Things between Spike and Rainbow Dash had run fairly smoothly, and certainly far better than what the young dragon had been expecting. Though, as one might expect, the mare had pretty much run him ragged with all the activities he'd put him through. It was rare that he did so, but Spike silently thanked that he'd been a dragon, for it was clear that no stallion could have kept up with her anywhere near as much as he did. Thankfully, even Rainbow could see when she was pushing too hard, so their final day together had been marked by a relative lack of activity, instead just relaxing in each other's company.

When all was said and done, they'd parted ways afterwards and it was then time for Spike to move onto the next of his friends. In many ways, this was the visit he'd been dreading most of all, for this time it was the home of Ponyville's resident fashionista, Rarity, that he was due to visit. While he had no doubt that, had he been younger, the chance to spend a few days with her would have been a dream come true. Now though, knowing what the two would inevitably have to do, all he felt at this point was worry.

At this present moment though, he was not with Rarity, though the two had certainly greeted one another, but rather her younger sister, Sweetie Belle. The two were in the kitchen of Rarity's home, enjoying a spot of lunch together. Rarity meanwhile had pretty much confined herself to her room, saying she had work that needed doing. Whether that was true or not, Spike couldn't say, but regardless, the last thing he wanted was to make this situation any more difficult by pressing the matter. Instead, he just got on with his food, a small bowl containing a few choice gemstones.

"Any idea what she's working on?"

Sweetie shook her head, showing she had no more idea than him. The young unicorn had grown into a fine mare in the years since Spike had first met her. In fact, if you were to put the two of them together, a stranger wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Sweetie and Rarity, save of course for the former's distinct pink and light-purple mane, not to mention her cutie mark, that of a musical note. Spike pondered at that for a moment, thinking of just how happy Sweetie and the other crusaders had been when they finally earned their respective marks, with Sweetie's being for her beautiful singing voice.

Much like Spike, she was here visiting Rarity, as she'd long ago moved into her own home elsewhere in Ponyville. It was something Spike silently cursed himself for, that he'd intruded on this moment between the two sisters. Still, he knew that he and Rarity couldn't avoid this, so it was best to just accept it. Sweetie though noticed the somewhat troubled look on the young drake's face and cleared her throat, gaining his attention.

"So...you and my sister?"

Spike looked away from her gaze before nodding, confirming what she already knew. To his surprise, the young unicorn simply giggled at that, earning her a somewhat irritated look from Spike.

"Sorry. It's just that it seems so weird to me. I remember back when you kept following her around like a puppy. Now you're finally with her...sort of."

The dragon chuckled, though it was rather empty. If Sweetie had only known exactly what he and the six mares had gone through when they first found out about this, she might not have found it amusing in the slightest. Still, he bore no ill will against her personally. At the very least she seemed to be taking this news far better than a certain older Apple sibling he could think of. He'd always been friends with Sweetie, now he was faced with the fact that, very soon, she'd more-or-less be his sister-in-law. One of several in-laws he'd soon be getting in fact. Even so, that was a matter for another time, right now though, his thoughts were occupied with his future mate, whom he now suspected was actively avoiding him.

"Do...do you think Rarity's alright?"

Before Sweetie could answer, both of them heard a sudden, and loud, familiar voice from upstairs, prompting both of them to look up at the ceiling as they listened to it.

"OH WOE! OH WOE IS MEHEHEEEEE!!!"

The two glanced down at each other before Sweetie shrugged her shoulders.

"Eh...she doesn't seem any worse than usual."

In spite of himself, Spike couldn't help but chuckle at that. Rarity's occasional bouts of over-dramatic behaviour, while somewhat irritating to others, had always been something that he'd found oddly endearing about her. Nevertheless, he felt that he should at least try and find out what was going on. So, pushing his bowl away, he got up from the table and made his way out of the kitchen, with Sweetie giving him a knowing nod before he left. As he made his way upstairs, he felt that it was probably not a good idea to just barge into her room like this, but, as he'd come to accept, if one of his mates was in distress in some way, it was going to be expected of him to at least attempt to find out what was wrong.

So, once he reached the door to her room, he raised a hand and turned the knob. Peeking inside, he saw that Rarity wasn't kidding when she said she had a lot of work to do. There were unfinished dresses strewn about all over the place, bits of cloth hanging in every direction, and at the centre of it all was Rarity herself. Just one look at her told Spike everything he needed to know. She was at her desk, her head practically buried in her design sheets, and her mane was bearing a few loose strands of hair, a clear sign of when she was stressed about something. Sighing, he entered the room completely, though the sound of the door creaking open was enough to alert her of his presence.

"Oh! Spike! I was...er...just making a few finishing touches. No need to concern yourself."

The smile she gave when she she said that might have fooled some ponies, but not him. He'd been around her and the other mares long enough to know a forced smile when he saw one. It was something that had been on his mind for some time now, her declaration of work. Sweetie had no knowledge of what kinds of project she might have been working on, and Rarity was notorious for letting ponies know when she had a big order. But this, so many unfinished works, was quite unlike her. And Spike was no mere child anymore. He was able to put the pieces together quickly enough, and the rather worried look Rarity gave him as she saw this thoughtful expression gave him enough proof that he was on the right track.

"Rarity...have you been avoiding me?"

The white unicorn gained a look of being offended, but it was one that Spike knew she'd practised for many years. Nevertheless, he waited for her response.

"Of course not, Spike. Why...I've just had a lot to do...and I...er..."

Her facade was falling, and far quicker than Spike had expected. This was not something he held against her though. He knew that this was a difficult situation the seven of them had found themselves in. While some, like Rainbow, had accepted this with no issue, he knew the same would not hold true for all of them. Rarity was clearly having a hard time coming to terms with this, and while he wasn't about to start denouncing her for that, the fact that she didn't seem to want to be upfront with him about it was rather irksome.

"Rarity...we need to talk about this. I know this isn't ideal, but..."

The unicorn then turned her gaze to him fully, and Spike was rather taken aback by her expression, that of mild anger.

"Oh, it's not ideal, is it? Do you really think that, Spike?"

Spike narrowed his eyes a little at that.

"What are you saying exactly?"

Rarity snorted a little.

"Oh, I'm sure you were shocked like the rest of us when you found out about your little "hoarding problem". But I'm also sure that you got over it pretty quickly. I mean, what male wouldn't want to find himself being able to have six mares all to himself, including the mare of his dream to boot?"

The words she was speaking were cutting deep into Spike with every passing moment. He knew deep down that she was frustrated at this whole situation and needed to vent it out, and he knew that, had their positions been reversed, he'd have likely been just as upset about all this. But even so, this was Rarity, and there was a very important reason why hearing those words from her specifically made this little exchange all the worse. But, he just stood there, taking in every word, as though he felt he had little choice. Stood there and carried on listening to this angry mare that his dragon nature had chosen as a mate.

"I bet you secretly smile to yourself when you think we're not looking, don't you? You finally get Rarity, the mare you've been wanting ever since you..."

But for Spike, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. So, to Rarity's shock, she saw the drake rear up onto his hind legs, making his greater size much more apparent, and gazing upon the look of anger in his eyes and he bellowed out his response to all this.

"I GAVE UP ON YOU!!!"

Those words seemed to bring both of their worlds into utter silence. Rarity looked at the dragon, who was once so small she could have carried him around like a pet. Now, he had grown, perhaps not as large as other adult dragons, but still big enough to be far more intimidating than any pony could ever hope to be. He stood there, now back onto all fours, letting out several snorts of hot air from his nostrils. It took a few moments, but Spike's face morphed into one of sadness as he turned his face away from her, looking down at the ground.

"I...gave up on you. For my first few years in Ponyville, you were the only thing I'd ever truly wanted. You were beautiful, refined, generous, and everything a young dragon like me could have desired."

Rarity looked upon him as he conjured up those memories, those far-off days when Spike was utterly obsessed with her. She knew them well, but had never once considered that he himself would ever look back on those days with the bitterness he was now showing. But regardless, she did not stop listening to him.

"As the days and years passed on, it became clear to me that you just weren't interested. When I was a kid I felt that maybe it was my age, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that you and I were never destined to be anything other than friends."

In all his time living in Ponyville, friendship was something that he had been taught was to be cherished and respected above all else. Not once had he ever considered that it was also something to be dreaded. But it happened, on the day he'd finally chosen to walk away from his pursuit of this white unicorn. His face changed into one of anger, though whether at himself or her, Rarity could not tell. That anger faded however as he turned to look at her for the first time since his tirade began.

"I've tried so hard to forget those childish feelings I had for you back then. I wanted for us to be friends, to not have to follow you around like some lovesick fool. But it seems my instincts had other plans for me, opening up old wounds by doing so. And so, here I am, having to try and get together with a mare I'd long ago accepted that I couldn't be with."

Looking down at the floor, his voice was now utterly devoid of anger, or grief, or any semblance of emotion that Rarity could hear.

"If I could have been born a pony, and not a dragon, I would have done so. But I am what I am, and now you're stuck with my problem. I'm...so sorry, Rarity."

The fashionista stared at him for the longest time, trying her best to work through everything that had just been said to her. Rarity had known Spike for almost his whole life, and she liked to think she knew him well on a personal level. Now it seems that there was much she'd just never understood. The fact that he'd actively stopped trying to pursue her was a surprise, as she'd never even noticed. But now that he said that was the case, it became as clear as day to her. The way he no longer jumped at the chance to aid her in her shop, the way he'd stopped making those loving eyes at her like he used to, it was all coming into place.

It was here that she felt more than a little ashamed at herself. She'd allowed her frustrations at this whole situation to cause her to lash out at Spike, one of her nearest and dearest friends. Knowing him as she did, she knew he wouldn't hold it against her, and she also knew that what had happened was something beyond his control. Saying the things she'd said, now knowing just how much he'd tried to distance himself from his past infatuation of her, was, to say the least, not a feeling she enjoyed in the slightest. She gazed upon the young dragon, and knew that now more than ever, she would have to change the way she thought about him. Not as her "little Spikey-Wikey", but as an adult and, as their situation demanded, a mate.

Spike meanwhile was just wallowing in all this. After his visits to Applejack and Rainbow, he'd hoped that maybe things would have run smoothly with all his other friends. That was clearly not the case, so he found himself rather taken aback when he noticed a pristine, white hoof suddenly placed over his claw. Looking up, he saw Rarity looking at him, her face bearing a warm smile.

"Spike...I'm sorry for never really considering how you were feeling about all this. It was selfish of me, and I apologize."

The young dragon opened his mouth, perhaps about to tell her that she needn't apologize for anything. But Rarity was already one step ahead of him, and placed a hoof to his lips, stopping him from speaking.

"No. You've said what you needed to, and now so must I. For as long as I've known you, you've been a dear friend. Perhaps I never realised just how much you felt towards me over the years, or how difficult my...lack of attention was. I suppose it just never occurred to me to ever think of you in that way. Thinking like that has clearly led to this difficulty we find ourselves in."

Spike looked away from her and back towards the ground. He then felt a hoof under his chin as his gaze was drawn to Rarity once more.

"But when I think about you now, I realise that you are, and perhaps have always been, a person I could learn to be happy with."

The drake raised an eyebrow at that, as though thinking she might just be saying such things just to make him feel better. But one look in her eyes made it clear to him that this was no lie on her part.

"You're one of the bravest souls I know, always there to help others. There's a reason the ponies of the Crystal Empire still sing your praises after all. But more importantly, you've always been there for me. Whenever I needed help, or was in trouble, you were there to help however you could. There are few who have that kind of selflessness, and I consider myself a very fortunate mare that you are one of them."

It was here that Spike's expression finally started to become a smile after all this time. Rarity's own smile widened at the sight of it and she moved her head forward, gently nuzzling the side of Spike's. It was a feeling that, in his youth, he'd have given his own right hand to experience. The two stayed like this for some time, the bitterness and anger they'd felt before now long gone. With Spike's eyes now closed as he enjoyed this moment with his future mate, he heard her speak once more.

"Maybe things between you, me and the others will be fine. Or maybe it won't. All I know is that I can't think of anypony else I'd rather have by my side."

As juvenile as it might have been to say, this was, for all intents and purposes, a dream come true for the young drake. He was with the mare he'd once loved so much. And though he'd spent many years trying to put such feelings behind him, and still some resentment at his dragon nature for putting him back afterwards, right now, he didn't care. All he knew was that maybe, just maybe, things between the two of them might be just as happy as he'd always hoped it would. However, his attention was then diverted to Rarity once more, as a look appeared on her face that Spike knew well. It was a look she only ever got when an idea had struck her.

Spike looked on as Rarity's horn began to glow, as she used her magic to open a nearby set of drawers. The young dragon craned his neck to see what was happening, and his eyes widened with shock as he saw what now emerged. There, floating from the open drawer, was a ruby in the shape of a heart, at the centre of a golden necklace. His eyes were fixed on it as it floated towards Rarity, fixing itself around her neck. When it was on her completely, she looked up at Spike once more with a warm smile.

He knew that piece of jewelery well. He had given it to her long ago, back during his crush years. It was meant as a gift for him, but he had given it to Rarity instead. She'd meant more to him than that one jewel, no matter how valuable it was, and she'd taken to wearing it often afterwards out of appreciation. And then, on the worst day of his life, it had been that jewel that had helped him to remember who he really was, and it was thanks to Rarity that he had come back to them. But right now, he was simply surprised, as his next words testified.

"You...kept it? Even after all this time?"

Rarity smiled and nodded.

"This was a very special gift from a dear and valued friend. Nothing in this world could have parted it from me."

It had been along time since such a thing had happened, but Spike suddenly gained a coltish grin, complete with a bright blush, upon his face. Rarity gave a brief giggle at the somewhat amusing sight as she leaned forward and gave him a rather affectionate nuzzle against his head. This moment would, to his younger self, have been heaven, but sadly, the peace of the moment was disturbed a little by the creaking sound of the door opening. The two pulled away from each other to see that it was none other than Sweetie Belle, who was now nervously poking her head inside.

"Is everypony okay?"

The two looked at each other for a few moments, right into each other's eyes, before turning back to face Sweetie, as Rarity spoke up first.

"Oh, we're fine, Sweetie. No need to concern yourself. Isn't that right, Spikey-Wikey?"

Spike chuckled at hearing his old nickname, before looking down at his future mate once more.

"Indeed it is...Rarity-Warity."

Unfortunately, the white unicorn merely raised an eyebrow at him upon hearing that, leading to Spike giving himself a nervous chuckle.

"Okay...maybe the nicknames need a bit of work."