Day One

It was a beautiful morning as the smell of breakfast wafted under the crack of Rarity's bedroom door. As the birds chirped, the bright sunlight was dancing on the floor through the windows. The smell extended itself to her nose as she lay reposed on a bed of pure silk and bliss.

"Ugh! Sweetie Belle, what is that awful smell?" Rarity took an involuntary sniff. "It smells simply awful in here!"

"It's your breakfast!", said Sweetie Belle cheerfully as she poured her sister some slightly burnt orange juice into a very burnt glass. Rarity tiredly walked into the kitchen, and grimaced.

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry at the moment Sweetie Belle." said Rarity as she looked around, cringing slightly at the assortment of off color and misshapen food scattered across the table. "Besides I need to get ready for the games. I'm meeting the others shortly".

Rarity wandered back upstairs and looked at her vast wardrobe wondering what to wear.

Sweetie Belle wandered up the stairs behind Rarity. "But the games aren't for hours!"

"Well some of us would like to look their very best at the Equestria Games" said Rarity, sighing as though it were obvious. "Oh my, I guess I'm going to have to go through my whole wardrobe". She started trying everything on, checking herself in the mirror for each outfit.

I simply must find something to wear. I do have an appearance to keep up.

Rarity left the shop a few hours later and made her way to the train station.

I hope the ride isn't too long.

She almost regretted staying to try on every outfit the second time, since now she couldn't ride with her friends. Rarity just sat down and sighed, staring out the window patiently.

Some hours later, her train came to a stop and she walked out onto the platform. She was a little annoyed that none of her friends were there.

Dashie must have told them to hurry up.

She hoped that at least they had waited outside the gate for her. She made her way to the large gathering of tents and booths, and was relieved to see her friends waiting for her at the large erected gate outside the Games. Rainbow Dash was on edge about something, but for the most part the group looked normal, if slightly bored.

"Sorry about my delay, everyone, but I simply had to look my best for the Equestria games," proclaimed Rarity.

"Where were you? We'll be lucky if the games aren't over!" Rainbow Dash said, shooting a look at Rarity before zooming towards the arena.

"Well, I never," said Rarity holding her nose up high. She turned to the others. "I wasn't that long was I?" Fluttershy, Applejack, and Twilight all looked away, sheepishly. Rarity started to feel guilty.

Was I too long?

"You took just the right amount of time to look your best, Rarity." said Spike, jumping up to look her in the eye.

"Really I though she wasn't even going to show u-mmmph!" said Pinkie Pie before Spike slapped his claws over her mouth. "Just enough time," he repeated.

Pinkie squirmed away from Spike and said "We were all really bored while -"

"Hey, Pinkie is that cotton candy?" said Spike pointing towards the venders.

"Where?" said Pinkie jumping up and shot towards the direction Spike indicated. Rarity watched this play out, smiling all the while thinking to herself how lucky she was to have a friend like Spike. He always had her best interests at heart and was always looking out for her. Whether it was saving her from ferocious dogs to holding her pins, Spike was always ready to lend a hoof, or claw as the case may be.

"Thank you Spike, I love Pinkie Pie, the dear, but she has a way of being a bit eccentric," said Rarity trying to show Spike some sort of commemoration for his kindness.

"Yeah," said Spike. Rarity beamed at Spike, though he seemed not to notice.

Oh, well, at least I said thank you.

"Lets get a'goin, everypony," said Applejack. "We don't want Rainbow to blame us for ruining her day." Rarity snapped out of her daze at once.

The ponies and dragon all followed Rainbow Dash into the Arena. Rarity immediately started busying herself with the souvenirs. She was accompanied by Spike and Twilight, who were also looking for a good souvenir.

I really should get Spike something nice.

"Oh, Spike!", said Rarity, "Would you like a souvenir?"

"Oh, sure thanks!" said Spike and picked up a key chain. Rarity immediately seized the opportunity and purchased it for him. She did wish he had picked a more expensive souvenir; it would have pleased him more.

Why am I trying so hard to please Spike?

It's simply because I'm grateful. That must be it. For him sparing my feelings.

Yeah.

But a strange feeling crept on her. It was a feeling she was sure she had felt, or at least thought she'd felt before. She almost figured it out, when she heard the horn blow, which was the signal to start the events. The girls and Spike all got back together and headed toward the arena. As they approached, Rarity decided that she would sit in the middle to minimize stepped on hooves and stains on her lovely dress. To her surprise Spike dashed forward and leaped onto the seat next to her. Rarity, confused, sat down slowly and uneasily. She wondered what in the world Spike was playing at. Rarity had always thought that he'd had feelings for Sweetie Belle. She had remembered when they had been falling to their death that he had said that he had a crush. But she had assumed it was for Sweetie Belle. It would explain all the silly reasons he made up to visit her shop.

She had also assumed that with his dying breath, he was going to ask for her blessing. She thought that as they were going to die anyway she may as well give him what he wanted. She stopped him and gave a very wet, understanding look and smiled. Therefore she was shocked to see that Spike was so eager to sit by her with no Sweetie Belle to impress. She tried to calm down.

He wants to warm up to me is all. He wants me to like him so that I'll be okay with him going out with Sweetie Belle.

But I already gave him my blessing! What more does he want?.

She immediately felt ashamed and disgusted with herself. Spike was only trying to be nice to her. Why was she so mad at him all of a sudden? Spike broke her train of thought by turning to her and asking, "Would you like some lemonade?"

Before Rarity could respond, Pinkie turned to Spike and said "Yeah Spike that would be great!" Pinkie then quickly turned to the others and yelled,"HEY GIRLS, SPIKE IS BUYING EVERYONE LEMONADE!"

"Oh, actually I was only going to buy one for Rarity," said Spike. He quickly added, "Because she was closest and I only have eight bits." Everyone was staring at him. Finally Rarity said, "That's okay Spike, you can give it to Pinkie. I need to use the little fillies' room anyway."

"Okay." Spike sighed as he got up to make room for her to pass. Just for a second her coat touched his scales as she passed by. Rarity gasped, and quickly pulled away. "Sorry, Spike."

Rarity had to get away. She was so unsettled that she didn't even notice what Pinkie Pie and the others were doing. When she got to the bathroom, Rarity looked in the mirror. She looked pale, as though she had run several miles. She tried to pull herself together and regain some of her dignity and poise. She soon stopped as she realized how shallow she seemed. She was simply unnerved at what had just unfolded.

Why didn't he give the lemonade to Twilight?

She was like a sister to him after all. Or what about Pinkie Pie? She was also next to Spike and would have been the first pony Spike saw. Then another question came to her. Why hadn't he just gotten the lemonade for himself? Sure, Spike was generous, but he was still a long way from maturity like that. He had proven more than once that he didn't understand what he dubbed "girly stuff", and that he wanted nothing to do with it, whatever "it" was. She was still confused with the fuss he had made trying to explain himself. He had gotten red and flustered worse than ever and had spoken quickly and awkwardly. But, once again, the question loomed up in Rarity's mind.

Why me?

Then a nasty suspicion crept into Rarity's head. Maybe Spike was just buttering her up so he could use her to get to Sweetie Belle!

Oh of all the nerve!

He doesn't give a flying hoof about me.

She glared at herself in the mirror, and then turned to storm out of the bathroom.

Wait a minute, what am I thinking?

She turned to the mirror and pulled out her comb and brush.

15 minutes later

Rarity beautifully stormed out of the bathroom and sat as far away from Spike as possible.

Look at him. Just look at him. Ugh!

She spent the rest of the day ignoring Spike and seething so that she wouldn't have to speak to him, thankful for a change of Pinkie Pie's wild enthusiasm. She left as soon as could, not even thinking to say goodbye to her friends.

As she waited for the train to take her home, Twilight walked up to her. "How are you doing?"

"NOTHING!" , said Rarity, before she came back down to Equestria and realized who she was talking to. "Oh, Twilight, you startled me. What was it?"

Twilight cocked her head. "Just wanted to know how you're doing."

"Oh I'm perfectly fine, thank you Twilight" said Rarity.

"Okay" said Twilight unsurely. She looked at her friend with some concern. Rarity looked fine enough, but there was something wrong. Something around her eyes. Almost like she-

"The train's here!" , said Rarity, relieved. The train had slid in silently behind them as they had had their very small conversation. She got on the train and sat down next to the first pony she saw. The rest of the ride home, Twilight tried to make eye contact with Rarity to try and see what was wrong, but Rarity looked everywhere but at Twilight. Rarity, of course, felt bad about being so rude to her friend, but she also felt that she couldn't share what was happening with Twilight.

Not yet.

I'll tell her later while Spike is being carried to a doctor.

When the train finally pulled to a stop, Rarity leaped off and gave her friends a hasty goodbye and turned to leave. But Twilight, who had just about enough, jumped in front of Rarity and looked her in the eye. "Rarity, are you sure you're okay? You certainly aren't acting the same way you usually do."

"Never mind, Twilight." , said Rarity forcefully and sidestepped Twilight.

She galloped all the way home and never looked back. Twilight watched her friend as she went off into the distance.

She's acting even crazier than Spike.

Twilight thought about this as she remembered Spike's ridiculous story as to why he had to stay behind. Something about combing his mane.