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Some say that love is the greatest gift of all.

However, there are some that wish for more; to desire something so strongly that they take it for themselves. To take, and take, and take again.

Until there is nothing left.

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"See you later, Twilight!" Spike called over his shoulder as he gently pushed the front door of Golden Oaks Library open with his clawed foot, one small bound book tucked under his arm.

"Already, Spike?" the violet unicorn asked as she traversed the flight of stairs leading to the bottom floor, a dim purple glow surrounding a small comb that she periodically ran through her hair. "Even earlier than yesterday, I see." Twilight said conversationally, readying her saddlebag for her own day.

"Oh, yeah." Spike nodded, uncomfortably shifting the old black book beneath his arm to his other side. "I was just going to get in a little more… practice with Sweetie Belle today."

"Practice on…?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow as he backed out of the door.

"Oh, you know. Stuff." He tried to say nonchalantly. "You're going to see Applejack today, right?"

"Fluttershy." Twilight stated. "We're going to be testing hummingbird wing speed and velocity over-"

"Yeah, that's great!" Spike said quickly as he darted out the door. "Okay, bye! Have fun!"

The wooden door swung closed behind him, and Twilight shook her head in agitation, though a grin began to spread onto her face. It was just so obvious he was off to see Rarity again, but she let him keep his little façade. Twilight knew that eventually, things were going to become more complicated; eventually, his little crush would blossom forth from a rosy love bud. She needed to speak with Rarity about that.

Twilight frowned as she softly closed the door behind her, an unbecoming frown settling across her equine features.

She valued her friendship with Rarity just as much as she loved her little Spike, but there was a steadily developing problem between the two. Spike's obvious infatuation-

-Is just that. She thought to herself, trying to relax in the warm morning sunlight as she began her trek to Fluttershy's cottage. Just an infatuation.

Twilight loathed the idea of Spike eventually getting heartbroken, not to mention the distress it could potentially cause Rarity should she confront it herself. She shook off her concern, forcing a small smile onto her lips. Rarity was one of her closest friends. She was strong-willed, fairly intelligent, and capable – if Rarity wanted to confront the 'infatuation issue' before she herself did, then Twilight was only too eager to allow her the opportunity.

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Unbeknownst to Twilight Sparkle, Rarity had long since attempted to confront Spike on the issue.

It still nagged at the back of Spike's mind – the dreaded moment an entire week ago, when he'd fallen to his knees and spilled his heart out to his beloved Rarity. The moment he'd dropped, grasping at her beautiful, shining mane and wept into it. Her original disgust, revulsion.

Such an anger arose in him, that-

-didn't happen. He prodded those awful thoughts back into the depths of his mind, shoving them away. Nasty, mean, terrible thoughts, that distracted him from Rarity.

His Rarity. Always and forever.

And afterwards, after… the incident. Rarity had still been there for him, he still held her close, and she looked at him with no difference in her eyes. It only added to her beauty, in his respects; that she did not judge him, that he could still love her so and know that now, now she would finally return the favor.

It made his little heart beat all the faster in his chest, just thinking about it.

"Down here, Spike – remember?" Rarity called out to him.

"Right, right! I'm on the way down, Rarity!" Spike replied in a cheery fashion, gently nudging the dusty basement door open with his one free claw.

Spike wasn't afraid of the basement, of course; Rarity always saw to it that the place was well lit, even if it was just for him.

She sat waiting for him, as she usually did. Rarity beamed at him as he descended, and said "Well, certainly dapper looking today, aren't you Spike?"

"Aw, gee. It's nothin'." Spike chuckled, preening the green growth atop his head backwards into what he hoped was a fashionable manner. Rarity noticed him doing so, however; Rarity knew everything he did, they'd grown so close in the last few days. She merely smiled expectantly at him, wordlessly.

"How's the rest coming along, Sweetie Belle?"

She didn't answer, instead sitting quietly before a row of tools atop the wooden workbench Rarity had thankfully installed. It was too drafty upstairs, anyway. Spike scooted over to her, patting her lightly on the back.

"Oh, hey, Spike!" Sweetie Belle chirruped suddenly, grumpily nudging at some of the scissors and threads. So distracted by Rarity he'd been, that Spike didn't even notice that Sweetie Belle had gotten thinner. She didn't bother looking up as she did so, and the small, nagging feeling crept back into Spike's thoughts.

Once more, he promptly shoved it away and asked "Make any kind of progress while I was gone on the duds?"

"Not really!" Sweetie giggled, and Spike picked up the flimsy, small black suit in his little arms. "Do you think it needs more work?"

"I don't know, dear," Rarity interrupted. "It's certainly not what I was expecting either…" she kept her large, overly-wide and happy smile, but there was something off about it. Something that displayed she might not be telling the whole truth…

"It's perfect!" Spike announced, stepping from between the two sisters and gently tugging the little formal suit onto his body, working his way into it gradually. He gazed at it fondly as the morning sun shined in through the basement's only window, basking in the small pool of light.

"Do you need any help, dear? I'd be all too eager to lend a claw. Er, hoof." Rarity giggled, and he laughed with her.

"Nah, no thanks. I've got this." Spike said confidently, finally worming his way into the smart black suit. It fit him snugly, if not comfortably. Now all he needed was his feathered white hat, which he'd left on the bench the day previously. Spike snatched it up, jamming it eagerly on his head in anticipation.

"So, are we ready, are we ready?" Sweetie Belle inquired, matching his enthusiasm. Again, she did not look him – Spike attributed that to looking more than a little silly.

He flushed beneath his scales, then rearranged his hat and straightened his back.

"After all this time…" he began dramatically, taking Rarity's hoof in one claw and kissing it gently. She tittered, blushing.

"Oh, Spikey Wikey."

The heat in Spike's cheeks rose as he smiled back at her, face full of admiration and joy.

"… Rarity, will you marry me?"

Rarity gasped animatedly, throwing a hoof over her head dramatically. "Marry you?"

For a moment, Spike's blood froze, and neither of them spoke.

"Why, I thought you'd never ask."

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"Rarity? Rarity, open up!"

Spike reeled in horror, eyes darting up the stairs. He glanced back to his newly wed bride, the candy-topped ring still comically dangling from her horn.

"Twilight?" he inhaled sharply. From the sound of it, she'd brought her friends.

"Spike, they've come to stop us!" Rarity sputtered in terror. "They're going to drive us apart!"

"Rarity, where are ya', sugarcube? Anypony home?" Applejack cried out frantically, and the scuffling of hooves above drew closer.

"Oh, no!" Spike panicked, dizzy with the horrible thought of being caught, separated from his love. "What do I do, what do I do…?"

"The window!" Sweetie Belle whispered, and Spike clambered atop the wooden workbench, kicking tools this way and that. He jolted in fear as they clattered loudly against the floor, and the clopping of hooves stamped down the stairs as he scrambled out the window.

"Quick, Rarity!" Spike hissed, extending a claw.

"Rarity, what in the worl…" Twilight trailed off, mouth hanging agape.

"Run, Spike!" he heard Sweetie Belle titter, and Spike grabbed Rarity's hoof. With one mighty tug that portrayed his deceptively titanic strength, he wriggled her through the small window, and Spike made a mad dash away as it clattered closed behind them.

As Spike ran, he couldn't help but notice the quiet.

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Quiet.

That's all any of them were after it happened.

Watching Spike flee, none of them could be sure quite who was hurt the most.

"We'll… we'll find him." Rainbow Dash vowed softly, a hinting of her steadfast defiance in the face of Twilight's despair. "We'll find him. I promise." Her voice began to crack halfway through her oath.

"But… Sweetie Belle…!"

"Hush, darlin'." Applejack cut her off, wiping the tears from her eyes with one hoof. "Everythin'll be taken care of; but we gotta git 'im, first."

"Rarity is-!" Pinkie started to say in shock, but couldn't bring herself to finish it. Her normally frizzy mane drooped into a nearly flat line of hair, and her bubblegum colored ears flattened tightly against her head.

"We'll find him." Fluttershy insisted shakily.

Twilight sobbed almost noiselessly into her friend's mane, forcing herself to find logic in the situation. As is most often the case when under extreme duress, they found that they could do naught but follow in the direction Spike had last been seen scampering away in.

Following the little candy ring he'd dropped as he ran away.

Making a straight line in the direction of the Everfree Forest.

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"Come on, Rarity! Faster, faster!"

"I can't keep up, Spike!"

Spike clung desperately to her spotless white hoof, sweat pouring down his back as he fled with Rarity in tow. He crashed over thickets and brambles, cutting himself as he tripped and flailed, grasping urgently for Rarity as escape drew ever nearer. Shoving low swinging branches and thorns out of his way, the Everfree Forest steadily began to hungrily consume him. Panic rose in Spike's chest and his little heart pounded so loudly that it became all he could hear.

It felt like the running would never end.

Sweat leaked from his brow, and an out of breath Spike gripped Rarity's hoof even tighter as he hugged her.

"It's all right, Spike…" he heard her whisper gently. "It's all going to be fine…"

"Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay." Spike forced his ragged breathing to lower as he sank against the hard bark of the massive tree, spines catching on a couple of the rough exterior.

Spike felt like crying.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that the ponies he'd called friend for so long would want to take his beloved, precious Rarity away from him…

"I know, Spike. I know." Rarity said understandingly, and Spike unhappily wiped his wet eyes on her already glistening lilac mane. "I'll always be here for you, my little Spikey Wikey."

"But-but…" Spike trailed off, and the harder he thought about what was going to happen, the greater the nagging in the back of his mind became. Like he was overlooking something.

"Rarity… what are we going to do when they catch us?" he breathed miserably, clutching his head in his claws.

"They won't, Spike. We'll just keep running." Spike hugged Rarity again, breathing deeply as he leaned against her for support.

"... I won't let them take you from me." he growled dangerously, and for a moment, his eyes flickered with an inner rage that belied an animalistic force hellbent on protecting his one love.

"I know you won't, Spikey Wikey. I know you won't." Rarity whispered lovingly, and he adhered to her all the tighter. His discomfort grow, knowing that he wasn't seeing something important; but that could be ignored by focusing his attention on straightening his slightly-ripped black suit, and pushing his little white hat further onto his head.

Spike felt his worry slowly vanish along with the horrible irritating feeling in the back of his mind, only to be replaced with steel resolve, forged and solidified by his utmost compassion for his new bride. The Everfree Forest greeted them warmly as they plunged deeper into its bowels, foliage and flora granting them ample protection.

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Spike forgot how long he'd been running.

His miniscule feet carried him further and further into the forest, and he never let go of Rarity the entire way. Before the Incident, she never knew how much she meant to him. Before the Incident, Rarity never even looked at him without –

-that wasn't important. The Incident was meant to be forgotten; pushed into the back of his mind along with everything else. Now, she smiled more widely at him. Now, he always held her attention when he was speaking. Now, she finally understood how far he was really willing to go to make her his own.

Spike's stomach growled greedily, almost in relation to his heart's desire.

Hunger could be overlooked, though. Thanks to Sweetie Belle's help, Spike had learned to ignore cries of appetite – all you had to do was push that to the back and ignore it, too.

Normally.

Just thinking about her brought back the haunting feeling that plagued him every day, struggling to push itself from his brain and out of his eyes…!

"Spike, everything will be fine." He relaxed in the loving embrace of Rarity, gazing up at the stars in the clearing they'd settled in. Spike positively melted against her, holding her close. She was right, of course. It was like she knew exactly what was wrong, all the time. It was one of the reasons he loved her so much – because now, now she always knew what was bothering him, even before he said it.

"I know, Rarity. We… we just have to explain things, is all." He stated boldly, peeking up at the crescent moon as he twirled a lock of her gorgeous mane through his claws. "The others – they don't understand. They don't understand like you and Sweetie Belle do now."

Even Sweetie had taken some convincing, for as much as they'd talked in the basement the last week-

-but that brought back memories of the Incident, the Incident with Rarity. And that was supposed to be forgotten, or else he couldn't be happy. And Rarity wanted him to be happy, didn't she?

"Of course I want you to be happy, Spikey Wikey." Rarity hummed instantaneously, because she always knew what was wrong. "Your happiness is the most important thing to me."

"Even… even more important than friends?" Spike questioned uncertainly.

"Much more." Rarity said, and Spike wrapped his tail around her leg and wound his claw through her mane. She was his, and it still wasn't enough. He wanted more. She wanted him to have more, of course she did. She saw everything his way now.

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"Spike? Spike, where are you!?" Twilight cried out, frenziedly shoving aside large, menacing-looking shrubs with her magic. So great was her panic that she even telekinetically lifted an entire tree, searching desperately beneath its roots for even the possibility of her little Spike.

"Calm down, darlin', calm down!" Applejack pleaded, close on her heels.

"Calm down? Calm down!?" Twilight reared her head, eyes full of panic and despair. "How can you say that at a time like this…?"

"Applejack's right, Twi-" Dash stated. "- if we're going to find him, we need help. Maybe a search team from Ponyville, or the royal guards, or… or the Wonderbolts. Somepony-"

"That'll take too long!" Twilight snapped viciously, dropping the heavy tree behind her as it slammed against the ground with a heavy boom! "This isn't happening – this isn't happening!"

"Look, I-I-I can go get help, fast as I can!" Rainbow Dash offered, turning to Pinkie Pie and Applejack, currently being used as cover by a cowering Fluttershy. Frankly, she knew how Fluttershy felt; Twilight was starting to scare even her, just a little bit. But then again, Dash was afraid already.

With that, she hovered into the air and took off at a breakneck speed, blasting over the dark treetops toward Ponyville for reinforcements.

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BOOM!

Spike froze in terror, grasping Rarity even closer to himself. "Did-did you hear that?" he stuttered, his knees shaking.

"It sounded close by…" Rarity's voice drifted behind his eyes, lulling him comfortably.

"Keep running – we've gotta keep running." Spike clamored, dragging the unicorn behind him.

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For days, Spike followed the same pattern.

Run away with Rarity as fast as he could, never once letting go of his perfect, beautiful new wife. Fear and panic kept him going through the day, and the sweet comfort of Rarity's presence kept him calmer. That was all Spike needed – that was all Spike ever needed, was Rarity. Hunger clawed at him again and again, but it was so easy to ignore now.

If Rarity could stay by his side without complaining about hunger, then he could stay brave, too.

Rarity was strong. Rarity was brave. Rarity was lovely. Rarity was his everything. Rarity was perfect, now.

Spike lost count of the times they made love beneath waning moonlight, his sighs lost to the wind. Spike lost count of the times he'd nearly been separated from his beloved Rarity, whether from being found or from her slipping out of his grasp. He refused to let go of her, no matter what – he might lose her.

And when he let go of her, the creeping feeling that something was wrong came back.

No. No, Spike couldn't afford to let his flawless, beautiful, porcelain goddess go.

Not that she'd have left him, even if he did let go. Her all too wide smile was a testament to just how much their love meant.

"Come on…" Spike muttered tiredly, flopping against the rocky outcropping of a looming cliff. The sun had long since set, and the clearing of short grass that he'd just left offered no protection from the night or potential pursuers. Fortunately, a large crack in the side portrayed an excellent sleeping place for the night, even if it didn't look all that inviting.

But everything was fine, as long as he had Rarity.

"Oh, Spikey Wikey…" Rarity pouted. "Surely you can't be thinking of sleeping in there, can you? It's so… dirty."

Spike blinked, rubbing his tired eyes. He hadn't even seen Rarity move, he was so exhausted. "Don't worry, Rarity. I'll keep you safe. Besides, you're dirty already." He said pointedly, and it was true. Her coat had become filthy and as bedraggled as her normally impeccably formed mane, and a level of dirt and earth had begun to collect on her hooves. He'd practically had to drag her just to keep moving.

"Oh, of course. Silly me," Rarity giggled, and Spike smiled warmly as he laid her down next to the stone wall of the shallow cave. "Of course I'm dirty. I don't mind, dear; as long as I'm with you."

"Yeah. Yeah, I do make things better around you, don't I?" Spike agreed smugly, lying down next to her and kissing her slim frame tenderly.

"Always, Spike. Always and forever."

The nasty, nagging feeling came flooding back in an instant, the precise same words he'd said to Rarity in what felt like an eternity ago.

I want you to be mine, Rarity. I'll do anything to make you mine – always and forever.

He violently jammed it back, smothering the horrible memories that didn't belong with wonderful, soothing thoughts of his beloved Rarity. His sweet, perfect Rarity that would never leave him.

"Of course I'll never leave you, Spike. I love you." Rarity said to him, almost reading his mind.

The soft fur of her foreleg wrapped around his shoulder, and he squeezed her lovingly. She made the bad thoughts go away; with Rarity, it was so much easier to quash the scary feeling that something was wrong. Her stunning, wide smile helped with that.

The moment he looked at it, the bad feeling came rushing at him again.

"No! No, no no no no!" Spike screamed into his fists, pushing himself into a sitting position against the rocky wall.

"Spike?"

The little dragon's head snapped sharply to the side, peering out in the dark at the mysterious figure approaching him. But he recognized that voice, of course. It was one he loved almost as much as he did Rarity.

"… Twilight?" Spike breathed, eyes widening.

"… Sp-Spike…" Twilight started lowly, her head dipped in anguish. She came into complete view in the moonlight pouring into the cave, and Spike felt a twinge of guilt at how she must be feeling.

But that made the nasty feeling come back, so he shoved that away, too.

The instant he did, it all seemed better.

"Twilight, I'm glad it's only you." Spike sighed contentedly, a smile breaking out onto his face. "I was worried that… that you were going to tear us apart, or something. Heh." He chuckled, putting an arm around Rarity's shoulder comfortably.

"… No." Twilight whispered, her voice breaking as her ears flattened against her head. "No, I w-wouldn't want y-y-you to b-be unhappy." For a moment, Spike thought he caught a glimpse of a magical spark alighting her horn, but it must have just been his eyes playing tricks on him.

"Indeed, Twilight." Rarity added. "I was a bit worried there for a moment, too – but that would be silly, wouldn't it, Twilight?"

Spike didn't have to worry anymore, he could tell by the warm look on Twilight's face at how happy she was to see him. She was so happy that she was weeping openly, silently.

"Twilight would never tear us apart, would she, Spikey Wikey?" Rarity giggled, and Spike hugged her closer. "No, she wouldn't. Because Twilight loves Spike almost as much as I do, yes she does. Nopony would want to take us away from each other, because that would be silly, too. Wouldn't it, Twilight?" she asked suddenly, turning toward the violet unicorn.

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For the others waiting behind her, it was bad enough just listening in.

For Twilight Sparkle, it was a nightmare beyond reckoning.

Spike's large and bloodshot eyes had narrowed to wicked slits, occasionally flaring wide open and darting about at random. He shivered and twitched next to the poorly preserved corpse of one of her dearest friends, clinging to her tightly. His little claws shook as they grabbed her disgusting, blood and grime matted fur, forcibly twisting her head this way and that like a macabre puppet.

The worst part, though; the worst part was when he tried speaking for her.

"Nopony would want to take us away from each other, because that would be silly, too. Wouldn't it, Twilight?" he said in a high-pitched, lilting imitation of Rarity's voice. Her head lolled revoltingly to the side, and one of her dead eyes rolled stiffly in its socket. It was almost as if Rarity were looking right at her.

Twilight sobbed silently, the disgust and horror rising in her chest when she saw the disturbingly wide slit across her throat, badly stitched back together in an eccentric leer.

"Because Twilight loves Spike Wikey almost as much as me. Right, Twilight? Isn't that right? Isn't that right, Twilight?" Spike bobbed her head with one arm, like a morbid puppeteer. The hot, stinging tears flowed freely down Twilight's muzzle as it finally clicked, what she'd so vehemently denied.

She couldn't save Rarity any more than she could save her sister.

Poor Sweetie Belle.

Poor, poor Sweetie Belle.

It had been so difficult on them all when they found her body, chained to the wall in Rarity's basement. It had been even more difficult to discover that her nearly every orifice had been sewn shut, and slathered in preservatives.

And it had been utterly unbearable to discover just how long she'd been like that, judging from her emaciated frame.

But this… this was worse.

It was so much worse.

"I-I missed you, Twilight." Spike confessed, gently patting the deceased Rarity's gore-caked mane. "Why can't you just understand like Rarity does, Twilight?" he asked innocently, smiling widely. He drew himself to his full height, dragging Rarity by one hoof behind him. Her head bumped against the ground dully, and the sound of fur against dirt and gravel chewed angrily against her ears.

"Spike – I – I'm so sorry…" Twilight bawled quietly, her horn alighting in a dim lavender glow.

"Aw, don't be sorry, Twilight!" Spike said happily, dragging the mangled body of Rarity ever closer as he reached out to her with one little claw. "We can all be together again now, right? Right, Twilight? Twilight? Twilight, Right? Twilight? Right, Twilight?"

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She hit him.

Twilight summoned every last drop of magic she had, and she hit the little dragon – her little dragon over the head with a heavy rock she'd been slowly levitating into the air. She cried as she did so, watching him come closer. So trustingly, so needing, with love in his eyes.

Love, intermingled with unadulterated madness.

She hit him again.

Twilight cried because she couldn't save Sweetie Belle from Spike.

Twilight cried because she couldn't save Rarity from Spike.

Twilight cried most of all because she couldn't save Spike.

And she hit him again.

Even when all her remaining friends tried to hold her back, she hit him again. Desperately wishing that she, too, could plunge into that unreachable sweet denial and forgo this brutally stark reality facing her, she hit him again. Bludgeoning the miniature drake over the head, sickening cracks and crunches echoing throughout the clearing, and she hit him again.

Even when she cried hysterically, tearing at her own mane in despondency and despair, she hit him again.

Even when the others held her close, and cried just as hard as she did; she hit him again.

Again, and again, and again.

Until there was nothing left.

FIN.