Chapter Two

’5 years. That’s a long time, isn’t it?’ Spike pondered to himself, spending that day lazily staring out the windows of the library. He had been spending a lot of time doing that lately. Everything around him changed so quickly, when could be barely be considered a different dragon than he was today. “Dragon growth takes time Spike, you should enjoy who you are now.” Twilight’s words would often echo through his mind at times like this. He knew why she really sad that though. Even Spike could tell Twilight was scared of the future. Not scared for herself, but rather, worried about Spike.

Twilight knew Spike better than anypony anywhere.  After all, she had been there since his birth. In that time, they certainly had a bond greater than the one shared with her other friends. Of course they were all important to her, but Spike knew the unicorn had a special place in her heart for her little assistant. “Little assistant. She won’t be able to say that one day.”

That thought had always been one of both excitement and fear to him. On one hand, he would often find himself dreaming of himself as a full grown dragon, soaring through the skies of Equestria, seeing the many wonders of the world. On the other hand, he would be doing so long after Twilight- He shook the thought away. No sense in bringing down his mood. He was, after all, waiting on a very important letter in the mail.

Twilight Sparkle opened the library door; Spike was nearly ready to tackle the violet maned mare in excitement. “Did they have it?” Spike couldn’t contain his excitement. He had been waiting anxiously for Twilight to return from the post office. Not everypony could have a dragon sending letters for them, you know.  Spike’s expression however, faded, as Twilight’s head dropped at the baby dragon’s enthusiasm. She didn’t want to have to break the news to him again. The look on her face however, drew the little dragon to the right conclusion.

“Oh.” Spike slunk back to the chair by the window he recently vacated, and continued watching the clouds roll by. Or rather, watch the weather patrol push the clouds by. Twilight however, seemed to have other plans and walked over to Spike, sitting down on her haunches to look at him from eye level. “I’m sorry Spike, I’m sure-” But Spike waved a hand at the whole thing. “I know Twi; we’ve been going over this same scene every day for months. I-” Spike choked a little on the words before he could finally bring himself to spit them out. “I don’t care anymore.”

Those words dealt a crushing blow to Twilight. She had never seen the Spike act this way before. She hated to be mad at one of her friends, but Rarity hadn’t visited or written to any of her friends since she left for Canterlot. That had been over 5 years ago. She really did worry about the fashionista at times, though. They had only ever visited her in Canterlot once a few years ago, and that didn’t go as well as planned.

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“Honestly darlings, it’s so good to see you! We really must do some catching up!” Rarity hadn’t changed at all since she’d left. Although, it was only a little over 3 years ago. ‘How much could things have possibly changed about her since she left?’ Twilight wondered, as she, along with Spike, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were being lead through a tour of Rarity’s new home/ studio in Canterlot.

Applejack, unfortunately, had to stay behind on this trip. As much as she had wanted to see her friend after so long apart, things had just become too busy down at the farm as of late. ‘Maybe soon ah’ll be rich ‘nuff to afford a place’n Canterlot muhself’, Applejack joked to herself, waving a farewell to her friends before they left for Canterlot and went back to helping Applebloom build the extension on the new house. She had been so proud the day Applebloom finally noticed her talent in construction. By the looks of it, Applebloom had been mighty proud of it herself, taking every opportunity to use a hammer or saw. It was amazing to him what had happened to the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders too.

Sweetie Belle was embracing her singing voice, but was having a bit of trouble finding a use for it for the time being. So she spend most of her time skipping through Ponyville, singing to nopony in particular. Not that anypony minded, her voice was really something. As for Scootaloo, she was still determined to be like her hero, Rainbow Dash. She had set off for Flight School a few years ago, and only returned a few months ago as a proud graduate.

Back in Canterlot however, five ponies, along with an overwhelmingly thrilled dragon, were swapping stories of recent years. Rarity told everypony in excruciating detail about each and every fashion show she put on, and all the sophisticated soirées she attended. Spike listened intently through each story, not to anypony’s surprise. Later, they dined in the most ‘exquisite’, as Rarity had put it, restaurant in all of Canterlot.

As Luna’s moon began to rise into the sky, the friends had intended to give Rarity their goodbyes, that is until she had insisted they all stay the night, and in the morning they could attend her unveiling of her latest ‘masterpieces’; She spoke the word with the utmost flair and regality as she could. But late that evening, long after everypony had gone to bed for the night, one pony lied awake, unable to sleep, with questions constantly bubbling at the forefront of her brain.

The door to Rarity’s room slowly slid open, as a figure made its way over the sleeping form of Rarity, deep in a trance under her one-of-a-kind hand stitched sheets. “Rarity, wake up.” A few groans and mumbles later, Rarity slid the eye cover off her face, and searched around the room for who had awoken her from her much needed beauty rest. “Twilight? Whatever are you doing? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“I’m sorry to bother you right now, Rarity. I know how important your rest is to you.” Twilight tried her best to keep Rarity calm, as Twilight could see even in the low light the expression of disdain Rarity wore from having been woken at Celestia knows what time. “It’s just that, well...” Twilight was having difficulty spitting out her question. “Darling, if you have something to say, then please say it. I cannot be held up all night waiting. I am a busy pony, after all.” Rarity’s words rang bitter in Twilight’s ears. She chalked it up to the sleep deprivation, rather than the belief that her dear friend had become so… contemptible.

‘C’mon brain! Now isn’t the time to freeze up!’ Twilight shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. When her eyes settled, there were still fixed upon the eyes of a very perturbed pony. “Why didn’t you ever visit, you know, like you said you would?” Rarity was taken aback by this. Twilight’s expression was filled with worry, and hurt that her friend had seemingly turned her back on all her old other friends.

Rarity’s face was now mirroring Twilight’s own, and she let out a sigh. “When I had made that promise, I had seriously underestimated the amount of time and effort I would be putting in around here. It’s not that I never wanted to visit you girls, but the life of a celebrity is filled with glamour and expectations. I can’t simply drop everything to see my friends.” She could see the hurt on Twilight’s face as she finished her sentence.

After a long pause, during which neither pony dared look at one another, Twilight broke the silence. “But Rarity, you set this whole day together with us up with only a few weeks notice. How could it be that after 3 years you could never have visited us even once? Or just sent a simple letter for that matter? We all worry about you, you know. That was what this whole trip up here was really about. We thought you had forgotten about us.”

Rarity’s eyes never left the floor while she spoke. “Twilight, while I have always cherished my friendship with you girls…” Rarity chanced up a short glance into Twilight’s eyes, before peering back down towards her bed, “I thought it would be better to move on. Cut the ties, as it were.” Rarity looked up again, only to be met with a look of disgust and sorrow. “Rarity,” Twilight’s voice was hoarse; she sounded like she was on the verge of breaking down. “Do you really mean that?”

Rarity cleared her throat before continuing. “Please understand, darling, I mean this in the nicest of ways. It’s just too difficult to keep such long distance relationships working, and only seeing one another through ink…” It was Rarity’s turn to have an inner struggle with her words, “It would just be hard on everypony. I know it’s hard to lose a friend Twilight, but please understand.”

Twilight couldn’t process what she was hearing. Somewhere along the line, Rarity had forgotten how important her friends were to her, and vice versa. She turned to head towards the door and walk away. “Wait!” Twilight turned to see Rarity trotting up to her, embracing her in a hug, but Twilight pushed her away, anger still burning hot in her eyes. “And what about Spike? He really missed you, he’s been sending letters constantly since you left, have you not been getting them?”

Rarity looked away, ashamed to look at her formerly close friend. “I… I got every one. It’s not that I wan’t to break the little darling’s heart, believe me Twilight.” The statement did little to quell the rage Twilight had building up. “It’s just… We’re too different from one another. He and I-” Twilight’s glare was beginning to get to her. “It never would work out, Twilight. Spike belongs in Ponyville with you, and you know that. I had to follow my dream, and you would never let yourself be separated from him, would you?”

Twilight didn’t respond. ‘She has a point, you know.’ Her own thoughts betrayed her feelings. Instead, she walked out of the room, leaving Rarity alone in her bedroom again. Twilight didn’t go back to bed, either. She spent the remainder of the night and early into the morning sitting outside, letting a few precious tears roll down her face, plummeting down into the dirt below. “I’m so, so sorry, Spike.” She was speaking to herself.

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Twilight sat next to Spike, the two locked into a caring embrace. Eventually, the two broke apart, and Spike spoke. “Twi, why do you think she does it?” Twilight hated that question. She never had an answer for it, and always relied on changing the subject or perhaps an unexpected interruption from her friends to tear them away from the topic. This time though, no such thing came.

“Spike, you know how busy she gets. She’s the most famous designer in all of Canterlot. She doesn’t have the time anymore.” Spike’s frown deepened, giving a slight nod to Twilight to let her know he understood. “But,” Spike stalled for a moment to collect his thoughts for what he was about to say. “She still cares, right Twi?” That moment lasted for some time in the unicorn’s mind. ‘Can I really tell him the truth? He’s so sad already, and he’s been sending those letters for two years since our visit. How can I tell him now that there is no chance she’ll write him back?’ Twilight pulled Spike into another hug, and whispered into his ear, “Of course she cares about you Spike.”

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Rarity entered her illustrious home after a long day listening to a bunch of stuffy Canterlot ponies chewed her ear off on designs. It was moments like this she missed in Ponyville. She collapsed on her couch and stared into space for a few minutes, before noticing a picture sitting on here coffee table. It was of her and the other Elements of Harmony, and Spike of course, all smiling into the camera. She really did miss them, but ‘things were better this way, Right?’

She seemed to be asking herself that a lot lately. She got up and trotted over to her wardrobe, and slid the large wooden door open, revealing the massive cornucopia of different coloured and styled dresses she had created over the years. From deep within the back of the substantial wardrobe, she pulled out a large chest, which was covered in dust from not being moved in years. Rarity opened the chest, and levitated its contents out along the floor.

They were all the dresses she had made for the Grand Galloping Gala years ago. Each were kept perfectly preserved through the years, to remind her always of how much her friends had meant to her. ‘You know, maybe the Gala hadn’t be that bad after all.’ Rarity felt a little smile creep onto her face.

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