Author's Note: I just had to get this idea out when it came to me even though school is going to start soon and I already have another fanfic going on. This is probably an idea that may have already been used but I'm not sure since I haven't actually read any Sparity fan fics yet so here we go.
They returned to regular old life as if the whole incident never happened. As if they never nearly fell to their deaths. As if Spike didn't almost confess to her as they plummeted. As if Rarity didn't put her hoof to his mouth with an expression that told him that she understood what he wanted to say.
And she never wore his fire ruby again.
"Why are you pouting Spike? Is something wrong?" Twilight asks the little dragon sitting on the dining table, staring at his bowl of jewels. It was a rare moment when Spike didn't immediately devour any jewels that fell under his eyes.
It had been well over a week since the rampage incident where Spike turned into a greedy giant dragon and started stealing and hoarding all the things he could get his claws on. Spike had been feeling uncharacteristically depressed since the incident and so Twilight had gone out with Rarity to find some of his favourite jewels to present to him for dinner.
Instead of crying out in joy and the devouring the treat as Twilight had expected, Spike sat on the chair with his arms crossed, his lips downturned unhappily as he stared at the bowl overflowing with sapphires, rubies and emeralds.
"Thanks Twilight," he finally says as his expression loosens. "But I'm not really hungry today."
He pushes the bowl away and walks away but not before Twilight hears the loud grumbling of his stomach.
Spike stops mid step and Twilight smirks.
"Spike sit and eat something," she says.
Spike sighs and walks back to the wooden chair and plops down. He sticks his claw into the bowl causing clinks as jewels spill over the brim. He pulls out a lovely sapphire jewel and throws it into his mouth. A satisfying crunching sound is released as he chomps down vigorously.
"...so?" Twilight raises a brow. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
Spike stares at a ruby before placing it down onto the table.
"I really could have hurt somepony when I lost control last week," he finally admits. He hangs his head in shame. "I could have really hurt Rarity."
"Oh Spike," Twilight sadly places her hoof onto his shoulder. She knew that the incident had something to do with his strange behaviour. The crush he had on one of her best pony friends only amplified the pain and guilt he had been feeling as well.
"You were able to gain control again Spike," Twilight comforts him. "Doesn't that mean something?"
"I guess," Spike sulks. "But Twilight, what if it happens again?"
"Then we'll just have to remind you who you really are again too," Twilight smiles. Spike smiles back. She wraps a fore leg around him and they hug.
"Now, finish that bowl of jewels and let's get working on tonight's assignment from Celestia!" Twilight exclaims as she breaks the hug and Spike nods.
"Yes ma'am," he lifts the bowl and dumps the contents into his awaiting mouth and in one gulp, he polishes them off. Licking his lips, he follows Twilight to help her in any task as her number one assistant.
A dream.
Falling.
Down.
Down.
Down.
Spike hurtles through the air, Rarity falling with him. She is screaming but Spike utters not a sound for he is used to this scene. It has been plaguing him every night since the incident. As real as this felt, he had stopped screaming after the second night when he had realized that they would never make it to the ground. This was an eternal fall.
Every night he relived the nightmare where his own selfishness nearly killed the pony he loved. Every night he saw the pure terror in her eyes as they plunged to their deaths. Every night, he would try to confess to her and end up being rejected one way or another.
"Oh Spikey Wikey, I love you too! As a friend of course."
"Spike... you're simply not my type darling."
"Oh Spike, you cannot think that I would love you after all this would you?"
"Spike, a dragon and a pony could never be together. Please stop this ridiculousness at once!"
The rejections grew crueler and colder every night, breaking Spike's heart over and over again. When Spike woke up, he would forget the contents of the dream but the feelings would remain. The dream would carry onto the next night and it was an endless cycle of remembering and forgetting.
Tonight's dream, however was different. Usually, it was Spike that initiates the conversation with a confession that would incite Rarity to reply but tonight, Rarity stopped screaming of her own accord and spoke to Spike.
"Spike," she says full of tender sadness. "Please stop torturing yourself like this darling."
Spike is speechless.
"But Rarity..." he starts, awkwardly trying to come up with the words in his mouth. "I think I deserve this."
"Oh Spike..." Rarity breathes and pulls him into an embrace. Spike momentarily tenses up in surprise before accepting the hug.
"If this is a dream," he thinks. "Let it never end..."
"I forgive you Spike," she whispers into his ear. Out of the corner of Spike's eye, he sees a dark figure swoop away.
He wakes up.
This dream was not forgotten as the others. Spike slowly pulls himself from his basket and stands, his heart aching.
He steps over to the window. It is night time and there is no indication of the sun about to rise any time soon.
"I want to see her," he whispers to himself. He holds his longings back and instead goes to light a candle. He can hear Twilight's deep and even breathes and so he creeps by silently, careful not to wake her.
Silently, guided by the candle light, he brushes right hand of claws on the spines of the books as he walks past.
"I wonder if any of these books have any love advice," he whispers to himself wistfully.
He would ask Twilight but he knew that she didn't really any experience in that kind of stuff. He had also long realized that Twilight never really took him seriously where Rarity was concerned. She brushed it off as puppy love and Spike honestly got really irritated at that.
Suddenly, one of his claws catches on a worn out cover title. He pulls it out just for sake of seeing what it is and when he reads the title, his tail twitches in interest.
"Wooing your Special Somepony," Spike whispers in awe. He quickly looks around to make sure that he's not being watched and almost shouts out in surprise to see two beady black eyes staring out in the darkness, catching glint of light from his candle.
"Who," an owl hoots from his perch, tilting his head.
"Oh, it's just you Owlowiscious," Spike sighs in relief, the tension leaving his body. He looks down at the book he holds in his hand and quickly hides it behind his back.
"Just, just looking for some night time reading," Spike stutters.
"Who?" Owlowiscious coos.
"Me," Spike replies a bit annoyed. "I wanted to read something."
"Who?"
"Gosh, get off my case Owlowiscious!" Spike throws up his arms and stomps over to his bed and sets up the candle next to his basket. He snuggles up under his covers and opens the book, resting it on his stomach.
"Stage One: Appearance."