The Heart of Pleasure
By Haunter Rayne
Chapter 15 - Explosions of Love and Magic

Meanwhile back at the Castle of Friendship, a tiny dragon was stirring awake in his bed. “Ehhmm...mmbbm.” Spike mumbled as his eyes tried to adjust to the dark room. His voice slurred and body was still groggy from sleep. “Uhh, why is it so dark? Oh, I guess I slept through the day.” But then Spike realised that there was something warm pressed up against him. “Huh, fur? Is somepony here?” He asked after noticing that there was a shadow in the room with him.

A feminine voice spoke out but it did so softly as if trying not to startle him. “Yes Spike, I am here with you. I am going to turn a light on so you can see me. Cover your eyes, I know that you just woke up.” Suddenly a bead of white light started to fill the room illuminating the small space filled with toys and tiny furniture.

Spike looked through his claws as a light gray hoof came into view with purple bangs from a mane dangling above it. “Wait a minute, Rarity? Is that you?” He asked after rubbing his eyes in disbelief. “What are you doing in my room? And sitting in the dark?”

Rarity spoke in a voice that was very matter of fact. She had her usual lovely tone but she had too many mix of emotions between happiness, anger, embarrassment and concern for any of them to come through clearly. “I have been laying here watching over you as you slept. It wasn't always dark in your room, but the sun went down before you woke up. I didn't want to disturb you so… I sat here in the dark for as long as it took for you to wake on your own.” Her responses were direct but not cold or harsh.

“Oh really? Wow, I don't know what to say. What if I had slept all the way through the night? And why did you do it?” Spike asked feeling confused. He was happy to see his friend but did not understand what was happening.

“If you would have slept all through the night then I would have waited right here, all night long. And as for the reason why? It is because that is how important you are to me Spike. There is something that I need to talk to you about. Something that just concerns us. And I simply could not carry on another second of my life until we've had this talk.” Her chin was held high and she gave the impression that she was being proud as if standing up for something. In reality though it was because Rarity did not want Spike to know that if she looked him in the eye right now that it would shatter her and she did not want to cry in front of him.

“Oh wow Rarity. Then, I'm here. I promise, you have my full attention. What is so important that you would do this?” Spike stood up to look at her face to face as she continued to sit next to his small bed.

“Spike, I want to talk to you about your feelings for me. About the crush that you have had on me for the last several years.” Suddenly his eyes went wide and he started to stammer nervously but Rarity had expected this and was quick to cover his mouth with her hoof. “Spike please, it is critically important that you hear me out. Whatever happens, what I am about to say is going to change the nature of our friendship from this point on. And after I am finished it will be you who decides if it is for the better or if you need to tell me that I have made a terrible mistake.” Spike nodded understanding now that whatever was going on was bigger than just his secrets.

“Tell me honestly Spike, how do you feel about me? This is the time to come clean, don't hold anything back. I'm not asking you for praise, I am asking how my friend really feels about me. Is it just fun to flirt with me? Or do you honestly have deeper feelings than that?”

Spike thought for a moment. He didn't know why he was being asked but he wanted to be truthful and thorough. “Okay, well… How I feel about you Rarity is that I think you are beautiful inside and out. When I first met you, I thought you were the most lovely creature in all of Equestria. Then as I got to know you, I found out that you are stylish and generous and brave enough to stand up for your friends. You are super smart to have put together all of those boutiques like that. And everything you do, you do it with your own sense of style. Just like your Rules of Rarity for your clothing lines. But it's not just with clothes. Everything you do is with that same level of care, whether it's friendship, traveling or just relaxing. It's actually something that I really respect about you.”

Spike paused for a moment now. He was really trying to do his best to answer this question and Rarity gave him the time he needed to work through it. “I really care about you a lot. I mean, there Are other ponies who are important to me too. There is Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence... All of the ponies in the Crystal Empire think I'm important and that feels pretty good. But it's not the same. Twilight is family to me Rarity, I'm sure that you can understand. But next to her, you are like my second favorite pony. You're special, because you're you.” He thought for a moment to make sure he didn't leave anything out. “I really like it when you kiss my cheek. And it isn't because I'm crazy about being kissed or anything. It's because it's coming from you. I think-" But suddenly Spike was silenced by Rarity's hoof once more.

He had been concentrating so hard on answering the question that he hadn't been looking up to see her reaction. Rarity's face was streaming tears down her cheeks as she started speaking. “What is wrong with me?” She asked herself outloud, with almost contempt in her voice. “Why did I never listen to you? Why has it taken me so long?” Her eyes were full of dismay as she stared at the dragon who had just poured his heart out to her.

“Rarity, what's wrong? Was it something I said that upset you?” Spike's worried little voice asked as he reach out for her.

Rarity realized that she had been talking to herself instead of answering him and she shook her head to steady herself. “No, Spike. What you said was beautiful. I've never been happier to be told anything in my life.”

Spike looked to her a little seriously now, getting frustrated by not knowing what was upsetting her so. “Rarity what is going on?!”

Closing her eyes she took in a deep breath. After steadying her voice she looked the dragon in the eyes before saying to him, “Spike darling, earlier today it came to my attention that while looking through my windows at the boutique you may have seen ‘something’ that was not meant for you to see.” Spike looked discouraged as he remembered the sight of Rarity kissing that dark stallion. But Rarity lifted his face back to look at her again. “Spike listen to me. Right now, what I should be doing is telling you how upset it makes me that you would spy through my curtains like that, regardless of if you had good intentions or not. But, I'm not going to because it's already passed and what you saw, whatever that may be, it is more important to make sure you understand what was truly happening.”

Now it was Spike's turn to take a deep breath. “It's ok Rarity. Go ahead, you can tell me anything.” He was trying to be strong while preparing himself to hear how she felt about the new pony.

“Spike, that stallion who was in the boutique with me is what's called a pleasure pony. Their special talent is bringing out in each pony whatever it is that makes them the happiest. I don't mean like a cutie mark, more like, oh well that's not really what's important right now. His name is Rayne and today he helped me discovered something important about myself. I… I think I might be in love… or at least I might be heading that way. I'm not sure yet because this is new for me… but I am open to finding out.” She spoke hopefully, looking to see if Spike understood.

“In-in-in-in love?!” Spike stammered out as Rarity nodded. His voice seemed to be caught in his throat for a moment, trying to process this new information. “Oh, I see.” Rarity was stunned when that was all that he had to say. “Well… then I am very happy for you.” He said sorrowfully.

Even when the little dragon turned away from her, she did not let that discourage her. “Ah yes well, that is such a nice thing for you to say. And you really should be happy for me. I mean, after Rayne went through all that trouble to show me what a fool I was being and help me realizing my true feelings for who it is that I might be falling for.” She grinned with a cheeky smile and waited.

Spike was running a claw around in circles on his bed sadly until it hit him. “Wait, for who it is?” He asked quickly after turning back around to her.

“Aww hehe, there it is.” Rarity thought to herself happily.

Spike looked to her wide eyed and asked, “Bu-but I thought you were saying that it was Rayne that you are falling for! I saw you two kissing!” He blurted out.

“Ohh, so that's what he saw. Oh well, it could have been worse.” She thought. Reaching out with a hoof Rarity tenderly said to Spike, “Now I never actually said it was Rayne, did I? And yes I admit that I kissed him. But I was so happy when he helped me see where my heart truly lies that I wanted to thank him. What you saw was me just overdoing it a little. I hope that one day you can forgive me.”

Now the anticipation was making the young dragon excitable as he shouted out, “Then if it isn't that stallion from today that you are falling for, then who?!”

Rarity blushed and batted her eyelashes a bit. “Why Spike, why do YOU think that I asked if YOU could forgive me?”

Spike lifted a claw to his chin and thought for a moment. Rarity giggled and tickled his side for a moment. Then as he looked up to her his jaw dropped and his eyes spread so wide they were almost entirely just his pupils. “Wait a minute! Are you saying...?!”

Rarity nodded and softly said, “It's you Spike… I have feelings for you.”

Spike's little heart swelled in his chest so much that it bent his scales for a moment. “Habiba, bu- bu- WHAT?!” He screamed being unable to believe his ears.

“It's true Spike.” She said reassuring him. “I'm not under any spell, I haven't been reading any ancient books, I haven't drunken any magic potions…”

“But why now? Why all of a sudden?” Spike asked.

“Well that is why I was so grateful to Rayne. It's actually all thanks to him. He helped me see in you, what you have seen in me all along. What, I hadn't been listening to all this time… oh Spike, I finally feel the same way about you but all I can think about now is how long I ignored you for. I wouldn't blame you if you told me that it was too late after how poorly I treated you!” Rarity had tried as hard as she could to be brave through this but she finally reached her breaking point as she started sobbing beside Spike's little bed. It wasn't until she realized that there was a small purple claw on her hoof that she managed to stop crying. “S-Spike?” She sobbed while looking at him.

“It's okay.” He said softly. It took her a moment but she realized that Spike was smiling. “It's not too late. I would have waited forever if it was for you Rarity. I love you, just as much as I always have.”

Upon hearing Spike actually say the words she felt like her own heart just exploded. Everything just felt right to Rarity as the words left her lips all on their own. “I love you… too Spike.” And then she leaned forward and kissed him. It wasn't on his cheek and it wasn't just a peck. Rarity closed her eyes and leaned into the lips of the dragon that had stealing her heart. Spike was so shocked that he jumped but his lips never parted from hers. Then as soon as he came back down they both put their arms around each other. As they shared their first real kiss in true love's embrace something truly magical happened. There was an explosion of magic and Rarity suddenly had a vision.

She was floating in an empty space. Then a light shined in front of her. In the light was Spike but not the small juvenile that she had just been speaking to. It was him fully grown up as an adult. It was the dragon that had torn through Ponyville and abducted her up a mountainside. It was the dragon that she had screamed at and called a beast, as she remembered. Now here it was before her again. It suddenly leaned right down and stared at her with its giant fangs in front of her face. However, now she looked at the dragon very differently and could only think of one thing. “Oh Spike… look at you. You're so big and strong. What a healthy looking dragon you were meant to be. You gave all of this up for me and you don't even know it. My Spike….” she said lovingly as she kissed the giant beast on the front of his fang.” Just as she did, a purple swell of magic surrounded them both.

Then Rarity could see herself back in the castle still kissing the smaller Spike but the purple magic had filled the room. It was like a mist that encircled them with dazzling light. As their kiss finally broke, the magic shot off like a shockwave in every direction spanning far outside from the walls of Spike's room. “What… was that?” Rarity asked in wonderment.

“I dunno but can we do it again?” Spike said dreamily as the love drunk little dragon collapsed into her arms.

“Oh, my Spike.” Rarity chuckled adoringly as she let him lay down between her hooves and she leaned down kissing his lips again.

- Some Smooching Later -

“Spike, I have to leave for a little bit.” She said smiling down at him while caressing the frills on his head.

Quickly the little dragon stood up saying, “No, how come? I only just woke up! We only just found out we both-"

“Don't worry Spike!” Rarity said, giggling as she saw how her lipstick was smeared all over him. “Trust me, I don't want to be away from you for a minute. You're my special somepony now.” Upon hearing Rarity call him that Spike seemed to faint all over again. “Hehe oh come on you, listen to me. There is something that I need to do. It's very important otherwise I wouldn't even be bringing it up. It shouldn't take me longer than an hour and then I will be right back.” She then started walking towards the door.

“Um Rarity, are you okay?” Spike asked seeing her back legs wobbling followed by her collapsing to the floor.

“Oh my, um, it appears that I was so concerned about you Spike that I forgot to pay any mind to myself. I haven't stretched my legs since I got here and… uuh, oh my, I haven't eaten a thing since... well since yesterday. Is there any chance that my Spikey Wikey could make me a salad while I'm out?” She asked pleadingly as she stretched to regain circulation in her legs.

- Meanwhile at the Castle Front Doors -

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA WAS THAT?!” Twilight screamed as she bolted into her castle. She flapped her wings as hard as she could while soaring down her hallway. “I'm here! I'm sorry, I went to the Castle of the Two Sisters to read up about ancient ponies and-... and there's nopony here.” She said as she looked over map room seeing all of the seats empty. “Starlight?! Spike?!.... Rarity?” She asked, just in case. After not getting a response she flew down to her seat and looked over the map urgently scanning for any signs of trouble. “What WAS that blast of magic?! I'm sure it came from my castle! Oh! Why does something interesting and magical have to happen right in my own home when I'm not even here?!”

Then something suddenly grabbed Twilight around her ankle and a guttural groaning voice called out from behind her. “TWWIIIILIGGGHHHT!!!”

Instantly the alicorn's blood ran ice cold as she froze, terrified. Slowly her head turned to look down and she saw a ragged looking pony with a scrunched up face. “AAH- wait, Starlight?! OH MY GOODNESS, ARE YOU OKAY?!” Twilight screamed, pulling her hoof free and then leaning down to check on her friend. “You look awful! What happened to you?!”

Starlight curled around her stomach in pain. “It hurts… it hurts so bad! He-help me!”

“I want to Starlight but you need to tell me what's wrong first? Did somepony hurt you?! Are you sick? Here, let me check for a fever!” She said as she immediately began looking Starlight over. “No, that's not it. Are your pupils dilated? Hmm, those seem fine. Check your tongue for spots? No spots but why are there rainbow colors in your teeth? Wait a minute… stomach ache, colored teeth, and EW your breath smells like you dipped licorice into syrup and then baked a cake out of it! YOU WERE OVERDOING IT ON SWEETS AGAIN!”

“Uuuuhhhhh saaaavvvve meeeeee!” Starlight groaned as her stomach cramped again.

Twilight just raised an eyebrow judgingly. But then she teleported a small vial from the medicine cabinet to her hoof. “You know,” Twilight began, “I should really just let you suffer so that you learn your lesson this time.”

“It… wasn't… like that!” She groaned out. Eventually Twilight gave her the vial which Starlight drank from vigorously. “Ugh, uh, phew, ugh. Thank you! I feel better already. And I was trying to say that it wasn't like that. I was on a date! Or at least I think I was?”

Ten minutes later the two of them were sitting together and Starlight had laid out the whole afternoon to her friend. “Yup, and that's what happened. The jokes were funnier when I was drunk on a sugar rush, hehe.”

“Wow, and Rayne never tried to make a pass at sleeping with you?” Twilight asked but Starlight just shook her head.

“He was interested, I could tell he’d like to. But he turned down the chance, even when he had the opportunity to get close to me when we were alone. He instead decided to really get to know me for me which made me feel pretty good. And he spent real quality time with me just making me laugh.” Starlight took a moment still feeling a little queasy but continued, “He told me right off the bat that he was a pleasure pony instead of hiding it from me. He was a perfect gentlepony. Rayne… he made me really happy.” Twilight was smiling at the news and was about to respond when a new voice spoke out.

“Oh so you've met Rayne too Starlight?” Both of the mares at the map table looked over to see a third stepping out of a hallway.

“Oh, Rarity! You are here after all!” Twilight chimed in. “Uh, where were you? I called when I got in but nopony answered.”

Rarity raised a hoof to her chest. “Oh my, I'm so sorry Twilight. I assure you that we didn't hear you or else I definitely would have answered.”

“We?” Starlight asked curiously.

“Oh why yes. I was in Spikes room… uh, with Spike, of course.” Both Twilight and Starlight could not help but be surprised even though they both were already aware of the story about Rayne earlier in the day. Rarity pepped right up though, remembering that she had an important task that she needed to complete. “That reminds me, I am in an awfully big hurry. I need to return to my shop here in Ponyville to… complete a project that is of dire importance and then I will be heading right back here once it's finished. I shouldn't be long, say an hour or so? But could one of you two be a dear and teleport me back to my boutique to help save me some time?” She then gave an overstretched smile as she awaited an answer.

Twilight frowned as if she had something concerning that she wanted to say. But seeing this, Starlight Glimmer stepped over to Rarity saying, “I'd be happy to help. But in exchange, I'd like to come with you. I have a few things I'd like to talk to you about, mare to mare, about everypony's new friend in Ponyville. And I can even give you a teleport back when you're done. Sound like a good deal?”

“Oh why yes, that sounds extraordinary darling. Alrighty then, there isn't a moment to lose.”

Starlight looked over her shoulder at Twilight. “It was nice talking to you Twilight. I'll see you later.” Then without another word both her and Rarity were gone.

Twilight was left alone in the empty room as realization set in with her. “Hey wait a minute! I never got to scold you properly about making yourself sick on the sweets! Oooh when Starlight gets back here in an hour with Rarity then she's going to get it!” She mumbled to herself as she started walking towards her own room.

Author's Notes:

Yay! Love! Spike and Rarity! Hurray! Lol don't worry, the chapter might be over but the night for them isn't. Rarity is off to complete a crucially important task and then she will be back before the night is out. And yes I'm sure you have questions about that magical blast. I assure you that it isn't normal magic and it will be super important to the story. But you have to keep reading to find out how!

Thank you for sticking along with my story so far!