"Oh my goddess!" gasped Rarity seeing Spike laying in front of her in his (now her) new pony form.
"Wait, I can explain." said Spike, even though she had no idea how.
"No need darling." Rarity used her magic to move shopping bags in the form of a ring around them blocking them from view. "No one should see you like this, come, my place is right behind this corner. I'll fix you up in no time."
"Really?! Thanks Rarity, I can't express how grateful I am." Spike ungracefully stood up and both ponies quickly got into Rarity's house.
"Thanks again." Spike breathed with relief. She felt much more secure when she wasn't seen by everypony. "I owe you a big one."
"Oh come one sweetie, it's nothing." Rarity was moving some stuff off-screen with her magic. "After all it's my fault that you fall in that icky mud."
"Say what?" Spike looked on herself and noticed how dirty she was. Apparently, when they collided; Spike landed in a mud puddle, and didn't even notice in all that rush.
"Rarity still doesn't know that it's me." thought Spike "I should've known it was going too well."
"Ok darling, your bath is ready." Rarity revealed a bath filled with bubbly, pink-tinted water.
"Umm, on second thought I don't think..." Spike was trying to protest, but Rarity lifted her with magic and threw into a water. Spike raised her head from foam only to be attacked by a sponges, brushes, shampoo and other cleaning implements.
"Do you like it? It's a special beauty treatment, that I take every day, quite relaxing, wouldn''t you agree?"
Spike couldn't help but to agree with her. Hot water was calming him down and shampoo smelled just like Rarity. Spike decided that she needed cleaning anyway so there was no point in escaping now.
"So what was your name darling? I don't think I caught it."
"My name? It's..." Spike looked around for any ideas. First things she saw were her and Rarity's Cutie Marks. "Flare. my name is Crystal Flare."
"Crystal Flare? I don't think I've heard of you."
"I'm not from Ponyville." Flare answered quickly (yeah, I'll be calling her with new name now). "I'm from...very distant place. I doubt you ever heard of it. I just came to Ponyville for The Grand Galloping Gala."
"Ah yes, I should have guessed that."
Crystal Flare leaned back grinning, sure that she had the situation under control. Until Rarity asked next question.
"So, where's your dress for a party?"
"Dress? I don't have any dress." Spike bit her tongue, but it was too late.
"You don't have a dress for Grand Galloping Gala?" Rarity speeded up process and in second Crystal was standing next to her completely dry, clean and with hair rollers. "Darling, why didn't you say something?"
"It's no big deal, really!" Crystal Flare tried to talk Rarity out of it, but the white unicorn had already started to measure her.
Ex-dragon slowly backed away, but her leg tangled in one of measure tapes and Crystal fell on the floor.
"I don't have time to make you a new dress, so I'll let you borrow one of mine." Rarity was so absorbed with browsing through dresses that she didn't notice anything. "Do you want some jewelry to it?"
Collection of numerous necklaces and pendants floated in front of Spike's face. Her stomach reminded about her why she came to Ponyville in the first place. She quickly took one bite and her teeth gave her eminder about one of flaws of being a pony.
"No thanks." Flare spat out her would-be lunch. "That reminds me, I don't have enough money to pay you for a dress. In fact I don't have any money at all." Flare was hoping for a last minute escape by claiming poverty.
"Don't bother yourself, sweetie. It's on the house." Rarity summoned folding screen in front of Flare. Some weird noises came out from behind it and some odd cries from Flare. Then the screen moved revealing our heroine in a frilly pink dress and crystal slippers."It's suits you well, darling. Want see for yourself?" Rarity brought a mirror.
"No, I don't! I can't go out looking like this." protested Flare, dying from embarrassment.
"Hmm, you're right. It won't do." Rarity took better look on hercustomer. "Not without a makeover!"
The purple pony tried to grab onto something, but Rarity's magic easily moved her to vanity table.
"Any preferences about your make up darling? " asked Rarity removing hair rollers.
"H-how about none? I don't look good with make up."
"Nonsense honey, you will look great." Rarity applied foundation on
Crystal Flare "Trust me."
"I don't think it's necessary..."
"Don't you want look fabulous tonight?" Rarity summoned comb and brushes to stylize Spike's hair.
"Not really..."
"You're not interested making every mare on the party jealous?"
"No." denied Flare, (even though idea was kind funny).
"No Special Somepony that you want to impress with new look?"
Crystal Flare felt that her face turned red. Rarity didn't even know how close to the truth she was.
"No!" she answered quickly, realizing too late how obviously untruthful that sounded.
"Aha, I knew it! You got someone."
"Well, not really, I mean kinda, but...it's complicated."
"Why don't you tell me about it?" proposed Rarity, putting powder and blush on Spike's face. "My clients say I'm a good listener."
Crystal Flare sighed heavily. She really wasn't in a mood to come up with new lies. Finally she decided to stick to the truth as close as possible.
"There is one pony that I really like, " Spike stopped for a second to get sprayed with perfumes. "but sh...that pony doesn't knows about my feelings."
"Why? Are you shy?"
"No. I'm not... Okay maybe a little. When we're in one room I often don't know what to say and I try to do something impressive, but usually I end up doing something stupid...Can we please change the subject?"
"Well, I can tell you one thing darling: no stallion will be able to resist you now." Rarity moved a mirror in front of Crystal Flare's face.
She was shocked (and kinda scared). Rarity made an amazing job on her. Crystal was wearing now a frilly pink evening gown with puffy sleeves and white ruffled lace around her collar. On her back hooves were two slippers made out of (how fitting) crystal. Flare wasn't sure why Rarity gave her two slippers, not four, but then again she was new to this "four legs" things. Her face was made up with high quality, yet very subtle make up (that's why you can't see it on preview pic) and on each of her ear there was attacked a purple earring. But what mostly surprised Spike was her hair. Rarity put them into a fashionable bun,
which gave Crystal Flare a very classy look.
"So? Do you like it?"
Spike resisted an urge to start screaming. It wouldn't really help situation anyway.
"I l-love it." A forced smile showed up on her face. "Thanks Rarity."
"No problem, hon." Rarity looked on a clock. "Loot at the time! The Gala has already started and I'm still undressed. Give me a second Flare, would you?"
"Sure Rarity. I'll be waiting right here." said Crystal Flare crossing her finders (trying anyway, darn hooves). In a moment when Rarity went for her dress, ex-dragon rushed outside.

To Crystal's surprise it was evening already. Ponyville was fully decorated but more importantly filled with ponies from around the Equestria. And our heroine was in middle of it.
"Ok Spike, focus, Your top priority is to find secluded place to get out off this dress and wait out the rest of the night..." Suddenly her stomach started to grumble. "...right after finding something to eat."
Flare went into middle of the party, looking for a buffet. She did her best to not attract any attention, but with her new look this plan was doomed from very barely made few steps, before being surrounded by crowd of stallions
from Canterlot.
"Hey filly, can I buy you a drink?"
"No thanks, they're free anyway." Spike passed the first stallion.
"Madame, would give me an honor to and accompany me on a dance floor?"
"Not interested." refused Flare
"Beautiful, how about..."
"For Celestia's sake, I just want to eat something!" Crystal shouted.
Like on a command everypony left, just to be back second later with some kind of dish.
"This doesn't look good." Crystal was getting really nervous. One guy even tried to kiss her hoof. "Think Spike, what do you know about Canterlot's ponies?"
Suddenly idea struck her mind and wily smile appeared on her face.
"Why thank you everypony. You're all real gentlemen." said Flare with a most lady-like voice, just before attacking food like a rustic boor. Our mare ate fast, chewed loudly, with an open mouth. She even took a fork, just to use it on the wrong dish. With this turn of events, all the stallions took a step back, one even fainted burped loudly and even most stubborn stallion ran in mix of fear and Flare couldn't stop herself from laughing.
"What happened, boys? Can't take the real mare?" Spike stroke one of
Rarity's dramatic poses. "Is there no pony here that would ask me out?"
"I will."
Crystal Flare almost crashed on the floor, hearing a stallion's voice. She was sure that her behavior had scared off all of her second before falling on the ground she was caught by a pair of strong arms.
"My names is Braeburn. Braeburn from Appleloosa. And what's yours, sugar cube?" asked stallion with a smile.
Spike looked helplessly at Applejack's cousin (he appeared in episode "Over a Barrel", remember?) not knowing what to do. Flare also didn't know that she was being watched by your favorite unicorn (Twilight is alicorn, she doesn't count).
"Well, well Crystal." thought Rarity with a smile "I guess you don't have to tell me who's your very special somepony anymore."more."

TO BE CONTINUED