicorn Twilight back. Then again it may have been more her time as a princess that had sharpened her perceptions.
“Why are you changing the subject?” Twilight asked before pausing, her glare softening to a pleading look. “Did this happen while I was attending a royal function? We’re still friends, aren’t we? Why don’t you want to share this with me? You weren't hurt, were you?”
Rarity grimaced as she looked into Twilight’s big shimmering puppy eyes. Oh goodness, to think she had taught Twilight how to do that on cue. The student had surpassed the master it seemed. She rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat.
“You WERE there when it happened. For all the times that it happened; He got me the hoof in the door I needed to fast track my fashion career, and while I certainly had things under control, it doesn't mean the gesture went unappreciated when he came riding to the rescue with the rest of you during that whole brutish diamond dog fiasco. I still can’t figure out how he managed to twist Toity’s ear into accepting that do-over though.”
“Spike,” Twilight confirmed.
Rarity nodded, hanging her head. Twilight started to say more, but the pot chose just that moment to finally begin boiling. They both glared at the pot until Rarity picked it up and poured it into the diffusers of tea that she had put together in each cup. They both sat in awkward silence for a few minutes while they waited for their tea to steep. Twilight coughed politely and took a sip of her tea.
“Why are they suddenly so interested in my- in Spike?” Rarity blurted out, causing Twilight to pause mid-sip. “The last time the rest of the dragon council laughed him out of their court for being a ‘pony-servant.’ It was all Jade could do just to get them to accept him on his deeds as her rescuer, and now they’re making wedding plans around him? What did Jade do? Have them all assassinated?”
Rarity sank back down in her seat and took a long swig of her tea, to Tartarus with being ladylike.
Twilight chewed on her lip, “It might have something to do with them finding out that he’s the true sleeping prince of their original lost clan.”
Rarity spat out her entire cup of tea, she wasn’t quite sure how so much tea managed to fit into such a tiny cup, but fortunately Twilight had raised a shield of magic in time to keep from taking the entire blast to her face. Rarity coughed and spluttered a bit longer before she managed to speak.
“A prince!? Of what? How!?”
“Well, apparently that whole egg hatching entrance exam I was given was never meant to be completed successfully. All the proctors were looking for is what angle you tried to approach the problem from,” Twilight stared into her tea before taking a sip. Then she used her magic to manipulate the rising steam into a lightly animated illustration; “Apparently the Noble Dragons had some sort of conflict with Discord; he wanted them to indulge in their emotions to get larger and grow wings. All the better to terrorize ponies, I guess. When the royal family refused to turn wild, he cursed the queen to go barren, and the only egg she had already laid to never hatch. The reason why Celestia took me under her wing was because I had broken that curse.”
Twilight waved away the images in the steam, “Spike was wondering about his own parentage, and the Royal Draconic Archivist confirmed it just last week by analyzing the patterns on the inside and outside of Spike’s eggshell. It’s apparently a highly accurate visual method of determining lineage in dragons. Once they realized his history, they were even pushing Jade towards the engagement.”
“Of course nobody actually discussed anything with Spike first, or me, so when they sprung the news on him, along with the proposal, he froze, refused, then ran, which left me with a really big diplomatic mess to clean up and a highly upset, heartbroken dragon princess I need to return to, before she wakes back up, to finish consoling,” Twilight groaned in exasperation. “Oh, it’s going to be so fun trying to tap-dance between needing to agree with her how my favorite assistant is a horrible jerk, and totally isn’t worthy of her, while not actually insulting their beloved legendary sleeping prince.”
Rarity stared at Twilight numbly until she finally noticed that her mouth was hanging open. She looked at the table, where her tea had spilled after hitting Twilight’s energy shield and grabbed for the closest towel to mop up the mess while she started putting the pieces of her shattered reality back together. Spike was a prince? Well, he was certainly more of a prince than that pretentious Blueblood nitwit, but he was always so ready to serve. Then again that quality is perhaps most often what makes the best leaders.
“A prince…” Rarity mused, rolling the idea around in her mouth.
“Rarity, please take this seriously. I was fine with you indulging him when it was just a silly crush, it wasn’t hurting anything, but this could have massive repercussions now. Not just for my hopes of forming a stable treatise, but for Spike personally.”
Twilight caught Rarity’s gaze as she looked up from cleaning, “You owe him an honest answer. He can’t move on if he thinks you have feelings for him. You can’t keep leading him on.”
Rarity stared at Twilight, appalled, “You… you think I’m leading him on? Twilight, how could you? Spike is incredibly precious to me!”
“Rarity! If he isn’t actively working as my assistant, he’s using his time to help you at your shop or any other excuse he can get to visit you,” Twilight brought her hooves down on the table dramatically. “He’s been after you for years! If you actually cared for him, shouldn’t you have said something by now?”
Rarity cringed back in her seat, the young princess’s words hitting her like a slap in the face. Twilight took a few heavy breaths before remembering herself. She closed her eyes and held a hoof to her chest, then pushed it outward as she exhaled, before quietly settling back into her seat to sip demurely at her tea, “He’s my family. I don’t want him getting hurt.”
“It’s not that simple,” Rarity spoke softly. “There are so many things to consider…”
“Either you love him or you don’t. What more is there than that?”
Rarity laughed bitterly, “Twilight, are you even listening to yourself now? He is a dragon. I am a pony. Though he is one of the most mature men I know, he is still a child among his own species. I cannot deny that I am now moving past the prime of my life, will I even still be alive when he reaches maturity? And even if I am, just think how big he’ll have grown; there’s a certain amount of physical compatibility that needs to be considered, but then again I've seen what he can do with that tongue...”
Rarity trailed off and closed her eyes as a shiver ran up her back.
Twilight cocked her head to one side, “physical..?”
Rarity held her hooves to her cheeks, suddenly painfully aware of what she had just said out loud. “For the love of Luna, Twilight, don’t make me say it!”
A small light of comprehension dawned on Twilight, and the purple fur along her face and neck grew visibly pinker from the blush that came to her skin beneath. Rarity covered her face to hide her own blush and nodded in confirmation.
“But what about love?” Twilight asked, hastily redirecting the discussion to safer topics, “Isn’t love more important than all that?”
“That’s just it!” Rarity whined, “Yes, he’s been absolutely devoted to me all these years, but he’s a dragon! He’ll live for centuries! Millennia! How long does a passing fancy last in those terms? What if this really is just a fleeting whim? Or for that matter, what if I’m just appealing to his stomach?”
Rarity raised her flank and turned it towards Twilight, displaying her cutie mark of three diamonds as a reminder of what her talent was. Twilight could only shrug, at a loss for how to, or even if she should, offer her friend reassurance on this point. Somehow the phrase about a man's heart and stomach seemed inappropriate for the mood.
“And now I’m to understand he’s a lost prince? It's nice to dream, but he doesn’t currently hold any power or standing. Marrying me would do nothing for him politically. These are his people, not like those thuggish wild dragons from before, but he’d still only lose what little respect the rest of the dragon court has been willing to give him already.”
“You know that wouldn’t matter to him. He’d-”
“Yes, I know it wouldn’t matter to him,” Rarity snapped, cutting her off. “He’d be perfectly happy to live a simple life supporting me, but what would that do for me? Twilight, my business lives and dies on public opinion. The rest of the fashion community barely realizes that a dragon court even exists; his lineage doesn't mean two bits to them. I could be laughed out of the fashion community entirely. I suppose I might have a chance of being viewed as an eccentric genius IF I’m lucky, but oh boy is that a long shot.”
“But… that makes no sense; it doesn’t change how good your dresses are. That’s so… superficial,” Twilight shook her head in frustration.
“That’s not MY opinion, dear, but it is an opinion I have to recognize as existing. I… If my business failed…” Rarity’s voice shook, “I might blame him, maybe not immediately, but eventually, I could resent him for it. He- he doesn’t deserve that. I can’t bear to do that to him. Twilight, what if Spike would have to live on after I died still resenting him? Just the thought- I can't-”
Rarity put her hooves over her mouth and stared hard at the tabletop. Twilight stared into her tea, feeling absolutely terrible. Here she had thought that her friend was just enjoying her assistant’s flattery and attention, but Rarity had obviously been deliberating thoroughly on the subject for some time now. Twilight had never considered the idea that Love could be something so complicated, and so uncertain. So difficult.
“Rarity. Forget about the Dragon Court for now. I’m the princess; it’s my duty to handle negotiations with them. You and Spike shouldn’t be dragged into that, but just… please treat him right. I want him to be happy, or at least able to search for his own happiness,” Twilight finished off her tea and got up to leave. “Whatever your answer is, I’ll support you both, but you need to give him an answer.”
Rarity didn’t respond, only resuming her efforts to mop up the last of her spilled tea. Twilight hesitated at the door, but then showed herself out so Rarity could think in peace.
Rarity waited until she heard the chime of the door bell signal that Twilight had completely vacated the building to assess the situation she had been left with. She picked up the utterly ruined piece of expensive fabric she had absentmindedly used as a towel, now twisted until it was stretched out of shape beyond repair and completely, probably even permanently, stained with an entire cup of tea. Perhaps it was for the best that Spike had turned down that proposal, as there was no way she’d be able to finish the wedding dress with the fabric in this state. At least now she had a better idea why Jade had failed to mention who the groom was to be when she commissioned it.
The Cost of a Stone is its Rarity
"It pleases Us that thou hast responded so quickly to Our invitation." Jade announced, trying to sound regal and ostentatious as possible. This effect was marred considerably by the goofy ear-to-ear grin she had plastered across her face as she beamed at them. Spike could tell from how she moved her long serpentine tail that she was particularly pleased with whatever her upcoming announcement was to be, but he had no idea what would warrant that reaction from her.
He lowered his eyes back to the floor and remained on one knee as demanded by protocol. Twilight stood straight as was proper for her comparable status to Jade. He did his best not to sigh, both from how the caste difference chaffed, and also from the discomfort of kneeling; he had gotten used to using all fours to walk to better fit in with his pony friends, but the Dragon Court frowned at him doing this, even though he KNEW there were plenty of other noble dragons who preferred the same form of locomotion.
"We are glad thou art pleased," Twilight spoke pleasantly, "We came as soon as Rarity brought word back with her from her visit, and we both eagerly anticipate whatever thou mayst require of us."
Spike was glad at that moment that he was staring at the floor, or else the disgust on his face would have been blatantly visible. After what he had found out during his last visit, Twilight had needed to drag him here by his tail. Still it's not like he could have just told her that he might be risking execution by coming back here. It just wasn't fair! Here family and heritage was almost a tangible commodity in terms of what it could allow a dragon to do. He had none, but that might all have changed, and not for the better. Still Skroll had promised not to tell anyone if it turned out that bad-
"... generations we thought it lost to our people forever, and with it all hope of ever seeing that great and noble clan return to their rightful glory."
Oh great. That sounded like something important he just missed. Royal announcements were probably something that should be listened to no matter what else you might have to worry about.
"But this court is pleased to announce," Jade continued, her vestigial wings flapping excitedly behind her shoulders, "that not only hath it been found, but has hatcheth into a fine example of his race; whose deeds and service to the standing regency hath placed him as the prime and sole suitor for marriage, a marriage that shall surely cement relations between Our Noble Dragon Clan and thy Pony Nation for centuries to come."
Spike glanced at Twilight out of the corner of his eye. She beamed at this news; she had been trying to establish a stable alliance with the Noble dragons ever since Spike had first discovered them.
"That's wonderful news!" Twilight answered, "but might we inquire to the identity of this mysterious marriage candidate that such an alliance would be formed?"
The mention of marriage made Spike's thoughts wander to Rarity. How long had he been pursuing her favor? There was always a small niggle in the back of his head clamoring that he obviously didn't stand a chance, that she was undeniably out of his league, and that he should move on to greener pastures, but all it took from her was one of her dazzling smiles, or even just a passing glance of her beautiful azure eyes and he knew he'd never be satisfied with anyone else. She was a complete class act, admittedly prissy, but not an intentionally snobbish or snooty bone in her body. Sure, she was high-maintenance; she expected the best, but she expected no less of herself. She never gave you any reason to doubt how she wanted to be treated; like a princess, but when you gave her that treatment, she'd make you feel like her most favored knight, or even a-
"...recognize thee as Prince Spike. Thou mayst rise now, oh Sleeping Prince."
Spike looked up, confused. Sleeping who now? He scanned the room for any guys that looked like they might be a prince, but no one was stepping forward. Twilight caught his eye and, with a slight look of alarm, gave short jerky nods with her head that seemed to indicate he stand.
"Jad- I mean, your highness," Spike said as he complied. He paused a moment to do a quick mental review of the flash cards of diplomatic responses Twilight had long ago drilled into him, "I'm afraid the meaning of your words escapes me."
Jade wriggled in her excitement and slid down from her throne to take his hands in hers.
"There are no need for formalities any longer, Prince Spike," She put a firm emphasis on the the word to ensure its meaning sank in.
Spike boggled, "I'm... I'm a prince?"
"Isn't it wonderful?" she cried out, throwing her arms around him. "Now we can be wed!"
Spike's brain ground to a halt, and he looked to Twilight for guidance. He found only his own stunned confusion reflected in her face.
"Spike, I don't understand," she whispered, "What's going on?"
"I don't understand what's going on!"
The ancient dragon tore through a shelf of ancient books, spilling them into his other arm so he could dump them all neatly into a row on his desk for perusal. One by one, he quickly scanned through them, holding each in the pronged tip of his tail while he thumbed through the pages with his free hand. His other hand kept a delicate but firm grip on the largest of the shards from Spike's eggshell, which he examined through a jewler's loupe clutched between his cheek and brow ridges. He sent gouts of flame through his nose as his temper progressively rose with each book he dumped in the sprawling heap piled around his desk, threatening to burn the pages if he hadn't been wearing a cover that redirected the flames through pipes that ran out over his back along his horns.
Spike shifted uncomfortably, watching from the opposite end of the desk. He wanted to pick up some of the books and scrolls that spilled all over and try to get them organized so they could be put away more conveniently, or at least get them stacked so they weren't spilling all around, but he was fairly certain Skroll would have bitten his head off, maybe literally. Despite his age, the royal archivist wasn't much larger than the wild dragons Spike had encountered back when he was still a baby, but that was about standard sizing for an adult noble dragon. He would still rather not cross the crotchety old lizard; what he lacked in the size of the wild dragons he made up for with temperament.
"Is something wrong, sir?" Spike finally asked.
"Of course something is wrong, blast it!" the Royal Archivist barked. "I can't find the wretched diagram that matches these markings!"
Spike's heart sank. This section of the archives was supposed to keep a record of every eggshell pattern of every noble dragon clan to ever exist. If nothing matched his egg, then it would be the second time he failed to be accepted by his own species, and this time he really wanted to be accepted. Noble dragons weren't like Wild dragons; these respected chivalry and honor, and prided themselves on acting with dignity. It was everything he had aspired to since he was hatched, even if he wasn't always successful. His shoulders slumped along with his fallen hopes and expectations.
"I guess you were just mistaken," he sighed, "I must not a noble dragon either."
Spike sniffed and rubbed at his eyes with the back of his arm, "I'm not anything."
"Enough with the waterworks!" Skroll ordered, closing the book he just finished with a startling clap. He took the loupe from his eye and glared at Spike.
"I have worked as the Royal Archivist since before the time of Nightmare Moon, and these records extend to before the founding of your prissy little Crystal Empire, boy! I can accurately draw over half the patterns in all of these records by hand and can recite the names of every single dragon in each of these books from memory. If I say I've seen your eggshell pattern in these records, THEN IT'S IN ONE OF THESE BLASTED BOOKS!"
Spike was blown off of his feet by the dragon's vehement assertion and lay stunned for a few moments.
"Its that green pattern on the inside of the shell. It's unique. I haven't seen it in ages, but I'm certain its here."
"Maybe somebody checked it out?"
"This isn't a library, you ninny! Nobody checks books out here, except for your Miss Twinklepants, and she's the exception! If I let another dragon do that, I'd have half my library in ashes by the end of the year. No; anyone wants information in here, they go through me!"
Maybe there was hope after all.
"Oh wipe that sappy grin off your face too!" Skroll snapped. "That's the extent of the good news I have for you."
He waved at the now-barren bookshelves that filed the room.
"I've just exhausted all the lists of any dragon of good standing, or even no particular standing at all. The only ones left now are..." Skroll trailed off and gestured towards a gloomy set of shelves that were off in the far corner of the room.
Spike squinted, the books were ominously marked. He looked to Skroll in askance, and was surprised to see the old dragon's face soften in sympathy.
"Look boy, not all dragons were recorded for great deeds. Some were recorded for... events the current council still holds grudges over, grudges against more than just the dragon who started it."
Skroll lifted Spike to his feet with a unexpectedly powerful grip and pushed him towards the exit.
"I know you aren't responsible for something some other dragon has done, but if your egg is in there..." He shook his head, "No, it's probably best that you don't know the details. Go."
Spike's feet skidded over the stones of the floor as he futilely resisted the larger dragon, "but-"
"No buts. If you absolutely can't bear not knowing, even knowing how bad the alternative is, then I'll tell you when you come back the next visit with Princess Twinklepants. Don't worry, no other dragons will know of any troubled history you might have."
Spike glanced back over his shoulder at the empty bookshelves, and caught a glimmer of hope out of the corner of his eye.
"Wait!" he struggled, turning to point at the shelves on the opposite side of the room from the dark corner. the topmost shelf of the farthest bookcase still had a few ancient and tattered scrolls that were covered with a thick layer of dust. "What about those?"
Skroll craned his neck, and gave a harsh laugh when he found where Spike pointed.
"Those are broken lines you fool," he shook his head. "You're grasping at straws now. Out."
With that final word, he pushed Spike out and shut the door firmly against his back. Spike slumped against the door and slid to sit on the floor.
"I mean really," he heard Skroll mutter, "who does this kid think he is?"
"Who does this kid think he is?" Garble asked rhetorically, staring in disbelief at Spike, who clung to the plume of smoke that rose from the volcano.
Spike scrabbled for better purchase, but the smoke was constantly in motion, so even with the adapted cloud-walking spell Twilight had used on him, it was a struggle just to keep from falling down the thousands of feet of empty air below him.
Spike tries to convince Jade to come back to her kingdom. She doesn't want to, being selfish has allowed her wings, she feels free. Wants to stay with garble, thinks garble cares about her. everyone up above volcano that is lined with numerous sharp diamonds. Garble finally sees ponies and recognizes spike, decides to attack rarity. Spike leaps at garble and toasts his brain through his ears, leaving spike in freefall. Jade dives to save Spike, but loses her wings at this decidedly unselfish act. Both falling towards diamond spikes. Garble comes back, Jade thinks he's coming to save her, but he keeps attacking spike instead. Spike finally uses Garble to leap back to Jade, and pushes her so she falls towards volcano to land safely in lava. Unfortunately this pushes him right towards the sharp diamond spikes.
[Check to see if Rarity has used levitation directly on Spike, otherwise she may need to sacrifice her hair to make smoke for spike to grab onto]
