On the other side of Canterlot, a short stack dragon arrived at one of the many boutiques of his favorite mare. He could almost sense that she was there from the specific fragrances to the amount of rush moving back and forth through the front door. "Only Rarity could move customers out with such efficiency," he remarked as despite the long length of the line, it was clearing up quite fast.

He waited patiently in line until he reached the front. Taking this moment, he checked his breath, cleaned his frills and filed his claws. When it was his turn, he walked inside and was greeted by the two mares working the front desk. "Rarity is upstairs, Spike!" They cheered upon his arrival as it meant their workload would be greatly decreased.

"I'll take it from here, ladies!" He winked at them and took the elevator to the fourth floor. Rarity was working on thousands of new dresses at once, but her closest eye was on a shining black dress with a dark blue trim. He slowly approached from behind her as she was so deep into her work. She was measuring and marking fabric and had not noticed the little dragon until his massive bouquet of flowers was presented to her nose.

The white unicorn mare came to attention at the sweet smell shewing away the stinky sweat of her workspace. "Oh, Spikey, they're lovely." Rarity stopped for a moment and took them from him and enjoyed the scent more. "Purple roses, what is the occasion?"

"Does there need to be one?" He laughed at her reaction. "I felt like being bold after a conversation I had with Twilight earlier today."

"That's odd, I haven't seen her since the dance last night." Rarity commented as she put the flowers down on her work table. "Is she still teaching her classes of friendship in the morning?"

"It's the late afternoon actually right now." Spike grimaced. "Her classes ended hours ago."

"What?!" Rarity blinked twice and dropped her stuff to rush to the window. "Oh, my word. Is it really almost evening?" She looked at the sky and the sun was already making its way downwards.

"Yeah..." Spike took this moment to admire her work closer. Rarity was always the best of her career when compared to the other five. Thinking back to Twilight's words only made this sight sting all the harder.

"At this rate, I won't make it in time for the party!" Her eyes remarked at the line and then to the lights flying overhead.

"Yeah, we won't make it..." He tried not to sound like he was correcting her, but rather clearing up that he was going to stay. "I figured you'd be too busy, so as always I'm here to help you finish the work," Spike told her as he picked up a couple of the fallen dresses.

Rarity caught his words and smiled. "Spikey Wikey..." She rushed over and took the dress from his hands and placed them back on the desk. "As much as I would adore the help, these dresses are expensive and extremely important for today." She couldn't help but pull out the black dress with the dark blue trim. Her fashionista side wanted to show it off as soon as possible, so she swung around with it before placing it on a hook. "A private client has asked for the piece."

"Really?" Spike looked around. "Can you give me a hint as to whom?" He laughed at her shy face and lack of an answer. "At least tell me where she is so I can 'accidentally' find out." He gestured with his finger.

"Spikey!" Rarity blushed at his attempt. "She's in the dressing room right now-" She covered her mouth at that answer.

"Oh!" Spike blushed back and took a step back behind the desk. "Sorry, I didn't... mean... No, I wouldn't dare sneak a peak on a mare while she's..." The short dragon found himself slipping on his words and his feet, falling to the ground.

His actions made Rarity laugh. She stepped forward and let loose more details. It didn't help that Spike could always bring out her gossiping side so easily. "If you must know she is somepony extremely special to Applejack." The mare reached out and helped him up.

"Really?!" Spike was shocked by her answer. "As an a very special somepony."

"Oh, Spikey!" Rarity laughed at her word choice. "You are not a child anymore. Don't say it like that."

"But, you said it that..." He winked at her. "So Applejack has a marefriend..." His eyes leered over to the direction of the dressroom which was on the other side of the wall. The top floor was quite large with a giant room for Rarity's work, a tall safe room to the right of her. Beyond her near the window was a turn leading to more clothes where the dressing room was.

"Not exactly yet." Rarity blushed bright at the idea of whom was in the dressing room. "From what I've heard, neither one are ready to be open and public about their relationship." She stopped at the sight of a key on a sliver lace. "Applejack's family's very old fashion and the other mare is apparently quite the celebrity."

"Sounds incredible!" Spike followed her actions carefully. He heard every word of his favorite mare as always, but hearing her talk about romance between two ponies only made his heart skip faster. "She's luckily to have somepony at all." He didn't mean for his words to sound so cold, but Rarity caught on.

"First, Celestia has Discord. Apparently, Luna left with a date after last night's dance. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash have been drawing closer again. Pinkie Pie have those two fine studs following her every step. A guard has been eyeing Twilight." Her hands gestured out as if each of them were right beside her. She jumped up and grabbed Spike by the hand and spun him around.

"All the six have somepony to love..." His eyes dropped as his words moved faster than his mouth. "All of you... except me."

Rarity froze in the embrace and took the short dragon's head into her hands. She slowly wrapped her arms around his chin "Oh, Spike, that's not true!" The fashionista tried to be strong, but her voice was breaking. "You'll find somepony to love and adore..." Her eyes leered away.

Spike grumbled and grimaced back to Twilight's words. His eyes lifted to the flowers he gave her and spot the several other older flower vases that he had gave her, days, months and even years ago. "What if I don't need to find somepony else..."

"What do you mean?!" Rarity reached out to him. "Spikey..."

"You!" He winced and finally blunted it out. "I don't need somepony else... when I have... you."

Rarity blinked twice at him and froze, unable to say a single word. The moment was completely out of nowhere, yet it was something she expected to happened eventually. His crush on her was never a secret, rather an unspoken note between the two. They both knew it was there, but neither never acted on the revolving tension. Instead, they were normally content with each other's company.

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She considered many times when this all started to just straight reject the notion. Letting him down easy seemed like the best option when he was just a baby dragon. However, now he was an adult, at the edge of entering adulthood, but still no longer a child. Rarity tried not to see it recently, but he was growing in a rather attractive and strong dragon. His loyalty, intelligence and charm was a combination of what she loved in any stallion. Why not let him have a chance, ever so small?

"Rarity, I..." Spike tried not to sound nervous, but the fear was rising in his voice. "I know... that I'm not perfect and a dragon and all..." His words trailed off, these thoughts became harder and harder to express as she kept so silent. He was unsure if he left the mare dumbfounded or worst, horrified.

"Spike." Rarity's lips parted, her mouth was dry. She answered with his normal name, no nicknaming of any kind, implying a heavy sense of importance in her next actions. Her eyes drifted away as she tried to speak clearly. "I am very flattered by your words..." The white unicorn's mind was racing, her heart was pounding, yet she was able to keep her composure. "They strike right through my heart with such cold and callus honesty that would make Applejack proud." So many words were stated purely to push the subject on as her brain was still a thousand steps behind her words.

Panic began to crack at her perfect opulence shine as more words traced out in a fruitless effort to stall for time. She didn't want to seem frozen in thoughts and leaving him guessing the worst outcome. Yet the more she used colorful ways of complementing a random line he just blurted out, the obvious it became that he was doubting her word. Spike tried to read her mind, but could not. Instead he was forced to listen to her beautiful voice as her mind tried to figure out how to say the right answer. Was no correct? Could she cave just once and let him try? Would it end in total failure and ruin their incredible friendship? Could it blossom into something more? Her eyes grew larger and a smile curled on her face as her imagination took over. It became harder and harder to think straightforward. Spike used to just stand there and crush on her lovely form from a distance.

Her fantasies of princes, knights and dragons took her. The idea of being taken away from all the struggles of her life and taken into a wonderful world of romance, love and marriage. The unicorn mare closed her eyes and caved into the emotions, letting them draw her wherever her heart truly desired. Just like with Applejack and Coloratura. They found a way to express their feelings, why couldn't she. Spike had became bold enough to proclaim his love for her in a small bit of word. Why continue to leave him waiting? Break his heart or sweeping him up in her arms?

Spike was still unsure if his words had caused a reaction of good or bad, but seeing her smiling grow more positive as her eyes closed and her voice stopped, made him blush. His mind raced and body tensed up, not knowing if he should move or wait for her. His legs were trembling and his body was hotter than his fire breathing.

Rarity let go of all barriers and caved to her emotions. Whether this ended in sweet bliss of bitter tears. Only her actions would decide, not her thoughts. The moment had come for the fashionista, no, the lovely mare of Spike's dreams to finally pass fate over him.

The dragon could feel her soft hand reach his cheek and lift his head up. This touch made him freeze and his mind was going to explode. He could no longer contain his desires and let his body move. Unsure if she was pushing him back or pulling him close. None of that matter as their world slowed to a screeching halt.

And then it happened without warning. A quick moment of bliss, tender lips touching for only a second. The building shook violently. The two were ripped apart from each other in an instant as magical pulse void of all color torrent into the room. The windows exploded, screams of horror echoed outside and the two were lifted into the air. The crackling of power rip apart the building and shattered the wall into pieces.

Everything stopped and went black.