Not Moving On

Chapter 1: An Obstacle

“Spike, could you bring me the box with emeralds, please?” Rarity asked.

“Of course!” Spike replied, running to the gem drawers.

After the night last week, Blueblood announced that since Rarity doesn’t want to move to Canterlot and he doesn’t want to leave Rarity, he’ll have to move to Ponyville. It wasn’t that big of a deal for him, from what Spike had heard, since he only sent out letters informing his employees about what they should buy and what they should sell, and he could do that from practically any place in Equestria via mail service. What a lazy layabout!

“Here are the jewels you requested, my dear.” Blueblood said, hoofing Rarity the requested stones.

Spike frowned. “But she asked me to give her the emeralds.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” Blueblood said, and smiled at him. Spike’s eye twitched.

While Blueblood and Rarity certainly kept kissing at every opportunity they got, they didn’t – much to Spike’s relief – move past that. If Fluttershy was to be trusted, Rarity didn’t want to let Blueblood any further until after some time. A wise decision, which only underlined her already apparent maturity and prudence.

“Rarity?” Spike asked softly. “Is there anything else I could help you with?”

“But of course, Spikey-wikey! It’s nice of you to ask.” Spike’s cheeks turned into a mild shade of red and a pleasing tingling settled around his stomach when she used his favourite nickname. "Could you go into my inspiration room upstairs and fetch me some duchesse satin? I keep it in a coffer right under the window.”

Spike’s heart almost jumped out of his chest. Her inspiration room was just another name for her bedroom. The most private room in the entire boutiq– no, in the entire world, and she told him to go there! He scaled the stairs like a chamois, sprinting to the door at the top. He stopped mere inches away and slowly pressed the door handle, his hand shaking as if he was touching a holy relic. In front of him spread the inner sanctum of the creative goddess.

I knew I did the right thing when I decided to visit her today. A week without me must have made her realise just how much she misses me!

Spike walked in, his head turning left, right, up, and down. He stared at her hairbrush with extreme intensity and examined her bed for over a minute, taking in every last wrinkle on the bed sheets. Even the littlest detail could hold some important information about his beloved that would give him an edge over Blueblood, not to mention he could learn even more about her. In short, this room was heaven.

“Spike,” Rarity called from downstairs, “if you can’t find it, it should be tucked right under the skein of merino wool.”

The satin – right! I shouldn’t snoop around anyway; she wouldn’t like that.

He opened the chest under the window and took the fabric downstairs. He was just about to turn the corner and present Rarity with it, when he heard Blueblood speaking. “So, I’ve had this idea...” Spike stopped dead in his tracks and listened in, looking inside through a keyhole.

“Yes?” Rarity asked.

“I can see why you like this town, ponies here are much friendlier than the ones in Canterlot, but I also know that you’d simply love to live a life that is as gorgeous as you are, which this boutique just can’t provide.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said, blushing. “But if I am to choose between my friends and a comfortable life then–“

“Who said anything about having to choose?” Blueblood grinned. “My idea is, let’s bring the comfortable life here! I invested a lot of bits into spices some time ago, and their price skyrocketed since then. Once I sell them, I will have a lot of excess money. And I see no better way how to get rid of them than by building you a magnificent mansion right here in Ponyville!”

Rarity’s mouth dropped, and she stared at him for full ten seconds before replying. “You’d... you’d really do that for me? We’ve only known each other for a week...”

“Rarity,” Blueblood said, looking her straight in the eyes. “When I talk to you, I feel like we’ve known each other for years – I have honestly never met anypony who understood me as much as you do, and I’ve never seen anyone with better taste when it comes to style, music, or art. You are kind, generous, smart, and beautiful beyond measure, which is a combination as rare as your name. You tore down the wall that I built around my heart and brought happiness and love to it, which is something even Princess Cadence with all her spells couldn’t. So can you blame me for hurrying if it can bring me to you sooner?”

How ‘touching’. I would’ve barfed a better love confession than this!

“Blue...” Rarity’s eyes moistened. “Nopony had ever said to me anything near as beautiful.” She embraced him and leaned in for a kiss.

“Rarity,” Spike said loudly, opening the door. “Here’s the satin you wanted!”

Rarity moved away from Blueblood before their lips even touched. “Thank you, Spikey-wikey.” She smiled and took the fabric from his hands, seemingly ignoring the frown on Blueblood’s face.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” Spike asked, simpering.

“No, not really, thank you. I’ll just add some rubies to the dress and that’s it. The gems are in the bowl in the kitchen, as always, so take them and go play outside. I’m sure these errands bored you anyway.”

“Oh... thanks, Rarity. It was nothing, really,” Spike said and headed into the kitchen, his head held low. He appreciated the gems, but the real reward was being there with her. How mistaken she was, thinking he had better things to do – what else could he do anyway? Nopony took him seriously because of his young visage, and he didn’t feel like hanging out with Sweetie Belle and company yet again. It was usually fun, but the damage done to the surroundings and the consequential effort spent fixing it just wasn’t worth it. He could always go home, but working for Twilight was just like working at the boutique, only without Rarity.

Spike walked towards the bowl and took the gems, leaving the good looking ones – just as always. He knew Rarity doesn’t like the idea of him nomming on these treats, so he only ate the ones she probably wouldn’t have used anyway – they tasted the same no matter the shape or cracks.

He walked out of the boutique, shooting Blueblood one last scowl, and headed towards the library.

I could always visit Pinkie Pie – she takes me seriously. Well, as seriously as she takes everypony else, at least. But what would I do there? Tell her about this? I told them that Twilight was just teasing me too much that night – would Pinkie consider it lying? Do I really want to face furious Pinkie? No.

Spike opened the library door and walked in. “Spike, come here,” a voice from upstairs called.

“Coming, Twilight,” Spike said, sighing. It was going to be another one of these ‘discussions’. He had to go through about ten since the gala.

“You look terrible,” Twilight said when he walked the stairs. “I told you going to the boutique wasn’t a good idea.”

“Actually, I’m just sad because I had to leave. Rarity didn’t ignore me like you said.”

Twilight’s lips pressed together and bent downwards. “Perhaps she should have. Giving you a sense of hope will only hurt you more once she marries him.”

“If she marries him!”

Twilight shook her head. “See? This is exactly what I’m talking about. If you let her go slowly, it won’t hurt nearly as much as when you see her at the altar, still fully convinced that she won’t do it. And then she will.”

Spike frowned at her. “How do you know this anyway? Did you read it in some book or something?”

“Yes, that is precisely what I did.” she said, and pointed at The numerous traps of unrequited love.

“Figures.” Spike turned around and started walking downstairs. The conversation was over.

“I should probably go and speak with Rarity about this,” she said.

Spike turned back in an instant, looking at Twilight with his eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t.”

“It’s for your own good; you’ll understand it once you’re older. I’m going to visit her right away,” Twilight said, trotting downstairs and towards the entrance.

“No, Twi! You can’t!” Spike attached himself to her leg, slowing her down.

“Let go, Spike! Or do I have to teleport you away?”

Spike released his grasp and knelt instead, tears streaming down his face. “Please, don’t do it. Please, I beg you! If there are any favours you still owe me, I want to use them now! Ask anything of me, just don’t destroy the last beacon of happiness I have left!”

Twilight rolled her eyes, sighing. “Do you promise you’ll stop all this foolishness and let Rarity choose whomever she wants to choose?”

“Yes, just don’t tell her!”

“Fine. But if I see you breaking your promise, I’ll tell her right away.”

“Can I still visit her?”

“I guess there’s no stopping you doing that,” she said, rolling her eyes again. “Otherwise you’d probably just observe her from afar or do something similarly creepy. But if I hear you were impolite to Blueblood or see you down in the dumps afterwards like today, I’ll–“

“Alright, alright. I promise.”

“Good,” Twilight said, smiling. “Now go and re-shelve the books to calm yourself down.

———

‘Let her choose whomever she wants to choose’. Yeah, as long as she chooses me, I can do that.

“Look, Rarity, I made you something!” Spike said, beaming. The morning light went through the boutique’s windows and fell straight on the red, shiny object in his hands: a fire ruby that he painstakingly refined into a heart shape a few months ago. He was storing it for a special occasion, and even though this wasn’t the kind of special he had in mind, the ruby could still serve its purpose.

Rarity slowly levitated the gem and brought it before her eyes. “Spike... that’s beautiful. Why, this is... the most beautiful gem I ever saw. Thank you!” She pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Indeed,” Blueblood said, appearing from behind the corner. “This gem is really something. The heart shape and red colour... I can’t think of a better thing that symbolises our love than this – its purity, solidity, and value.”

Rarity released Spike from her hug, her eyes widening. “Yes. Yes that’s true... It really does symbolise it...” A smile stretched across her face and her eyes got a distant look. “Ideeeaaa!” She grabbed the jewel and galloped into her ‘inspiration room’, locking the door behind her.

“It’s really nice of you to give us this gift, little buddy,” Blueblood said, nodding. “Perhaps we could hang out sometime later?”

“Uhh... sure,” Spike said, forcing himself to smile. “Sometime later. But I’m kind of swamped by work at the library, so it might take a while.”

“Alright.” Blueblood grinned. “Maybe I could help you? It’s the least I can do.”

Yeah, I think so too. But I’d rather have my home burned down than to see you in it.

“No, that’s fine,” Spike blurted out. “Twilight has her books ordered in the way that only she and I understand, so you wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“Well, my offer still stands. If you ever need anything, just ask.”

Would you please attach a large boulder to your leg and jump into a deep lake?

“I sure will,” Spike said, heading out of the boutique. There was nothing more to do. When Rarity gets her ideas, it takes her forever to realise them. Perfection needs time after all.

He always planned on giving Rarity that ruby, but in his mind, it was always during a romantic dinner or after he heroically saved her from some danger. ‘I made you something’ was terribly uninspired. However, the heat of her body that still lingered on his scales meant that this wasn’t such a bad outcome after all.

If only that damned Blueblood didn’t appear at the worst possible time. I could have even gotten a kiss! At least now I know why she favours him – it’s his tongue. So eloquent and agile like a snake. He fills her ears with venom day and night, so no wonder she fell for him.

A mixture of shouting and laughter erupted on the left from him. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were probably heading towards one of their adventures again, Scootaloo pulling the other two in a wooden wagon.

This just gives me an idea.

“Hey, girls!” Spike called, waiting for them to steer towards him and stop.

“Hi, Spike,” Scootaloo said. “What do you want? We’re in the middle of something.”

He gave them his widest smile. “Do you think I could talk with Sweetie Belle for a second?”

“Well ah don’ know,” Applebloom said, leaning on the rim of the wagon. “We kind of need her for our next adventure – Cutie Mark Crusaders campfire makers!”

“Uh-huh.” Spike rolled his eyes. “Listen, I really need to chat with her for a while. I’m sure she can miss one little adventure.”

“And what would you like to chat about?” the third Crusader asked, her head popping out from inside the vehicle.

“Well, you know; stuff and things and whatever...” he said, the volume of his voice gradually lowering.

“What did he say?” Scootaloo asked.

“Oooh,” Sweetie Belle said, her eyes glinting and her face grinning. “He means he wants to talk about Rarity and,” she made a kissing sound with her mouth, followed by guffaw from her friends.

“Hey, stop it!” Spike scowled. “That’s not what I want to talk about at all!”

“Oh yeah? Are you saying you don’t want to talk about your lovey-dovey smoochy-woochy misus Rarity?” Sweetie earned another salve of laughter for that.

“I... err...”

“I’ll catch up with you later, girls. This looks like it’s going to be fun,” Sweetie said, climbing out of the wagon.

“Heh, alright, bye. And don’t forget anything funny you can tell us later!” Scootaloo said and flapped her wings like a buzzard, driving the vehicle away.

She turned around, the cheerful smile being replaced by a frown. “I’m sorry for teasing you like that. You know it was just for fun, right?”

“Sure. Fun.” She didn’t seem to catch the bitterness in his voice, as a smile bounced back on her face.

“So, what exactly do you want to know?” Sweetie asked, sitting to the table of a nearby café.

“Do you want a milkshake?”

“I’m counting on it.” She shot him another one of her shining smiles.

Spike sighed and ordered one from the nearby waiter before turning his attention back to her. “Look, I just want to know what you think about Blueblood.”

“Oooh! So that’s what this is about. Snooping on your competition!” Her hooves clapped together. Spike suddenly got a feeling that this wasn’t the last milkshake he’d be buying today.

“He’s not a competition and this isn’t snooping. I just want you to tell me everything about him.”

The milkshake arrived and Sweetie took a long while to suck from the straw before speaking. “Well, he seems like a really nice guy. He’s really polite, calls me ‘Little Beauty’, and knows some really funny jokes.”

“That’s all?” Spike asked, ignoring the slurping sound of her drinking. “I already know that he’s really jovial and everything, but there has to be something more. Some secret!”

“He also bought me many milkshakes,” Sweetie said, looking at the empty glass in front of her.

“Another milkshake, please,” he called at the waiter. “You’re gonna cost me my entire allowance!”

“Information has its price.”

“Yeah? Well then give me some of that juicy info. How does he woo Rarity other than by being persuasive?”

Sweetie furrowed her brow. “Well he keeps complimenting her, kissing her, praising her, he showers her with little presents–“

“Little gifts, you say? How little?”

“That varies. Usually it’s just some pricy trinket or something, but when she for example says that she’d love to have a roll of some fabric, you can count on it that the roll will be there the next morning.”

“I see.” Spike scratched his chin. “So he just throws money at his problems. Very interesting. What else does he do?”

“Weeeeell...” Sweetie motioned at the, once again, empty glass. Spike could have sworn that she didn’t sip more than once while he was speaking.

“Alright, alright. Another milkshake.” He put a handful of bits on the table. “You just literally cost me my entire allowance.”

“Well maybe if you didn’t spend it all on gifts, you’d have enough to buy more than just three measly shakes.” Sweetie giggled.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just tell me what I want to know.”

“Every day,” Sweetie leaned towards him. “He invites her for a dinner or into a theatre. He then introduces her to his super important friends from Canterlot who now have to travel to Ponyville when they want to discuss business with him. At the end of the night he hires a carriage to drive them both home.”

“He can’t keep that up. One can only do that so many times before it becomes too boring.”

“That’s not what he says, and I’d believe him – he seems to have just as much fun as she does. They really fit each other.”

Spike frowned. “No, they don’t. Now what else do you know?”

“Oh, many things. The most interesting one is probably a lack of a certain liquid dairy product.”

“Well I can’t buy you any more! I’m broke!”

“No milkshake, no information,” she said, standing from the table. “I mean this isn’t easy for me – you want me to snoop on my possible future brother-in-law!”

“He’s not your brother-in-law and he never will be!” Spike slammed on his hand on the table. “I will! Just you wait and see!” he shouted, but Sweetie was already trotting away.

I can’t fight money with money. But feelings...

———

“Alright, Opal, just haaaang in theeeere. I’ll be back soon.” Spiked said to the cat, which was shaking all over her body and clenching the branch like an alcoholic clenches the last bottle of whiskey in the pub. He climbed down the tree and took a deep breath.

If this doesn’t work, then I don’t know what will.

“Rarity!” he screamed. “Opal climbed onto a tree; I’ll try to bring her down!”

He waited until he heard the fast, delicate clatter of her well-maintained hooves and started climbing. It was a child’s play for him – his claws allowed him to simply hack them into the bark – but this time he had to play it differently.

“Oh my... Spike! Opal!” Rarity shouted. “Get off the tree; you’ll get hurt!”

Which is exactly what I want.

He then tore a piece of bark away and held it in his hand, waving it as if he was loosing balance.

“No!” she exclaimed, and started supporting him with her magic.

I completely forgot she could do that. How smart of you, my love, but I can’t let you foil this.

He bounced away from the tree, praying that it wasn’t too obvious. While Rarity’s efforts continued, they weren’t enough to keep a dragon, albeit a small one, afloat for long, and Spike plummeted to the ground.

He hardly felt the impact – his sturdy scales protected him and it wasn’t even that high – but Rarity didn’t have to know that. “Oww! My arm! Oww!”

While Spike usually felt his heart drop and his stomach clench when Rarity cried, today it was different. The tears that appeared in her eyes weren’t a sign of discomfort. They weren’t shed because of him, they were shed for him. Her face leaning above him and the crystal beads falling from her eyes onto his face were one of the most beautiful things he ever saw.

“Spike? Spike! Tell me where it hurts!” she said, her voice changing octaves every few words.

“It’s my right arm! It hurts so much! Oww!” Spike was a bad actor and was well aware of it, but hoped that perhaps Rarity will be too stressed to notice.

“Is it broken? Can you move it? I should call a doctor, but I can’t leave you here alone. Oh my gosh, what to do, what to do?”

“It’s... it’s not that bad. I can– oww! I can handle it, really! Although...” Spike looked aside, blushing.

“Although what? Just say a word and I’ll fetch whatever you need!”

“Well... in stories, they say that a kiss from a princess can heal the injuries of the prince. So, perhaps...” He bit his lower lip and squeezed his eyes shut. This was it – the moment of truth. If he can get her to kiss him, then it will be another milestone on the road of love reached. And a proof that even despite Blueblood, Spike is still in the game.

Rarity froze for a moment, her eyes drilling into Spike’s. Did she see though the whole ploy? Finally, she sighed. “Alright. You shouldn’t put so much trust into old-mare’s-tales, but if it makes you feel better...” She leaned towards his arm, her lips puckered.

“Oh, stop it,” Blueblood said, standing in the doorway with a smile etched on his face. “Spike’s not a baby; he doesn’t need a kiss. He can take it like a true, full-grown stallion. Or dragon. Right, buddy?” He walked over to Spike and gave him a light shoulder bump.

Your suffering will be long and painful.

“Err... umm... of course. I’m not a child and can take a little fall,” Spike said, pulling his hand away from Rarity.

“So you’re alright?” she asked.

“Yes. In fact, I can go and take Opal down right now! I won’t fall this time,” he said, walking towards the tree.

Just as Rarity opened her mouth, frowning, Blueblood spoke. “No need for that, buddy. I’ve got it all covered.” He then proceeded to levitate Opal down. She hissed in Spike’s direction and sprinted away, into the boutique.

“You should still go home and have Twilight check it, Spike,” Rarity said, motioning towards his hand.

“Yes, that will probably be for the best. No more cats to rescue with him around, right? Goodbye.” He quickly walked away, keeping a brisk pace until he was out of sight. There, in the middle of the street, he let the tears that he was withholding run free.

I was so close. So. Freaking. Close! If she kissed me, she would surely feel that it was right, just like I feel it when I look at her.

He swept the hot tears away and kicked a nearby rock, sending it flying at least six meters away. He then sighed and leaned against a nearby wall.

I’ve got it all wrong, don’t I? The problem is not me not trying enough – I did everything I possibly could. The problem is Blueblood negating all my attempts. He’s not a racer that seeks to get to the finish line before me; he’s a wall that blocks my path to it. He’s not a competitor; he’s an obstacle! And just like any other obstacle, he has to be removed.