Rarity

“Aha! I win again,” declared Rarity as she placed her last card on top of the queen of spades. The day had gone on while the four passengers played and the unicorn had been quite successful in all of the games they had suggested.

“Wow, that’s three times in a row,” Button exclaimed, rubbing the top of his head.

Rarity took this time to look out from the opened windows of the train car. The sun was quickly beginning to set, and the sky was painted in colours of yellow and orange. Oh my, has that much time really passed by since we started? Spike chuckled from beside the mare, and Rarity turned toward him with a quizzical look, being brought out of her thoughts by his laughter. “What’s so funny, dear?”

The dragon ambassador shook his head, his right claw still full with cards. “I don’t know how you do it, but you always manage to block me off from playing any of my cards. It’s just like when we were back at the party.”

Rarity’s grin returned and she tilted her head away, feigning a proud attitude. “Well Spikey-Wikey, I cannot simply tell you how I do it, if that is what you’re trying to ask me. It’s my little secret.”

“Another splendid game, you two,” Linda said, shuffling her cards around. She lay them across the table face up and smiled at the two friends. “Shall we have another game?”

“Yeah, I want to see if I can beat you once,” added the young colt. Rarity laughed and watched as he took all of the cards and began to shuffle them. He stuck his tongue out as he concentrated on randomizing the card selection.

“Now Button, don’t go getting competitive like you did with all of those games you used to play. Please don’t,” she repeated, frowning. Rarity imagined that something truly annoying or horrible had happened to make her speak in that tone, but the mare’s smile soon returned with full force. “It’s all in good fun.”

“I know, I know,” Button replied, beginning to deal out the cards from the deck. “but what fun is there if there isn’t a challenge? My challenge is to win against Rarity, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

The white mare chuckled at the younger pony’s reasoning. Rarity turned to Linda and waved a hoof. “It’s quite alright, darling. I don’t mind having another game of sevens. It passes the time quite nicely, doesn’t it?”

“Especially if you’re winning,” Spike replied with mock annoyance. He had rested his chin in one clawed hand to make a show of being upset and was grinning from his response.

“Oh, shush, you,” Rarity tittered, shoving the dragon with her hoof. Linda began to laugh, causing the unicorn to tilt her head in confusion and interest. “Excuse me, dear. But what is so funny?”

Linda raised a hoof up to her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter as she shook the other hoof to alleviate Rarity’s concerns. “I’m sorry, but you two are so cute together. Are you on your honeymoon or something?”

“What!?” Spike shouted in surprise.

Rarity blushed and looked away for a moment, not knowing what to say to something like that. I…I agreed to come with him to try and figure out once and for all what my feelings were for him. If anything would bring them out, would it not be a perilous journey into dragon territory? For that matter, what does agreeing to accompany him on this quest say about my feelings toward him?

“No, we’re…we’re just friends, that’s all. We’re heading for Manehattan, and then the Griffin Empire.”

“Oh, I see,” Linda’s words seemed to echo in her head, but they sounded so distant Rarity almost didn’t hear them.

Rarity turned to face Spike, surprised and a little hurt by his answer. Just…friends? She tilted her head down to stare at her hooves. She remembered back to the party, when Spike had avoided speaking to her. It had really hurt her, hearing the strain in his voice as he avoided her help. When Rarity had spoken again, saying how silly she was for worrying about him, she had been fighting off tears about her mistakes. She also remembered that when she had reached out to comfort Spike, he had recoiled from her hoof. And…on our day together…I thought for sure that he would ask me out on a date. Does he not…like me anymore?

“Rarity?” a familiar voice called, shaking the white mare from her imaginings. “Are you okay?” She turned to face the owner of the voice and found Spike staring back at her worriedly. She cleared her throat and slowly shook her head.

“I’m fine,” she remarked, turning to Linda and Button. They had equally concerned expressions on their faces, as they placed the cards Button had probably dealt to each of them down on the table. Rarity smiled. “On second thought, I think I will excuse myself. I think I will peruse the dining car and see if anything catches my fancy. I am sorry to have worried all of you.”

Before the others could protest or ask what was wrong, Rarity pushed herself up from her seat at the table and walked to the door. She pushed it open and broke out into a trot to reach the next car over. Pull it together, Rarity. You are over thinking this. Rarity pushed passed the other door and continued walking, not actually stopping to eat anything. Why am I thinking about this at all? If he doesn’t like me anymore that is his choice…but…oh, why do I feel this way?

The distraught unicorn managed to find a railing and placed her fore hooves on it to steady herself. She sat on her haunches and glanced around. Rarity found that she had made her way passed the food car and was now staring out one of the sightseeing cars. On either side there were no windows or seats or ponies. What greeted her instead were the wide open plains, spreading out for miles, before rising up to become the rolling hills and jagged mountain peaks in the distance. Before that was the far green country, with patches of forest and woodlands and even parts of the Everfree still stretched out.

Though Rarity thought that the view was magnificent in its own right, she could find no true joy in its beauty. She felt butterflies in her stomach instead. Is it because I do not have his affections anymore? He was always there to shower me with praise and caring, and tell me how lovely he thought my every outfit and movement was, albeit he was a little bit over the top at times…but his heart was always in the right place…now he doesn’t seem to treat me like that anymore… She lowered her head to the railing and sighed. “Is this how he felt all these years?”

“Rarity?” The mare jumped from the silence being interrupted. Rarity turned to face the purple dragon. She still held onto the railing with her left hoof, finding that she had tightened her grip on it unknowingly. “Are you okay? Linda and Button were really worried about you.”

Rarity took a deep breath and relaxed her hoof, bringing it down to the ground in front of her. And not you, Spike? She tried to smile, to fake a response to spare Spike’s feelings, but then she saw the unhidden worry on the dragon’s face. Rarity shook her head several times, breaking eye contact and staring down at the train car’s floor. “No, Spike. I’m not. But I’d rather not talk about it.”

“But maybe I can help,” came his answer. It was without hesitation, it seemed, that he had replied.

Rarity gazed up at him and saw a soft smile on his lips. She immediately turned away, once again staring out at the green fields passing swiftly along. You were always there to look out for me…even when I was interested in somepony else; somepony like Trenderhoof or even Prince Blueblood. Please, Spike…how can you offer me your help when I know that I don’t deserve it? “Spike, would you mind just sitting here beside me? The scenery out here is just lovely.” The fashionista clenched her teeth, waiting and hoping for a response that would not involve her revealing her worries.

It was silent. The only sound that Rarity heard was the occasional whistling of the train and the squeaking of the train tracks. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, from the worry of Spike’s coming answer and from what her request sounded like.

She felt warm suddenly, just on her left side. The seamstress tilted her head to look at what was causing the heat and found Spike looking out across the rapidly passing land. “It is,” he said simply, not taking his emerald eyes from the world in front of him. Rarity kept her eyes on him, and after a while she thought she could see a red colouration staining his cheeks.

Rarity found herself smiling at Spike’s actions, feeling slightly better about herself. Even if he doesn’t like me anymore, I still have a wonderful and caring friend to rely on. She turned her head to peer out at the landscape as well, taking in the breathtaking lands across Equestria. The white unicorn shuffled closer to the ambassador and looked over at him as the train continued along its designated track. “So, Spike, would you care for some dinner?”

When the light of day had faded and the moon had risen over the land, Rarity lay in her bed. She had quite enjoyed the dinner she and Spike had had. Linda and Button had joined them as well, and the fashionista had apologized repeatedly for what happened. The family had told her that it wasn’t a problem, and that they understood if she needed to be alone. Thinking back on it now, it was silly of me to worry that they would not understand.

Spike hadn’t said anything about what happened after she left, to which Rarity had been grateful for. The purple dragon now slept across from her in another bed. He seemed a little bit cramped in the space provided, but when she had asked if he needed more room Spike had declined politely. He had fallen asleep almost as soon as he hit the pillow, which had Rarity giggling at, so she dismissed the need.

Linda and Button left shortly after finishing dinner, saying that they needed to sleep in early for what they planned to do once they reached Trottingham. Rarity recalled, looking up at the ceiling of the train car, that the city of Trottingham was just a few miles north from Manehattan, between the big city and the Griffin Empire. She and Spike had nodded their understanding and bid them goodnight, letting them know that they would be stopping over in Manehattan early in the morning and would probably not see them up again.

For the rest of the evening, Rarity and Spike had talked about what they would be doing in Manehattan the next day. We brought along much of what we need for the trip, the fashionista thought, going over what they had said. But I feel like we would need more food and water. It couldn’t hurt. We’ll eat a quick breakfast on the train, locate a grocery store in Manehattan once we depart, pick up some extra supplies and prepare for the long flight. Simple enough, though I hope Spike doesn’t have too many eyes on him while we’re walking around the city.

Rarity rolled onto her side and looked over at Spike again, seeing his chest rise and fall under the blanket. You won’t have to worry about that anymore, my little Spikey-Wikey. Not while I’m around. She could feel her eyes grow lidded with the need for rest, so she placed her head against her pillow and slowly drifted off to sleep.

She awoke again to the moonlight shining through the closed windows. Rarity felt groggy, groaning into her pillow as the light shone into her sapphire eyes. She lifted one eye open and rose up in her bed when she saw that Spike was gone. Rarity tilted her head from the left to the right franticly, leaning out of her open room to look down the hall.

“Spike?” she whispered, pushing off the blankets and stepping down to the car’s carpeted floor. Where did he go? Rarity glanced down at the longer end of the hall, feeling slightly dizzy from standing so quickly. She leaned against the left side of the car and shook off her inertia. Slowly, the mare took her hoof from the wall and walked down the hall to the next car. It was eerily quiet as she made her way passed the other beds, lined along each side. We’ll be arriving in Manehattan soon. Where could he be off to?

She stopped in her tracks as she felt the train turn around a sharp corner, probably avoiding the base of a mountain. Once the car straightened out again, Rarity reached the door to the next car. She pushed the door open with her magic and saw that it was another sightseeing car, like the one she had sat in with Spike. It seemed empty at first glance, and the fashionista was becoming upset. Where is that dragon? Suddenly, something moved out of the corner of her eye. Somepony or somedragon was leaning on the railing on the right side.

“Goodness, Spike. There you are. You had me worried for a few minutes. What in Equestria has made you wish to come out here so early in the morning?” The dragon didn’t move, or answer her. Rarity walked a little closer, perplexed by his silence. “Darling? Are you alright?” Again, no answer from Spike. The air around her began to stifle her breathing. She felt suddenly uneasy about this whole thing, like something wasn’t right.

Cautiously, the white pony walked up beside Spike and tapped him on the shoulder. He shuddered and jumped a bit, looking down at the unicorn before him. “Oh, Rarity. Sorry. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

Rarity breathed a sigh of relief, taking a seat next to the ambassador. “No, dear; though I did wake up to find you missing. I was merely worried that something had happened to you, but I can see that my fears were unfounded. What has brought you out here so early, Spike?” She saw the dragon shrug his shoulders from the corner of her eye.

“I don’t know. I just felt like looking out this way. I guess I couldn’t sleep.”

“I myself had a difficult time with sleeping,” replied Rarity, chuckling and muffling her laughter with a hoof. She glanced out across the passing mountains. They seemed to be closer now than the previous time that they had been out here together. She sighed happily, looking out at the moonlit night. The stars twinkled brightly in the deep violet sky, surrounding the moon high in the air. “It’s beautiful isn’t it? Princess Luna has really outdone herself this night. I don’t know how she does it.”

She felt a rumble go through the sightseeing car and struggled to keep herself from falling over. She huffed indignantly, thinking that the conductor had nearly derailed the train car. Rarity was about to say something when she noticed how silent Spike was beside her. The unicorn turned her head to ask what the matter was. Her eyes widened at what she saw…or didn’t see.

“Spike?” Rarity asked again, glancing around at the inside of the sightseeing car for any sign that he was around. She felt warmth on her, which chased away the slight breeze that brushed through the car. But this warmth worried Rarity. It wasn’t the kind of heat she felt from having Spike sit next to her. He wasn’t even around, as far as she could tell and the warmth was coming from without the car. How is that…?

She gasped and spun around, pushing herself up and away from the railing. The beast from her nightmares had returned. Its cold eyes never left Rarity and she could see each individual purple scale on its head as it stared at her. The creature seemed to be even larger than in her previous nightmares, making the mare even more horrified. It sucked in a breath of air, seeming to take the very breath from the unicorn’s lungs in one gulp.

With what little rational thought left to her, Rarity raced for the door to her room, hoping to escape the coming fire blast. She felt the overwhelming heat of the burst of flame as the creature opened its maw. It melted the metal of the railing and of the door handle. She drew her hoof back and shouted as she felt the scorching heat from the handle.

The unicorn began to sweat profusely as the room heated up. Steam seemed to be coming in from the outside, from what Rarity guessed were the nostrils of the beast. A purple, scaled arm worked its way into the car and grabbed at the seamstress.

Rarity screamed and sat up in her bed. Sweat drenched her body and her sheets as she hung her head off of the edge of the bed. She was out of breath and terrified beyond belief. Thankfully, her little outburst had not disturbed any of the other passengers, including Spike. He was still resting peacefully on his side of the car, his chest rising and falling with each breath.

With tears in her eyes and with little else to do but sleep, the violet-maned mare lay back in her bed and attempted to sleep until the sun rose over the mountains.

When she woke up again, Rarity felt the sun beaming in from the now open windows. The rattling of the cars jogged her memory of last night’s dream and she sat up in bed to find that Spike was sitting on the edge of his bed. She managed a smile as a yawn took her. “Waiting for me, are you?” The dragon looked up at her, startling from whatever it was that he had been thinking. She tittered at his embarrassed reaction. “Such a gentledrake.” The fashionista stepped out from the covers and tidied up the bed and her mane before turning back to face Spike. “Well, shall we have some breakfast?”

“Sure,” he agreed, nodding his head. “We slept in a little bit, but the breakfast menu should still be available.” The two friends sauntered down the long hallway to the left of Rarity’s bed, Spike pushing the door open and gesturing for her to enter first.

“Why thank you, dear,” Rarity said, grinning at his chivalry. She stepped through to the other room and found that it was the sitting room that they had met Linda and Button in yesterday, with the tables at the far side. The unicorn shivered a little as she recalled seeing the sightseeing car here instead, in her dream. “So, what do you believe you will be having, Spikey-Wikey?” she asked, not letting her nightmares rule her days.

Spike strolled up beside her as the two continued onward to the next car. He hummed a little as he thought about his options. “Well, I looked at the list briefly yesterday when I wasn’t busy and thought that I would like to try their banana and chocolate chip waffles. We’ll see if they’re as good as my famous pancakes.”

Rarity laughed. “Famous? I admit that they were rather good when I ate them years ago, but when did they become so popular among the rest of Equestria?”

The dragon scratched at the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. “Yeah, Twilight said pretty much the same thing. It’s really more of a gag than anything. I offered some of the pancakes I made when I was in Canterlot to the princesses and a few of the guards I knew. You really thought they were good?”

“Why, of course!” exclaimed the seamstress, looking over at Spike with a smile. “I would not have eaten them half as quickly as I did if I did not enjoy them.” Rarity felt the air grow denser as they made their way through the soundproof magical field. Not many ponies were up at this time, however, or at least were not in the train car that they were in currently, so there was no sound except for their conversation.

Spike rushed forward once again and opened the door for Rarity, for which she thanked him with a bow. She could have sworn she saw him blushing, but simply let that thought go, not wanting to think too much on it. He still might have a few feelings for me, but I understand that those aren’t quite as strong as they once were.

As the two of them entered the dining car, the white unicorn was bombarded with delectable smells coming from every direction. Ponies filled the tables of the room, talking and chatting and eating with their friends or family. At the center of the room, there was a large island bar where the dining staff were working diligently on the passengers’ orders.

Rarity turned to Spike and smiled softly at him. “Well, I hope there are any waffles left! I must remember to wake up earlier next time so as to escape the possibility of a missed meal. I do hope that you did not wait too long on me to wake up this morning.”

The dragon shook his head reassuringly and began to walk up to the island. “Not too long. I didn’t mind waiting anyway. It wouldn’t have been the same all by myself. Plus it wouldn’t make me seem like much of a gentledrake, would it?” Rarity followed along and chuckled at the use of the name she had come up with for him, cheeks reddening slightly at the look he was giving her.

She quickly waved a hoof at him to dismiss the question. “Nonsense, darling. I would not have minded. If you were hungry at the time, you should have gone and bought something.”

Spike shrugged. “I wasn’t really that hungry. Now though, after seeing all of those waffles floating around, I’m feeling starved.” The fashionista had to stifle a laugh at the hungry expression on his face at that point, as he called one of the staff members over. “Good morning. I’ll have the banana and chocolate chip waffles, please.”

The stallion nodded and jotted down Spike’s order, then he turned to face Rarity. “And for the lady?”

Rarity hummed to herself as she looked up at the menu just behind the pony. “I believe I will have a mushroom omelette, please dear.”

“Alright,” he said, taking down her order as well. “I will have those out to you two shortly.” The two friends nodded their thanks as the staff members started to prepare their orders, and within a few moments Rarity had both dishes in her magical aura.

“I don’t mind carrying those dishes for you, Rarity,” the dragon ambassador offered once they were away from the island.

“Don’t be silly, dear. I am quite capable of carrying my dish and yours comfortably. It is the least that I can do for making you wait for your meal.” The pony could sense that Spike wanted to protest, to say that she hadn’t made him wait, but he ultimately held his tongue. “Well then, where shall we sit?” inquired the seamstress. She glanced around at the ponies at their tables, but found no vacancies among them. Rarity frowned slightly, until an idea struck her. “Aha! I have the perfect place.”

Spike tilted his head at the mare quizzically. She saw his wings shuffle along his back, finding a new place to rest. “Really? Where did you have in mind?”

“We shall eat on the sightseeing car,” she said firmly and without a hint of doubt in her voice. Rarity began the walk over to the next train car and halted when the door swung open to reveal a group of ponies coming in from the next car.

Rarity and Spike waited patiently for the ponies to walk through, smiling at the happy faces that greeted them. The last pony held the door open long enough for Rarity to grip it in her magic. She thanked the mare and trotted through, keeping her magical aura on it for the dragon to venture through. It closed with a soft click and the noise of cheerful conversation disappeared.

Out here, only the wind blew when they made it to the left side of the sightseeing car. There were a couple out as well, but they too were enjoying the peace and quiet of the outside world. Just like in her dream, Rarity saw that the rolling plains had given way to more mountain peaks, which told her that they were very near Manehattan. “A little farther north and we will see the open ocean on our left and the big city on our right. It is not as glamorous as Canterlot, perhaps, but Manehattan also has its charms.”

“Yeah, and it will be good to stretch my wings when we pull up to the station. I can only stand trains so long now, with how much larger I am.” Rarity nodded and levitated Spike’s breakfast over to him. He took it and thanked her, quickly taking the fork on the plate to begin eating the delicious-looking meal.

“I suppose I can understand how you feel. I would rather be out here than inside that cramped space.” She magicked her own fork up and began to eat her omelette. Rarity moaned her approval. The mushrooms were heated to perfection, sizzling within the cooked egg. She could tell that the chefs had added a few pinches of salt and pepper to bring out the flavour, which she was most grateful for. “Delicious,” Rarity sighed, as she readied another forkful of the wonderful breakfast.

She heard Spike chuckle from beside her. “Really? Maybe I should have tried that instead then. Perhaps I can learn to make something like that, when we return again I mean.” Rarity glanced up and grinned at him.

“I would surely be looking forward to it, if you would allow me to try some,” replied the violet-maned mare. She lowered her head slightly and placed the fork with the omelette on it into her mouth.

“I’d be happy to,” Spike said.

The train’s horn whistled as Rarity and Spike disembarked from the train. It was still early in the morning and the train had arrived right on schedule. The conductor began his walk along the trains, saying that they had stopped in Manehattan and would be taking off again soon. With their saddlebags set firmly and comfortably on their backs, the two went off in search of a market to obtain some extra supplies and food for the long journey.

Manehattan’s streets were already busy and bustling, having grown quite substantially in the two years since Rarity had been here to show off her unique line of clothing. She briefly recalled the trouble she and her friends had gone through on that trip, remembering Suri Polomare with rapt clarity, but she shook it off, declaring that it was in the past. I will not treat my friends so horribly again. I’m a bit glad that Spike had not been there to be a part of that as well.

The trip down to the nearest market took little time at all, but then again, Rarity assumed that ponies would not wish to be in the way of an eight foot-long dragon. Most of the crowds parted to let them pass, surprised and some probably fearful of seeing Spike in the city. Before they entered the market area, Rarity pulled the dragon to the side to check on him.

“Dear, are you alright?” she asked with concern in her sapphire eyes. Spike smiled back after a few seconds, probably understanding what she meant. He nodded with little hesitation in his action.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Pinkie Pie told me not to worry about what others think of me. If they come to a conclusion about me before they even know me, it’s their loss.” Spike lowered his head a little and spoke a little more quietly. “Besides, I have you here caring about me…and that’s enough.”

Rarity’s frown turned into a firm smile as she nodded. “You certainly do, Spikey-Wikey. Now, let’s find some food for you and I. I’m sure that they will be selling something to your liking.”

Rarity and Spike walked along the stalls and kiosks of the marketplace and found several things that they thought they would need for the trip; not only food, but also equipment, tent supplies, flashlights and a first aid kit that could fit easily into either of their bags. Most of the ponies in the city had never seen a fully grown dragon and were quite shaken by his presence, so paying for all that caught their eyes went rather quickly, but as far as the fashionista could tell as they ventured along the tables, Spike paid no heed to the fears of those ponies.

With little else to do and their stocks having been filled, the dragon and pony made their way to the water’s edge just beside the docks of Manehattan Harbour. “Well, I suppose we should start on the lengthy part of the journey, huh?” Spike asked, breaking the calm of the seagulls calling from the air and the water ebbing and flowing against the shoreline.

Rarity turned to her companion and smiled softly. “Yes…but do not feel the need to be prepared right away. I understand that it will be a bit uncomfortable having me on your back throughout the entirety of the flight. I must apologize for not asking you if it was alright when we had our day together.”

“It’s alright. Like you said that day, you just want to make sure that I’m not in any danger. I can’t just leave you here now, after we agreed to go together. It’s just funny, kind of.”

“Hmm? Funny how?” Rarity inquired, tilting her head to the side.

“Well, four years ago I was being carried by Twilight or Pinkie…and now I’m carrying you. It’s strange I guess that I’ve grown so quickly. I didn’t think I’d ever grow this large.”

The unicorn smiled sweetly at him and chuckled along with him. “I suppose that that is true; though you would not have stayed that size forever dear, even if it had taken a few more years. The change is quite remarkable, however.”

“Yeah...” Spike replied, his smile fading slightly. Rarity grew concerned and stepped closer to the dragon. She placed a hoof on his shoulder to break him out of his thoughts.

“Spike? Is there something the matter, dear?”

He hesitated a little bit, as he looked down at her, but something, either in the way she was looking at him or that he thought that there was no escaping the question, Spike conceded. “Yeah…but…is it alright if we start heading west first? I need to think a little before saying anything.”

“Sure,” she smiled. “Take all of the time that you need.” Spike seemed to accept that and lowered his body down to the ground for her to step on. Rarity averted her gaze at that moment and she saw that he had also looked away, in the direction of the ocean. She started to feel the blood rushing to her cheeks again as she gingerly stepped onto the dragon’s back leg.

When she had settled down on his back, still very uncertain of her feelings for him, Spike stood up slowly. Rarity had thought that the spikes on his back and tail would be rigid and would bother her, but she found that they were quite flexible and lay flat as she sat on his back. “A-are you alright up there?” he asked tensely.

Rarity gasped quietly as she felt the muscles on his back shift to accommodate for her added weight. She cleared her throat to try to ease the coming blush. “I’m fine, dear. Whenever you’re ready, just say.” The seamstress carefully placed her hooves around Spike’s neck, readying herself for the takeoff. He has become quite the dragon.

“Okay, here we go,” Spike replied, unfolding the wings that he had brought away from his back to allow Rarity to sit comfortably. Rarity’s eyes widened with awe. They were huge; each wing was ten feet-long at least. Not only were they long, but they also looked quite powerful. They would have to be powerful, dear, to lift a dragon like him. Still, I did not expect them to be quite so large.

The dragon ambassador began to flap his wings, most likely testing them against the wind. Rarity held on tight as she felt the world below her fade away. Spike’s wing beats became steadier as he flew into the air and began to soar over the open ocean. The violet-maned unicorn glanced down at the water’s surface and she laughed a little. I’m flying! I’m actually in the air, going to an entirely different continent. Rarity broke into a fit of happy laughter, hugging Spike tightly around his neck. “Spike! This is wonderful!”

Spike turned his head to smile at the unicorn and looked back in front of him. Rarity loosened her grip on him and glanced down at the lands and water far below again. This is amazing, and Spike is able to do this all of the time. As she gazed down at the ocean, Rarity could see pods of orca hunting and hundreds of dolphins all swimming in synchronization with one another. It left the white mare truly stunned and impressed.

For most of the trip, after Rarity had settled her nerves again, the two remained silent, and Rarity began to wonder what he had been thinking about all of this time. The fashionista stared up at the sky and saw that the sun was beginning its downward decent from the sky. We have been traveling for quite some time. I hope that Spike is not too tired, though he did say that he has made quite a few trips like this.

“So…Rarity…about what I was trying to say earlier…” Spike said after a few more moments, with a hint of hesitation that Rarity picked up on.

“Yes?”

“W-well…when I said that I had grown really fast for only four years…” He paused and Rarity tried to lean in to see Spike’s expression. She saw him close his eyes and sigh. “I was actually worried…about how much more I would grow. I mean, if it only took me four years to grow to the size of you, how many more years will it be before I’m the size of a real dragon?”

Rarity held back a gasp, placing a hoof against her muzzle. She sat back up straight and thought about how to respond. Oh Spikey-Wikey, I had not thought of that. He may be able to fit into Ponyville even now…but what about later in life? Her grip on Spike increased again, and she hugged him. “Spike I promise you that even if you grow larger I will never cease being friends with you, nor will anypony else who knows you. I realise that I have no way of knowing how you feel about all of this, but I will be here for you if something like that should happen. Do you believe me?”

She could feel Spike swallow as he listened to her reply and nodded firmly once she had finished. “Yeah. You’re right. Thank you, Rarity.”

“Not at all, darling. Who knows? Maybe these dragons we meet will have a way for you to deal with these changes.” The unicorn turned her head down to the land that was quickly coming up under them. “That must be the Ibexian Tundra. Wasn’t that where Princess Celestia said you were found?”

“Yeah, she thought that the colony of dragons close to here was my home before I was left around here. I was found in the snow all alone and she brought me back to Equestria and took care of me. That was probably close to the time before Twilight hatched me.”

“Oh, that is so sad. How could any creature, even a dragon, leave their child alone to freeze in the cold? I am so glad that the princess found you, Spikey-Wikey. I couldn’t imagine life without one of my dearest friends.” Suddenly, Rarity felt Spike shudder underneath her. His wings stopped flapping and he seemed to be struggling to breath. “Spike?” she questioned, leaning in worriedly to see if he was saying anything. “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer and soon the two of them were falling out of the sky quite rapidly. The unicorn struggled to keep her eyes open, feeling her ears pop from the swiftly changing altitude. Her eyes began to water and her ears rang incessantly.

“Spike! Wake up! Spike!” Her sapphire eyes widened as she saw how close to the ground they were already. Rarity tried to shake Spike from whatever stupor he had entered, but his body was too bulky and too thick for her to move. “Oh no! Spike, please, we’re going to crash!” Without hesitation, the seamstress through her hooves around his neck and closed her eyes. She concentrated all of her will and energy into her horn, feeling it tingle with her magic. “Spike!!”

She felt her horn light up, enveloping her and Spike in her sapphire aura before she teleported them closer to the ground. The teleportation had slowed them down considerably in the process of using her magic, but Rarity knew that the impact would still be quite jarring.

Spike hit the snow first, and Rarity lost her grip on the dragon from the rough landing. She shrieked in anguish, feeling a searing heat and pain flooding out from her back. The unicorn tumbled for a few feet, continuing to scream in agony and crying from the almost unbearable pain. Once she stopped rolling, Rarity found herself sprawled out on her stomach, still with that intense heat covering her back. My…my muscles…the doctors…said…that they might be…ah…weaker.

She was already beginning to feel lightheaded. Her vision became blurred, but as she lay there stunned, she could see the purple dragon lying in the snow a few feet from her. He wasn’t moving. Before her sight failed her, Rarity raised a hoof out in his direction, trying to push herself forward. Her back seized up, and her consciousness faded away.

Author's Notes:

I believe this time I will allow the chapter to speak for itself. This is truly a masterpiece though, I never thought my idea would come out sounding so wonderful. These are all the chapters I have finished so far, so I hope that you all enjoy them.

Now I believe I shall rest my weary head, because this was a lot of work editing and posting. Enjoy! Ta ta! ^^