Doublefun Date, Part one! [Spike]

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It was going to be a super-fun day! Doublefun! That was because Sweetie Belle had twice as many tickets for rides and games and soda and cake than the average foal. She'd signed up for the Hearts and Hooves Fun Fair, twice! Why twice? Why not twice! She had plenty of fun in her for two partners, she was sure! Maybe she'd even get a Cutie Mark in having fun! (though she was determined not to try for one. She wasn't sure what it would look like!) She was even dressed for the occasion, having put on a necklace of pink coral beads and a matching pink ribbon for her her tail. She might have gone for more decoration, but Rarity said it was smarter to keep it simple for events like fairs. Sweetie Belle bounced up and down, trying to see over the heads of other foals coming to the fair. Her first partner was Spike, which surprised her. It was true he was considered a baby dragon, but she knew... heck, everypony knew, that Spike had a crush on Rarity. It made him seem older, somehow. The way Twilight Sparkle relied on him to run errands and take care of things also made him seem more responsible and mature. Well, that was just fine! There were plenty of mares in Rarity's books that dated older, richer stallions! She wouldn't mind being a heroine like them! Even if Spike really wasn't older! Maybe Spike would wear that jeweled bow-tie! Maybe he'd bring her flowers or chocolate or win her a prize at one of the game booths! With a little Sqwee! of excitement, the unicorn filly thought she spotted him- but no. that patch of purply-color was actually Dinky, who was also waiting for her partner. This was going to be so much fun! She couldn't wait for it to begin!

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To say Spike was nervous was something of an understatement. He was a bit hesitant to go on this Hearts and Hooves Fair...thing to begin with. Twilight at least was able to remind him that this was less about romance and more about having fun. That calmed him down some. But then he drew Sweetie Belle of all ponies. Now, Spike had no problem with Sweetie Belle at all. In fact, it was quite the opposite. When her and the other Crusaders weren't dragging him along in some hare-brained Cutie Mark scheme, he found her to be very nice. Enthusiastic, kind, sweet. They even danced together at the Royal Wedding once!

And that was the problem. Spike really didn't know how to feel about Sweetie. He still had his super secret crush on Rarity and had no plans on letting go of that. But nothing about him and Rarity was official, so there was nothing wrong with doing this with her sister, right? It wasn't a DATE date or anything ,right? It was just two friends hanging out! So, it was all okay, then?

Spike decided to keep it simple, since he had just about no idea what to do. He'd never been on a date before, so he figured the less he did, the less he'd mess up.
The dragon spotted the white unicorn easily enough, considering how much she was bouncing around. He approached her from behind, trying to think up how to introduce himself for the date. The closer he got, he the more he realized nothing was coming to mind. Spike sighed and figured he'd just go with whatever came to mind.

"Uhh...hi, Sweetie?" he said.

Smooth. As. Silk. Attaboy, Spike.

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Sweetie Belle was in mid-bounce when Spike hailed her, but she spun effortlessly, the full one hundred and eighty degrees, before she landed facing him. Her bright, eager grin faded just a trifle, just for an instant, to see he was neither dressed up, nor bearing any gifts for her. Geez, even she'd dressed up! Still, that was probably okay. Spike was cute even when he didn't dress up, and if he won her a prize or two at the games, those could be the gifts. She cheered up at the thought of that. A gift won with his own hooves... er, claws, would be more precious than something bought, or flowers that would fade, right? Spike might not have known exactly how to greet her, but Sweetie Belle didn't worry about the right approach when greeting him! "Hi, Spike!" she replied enthusiastically, pouncing upon the dragon to give him a quick hug in her affectionate way. "I was so glad to get your name," she confided, "Because you're always a lot of fun! I was surprised too, because I know that you like..." The little filly hesitated for a moment. "...more grown up stuff!" Good save! "Hope you don't mind spending the day with a little girl like me!" Now that was a stroke of genius. That last remark was taken right out of one of Rarity's favorite novels, spoken by the heroine. The stallion love interest was supposed to take a good look at her and remark that she was no longer quite such a little girl. Sweetie Belle adopted what she thought was her most grown up pose, one that especially showed off her pretty coral necklace, and waited for a complimentary reply!

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Spike's expression turned quizzical as Sweetie spun a full 180 in mid-air to turn and greet him. He would've asked her some question about trying for an acrobatics cutie mark...but knowing her, she'd have already given it a go. Plus, today wasn't about cutie marks, today was about fun and love and stuff like that!

The dragon nearly tumbled back as Sweetie pounced in for a hug, but the hug was quick enough for him to keep his balance. He'd also taken much more ferocious pouncing hugs from ponies much bigger than Sweetie before. Not saying who it was, but let's just say her named rhymed with Slinkie Sky. Spike made sure to at least reciprocate Sweetie's affection during the hug by hugging back. That was only polite.

Sweetie Belle seemed brimming with compliments for the young dragon. Spike was flattered, to say the least.

"Aww, jeez, Sweetie," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I can't be THAT fun. I spend most of my time in a library, that's like the opposite of fun! And I'm not that much more mature than you, anyways. You're plenty mature and I'd hardly call you little. Especially when you're dressed this fancy."

Spike meant what he was saying. He never considered himself to be more mature or above any foals. Least of all the CMC, since they have something a lot of fillies their age: purpose. They had their goal and they were gonna meet it.

"So, uhh...what do you wanna do first, Sweetie?"

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It Worked! She got compliments! Sort of! Close enough! Beaming like the sun, Sweetie Belle made a mental note. Romance Novels were instructive as well as fun to read! Okay, now what should they do first. What would a romance novel suggest? It was too early for the Tunnel of Love or the Ferris Wheel... did this fair even have a Tunnel of Love? But those things were supposed to happen at the end of the date. So that you'd have time for the climactic, romantic kiss! And, the unicorn filly reasoned, it was too early to play games, because when Spike won her a giant stuffed toy as a prize, she'd have to carry it around all day, and they were just getting started. So that left food, and the more active rides. And you definitely didn't want to eat before the more active rides! See? Logical! "Let's go on some rides! Lets go on the biggest roller coaster they've got here!" Sweetie Belle answered, enthusiastically! She pointed towards a huge raised track in the distance from which foal's screams could be heard, if faintly. The carts apparently were foal sized to get around the height restrictions, but the design of the track was definitely geared towards the strong of heart... and stomach!

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Spike couldn't tell whether he was doing a good job with this whole "date" thing or whether this was just Sweetie at her usual levels of Sweetie-ness. Maybe it was a bit of both, he realized. If you could keep Sweetie Belle at her good ol' cheery self, you were doing things right.

Sweetie had chosen to go ahead with rides first. Smart pick. AND she wanted to go on the big coasters, too? Gutsy! There was that old CMC reckless abandon and blind courage! Spike looked over at the coaster that waited in the horizon and his pupils narrowed in a bit of shock. That was a little...intimidating, he'd admit. But he had to be brave! Spike the Dragon was a lot of things; a bit of a grump, lazy and not exactly subtle...but a coward wasn't one of them!

"Well, alright then! Lets get going before the lines get any worse, 'kay?"

And with a grin, Spike set off toward the coaster, half expecting Sweetie to whip right past him.

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Sweetie Belle was tempted, to rush on ahead! Had she been coming to the fair with just Rarity or another adult, she would have run off and gone wild! raced here, there, and everywhere! Most of the time, there just wasn't enough time to get to try everything you wanted to do at a fair! But Dates were about doing things together! So she kept pace with Spike, every step of the way, Although she did suggest cutting between the cotton candy and hotdog vendors to get them there faster! The line for the biggest coaster wasn't too long at the moment, and the unicorn filly bounced into place with an expression of glee. Then she happened to catch sight of a clock. Oops! "Hold my place in line a sec!" she told Spike, "I left my ticket roll on a table by the entrance! I'll be right back!" and without giving him a second to reply, she dashed off at Sweetie-speed, opting to jump the fence around the carousel and run through the ride, rather than around!

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"Will do!" Spike said as Sweetie Belle rushed off to go grab her ticket roll. The young dragon was impressed by the air she got on that jump. He'd have to remember to suggest trying for a basketball cutie mark later. Sweetie'd probably have the sickest dunks.

As his date left to go grab her tickets, Spike leaned over and marked Sweetie Belle's spot in line by drawing an "x" in the dirt using his clawed toes. Now he played the waiting game. Spike had gotten over his little turmoil earlier. He'd resolved he was just gonna do his best to have a fun day with Sweetie. Didn't matter that it was Hearts And Hooves, today was about having a good time. And NOT having a good time with Sweetie Belle around felt like it was impossible.

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So it was time to wait. And wait. And wait some more. Spike would move closer and closer to the front of the line, and still there was no Sweetie Belle. At last, Just before it was his turn, Sweetie Belle could be seen coming back from a different direction, even faster than she'd been going when she left. She skidded to a stop right beside him, much to the mild disapproval of the other ponies waiting in line. "S-Sorry" She panted, grinning sheepishly, "Tried to take a shortcut... didn't work. At least I made it in time though, right?" the unicorn filly took a moment to straighten her coral necklace, which had gotten a bit turned around in her wild dash, and also to retie her ribbon, which was coming undone. When she had finished, it was time for them to get on the ride! Sweetie bounced joyfully up the steps and into the harness style seats. She liked rides like these best, where your legs got flung around a lot, to those where you sat inside a cart. It felt more like flying! Which made her wonder..."Does it ever bother you that you can't fly?" she asked Spike as she buckled herself in. It might have seemed like a malicious question if she hadn't added, innocently, "Sometimes it bothers me. I know Unicorns have magic and stuff, and Earth Ponies are really strong, but when I see a Pegasus zipping around in the sky, I wonder if its really a fair trade. It looks like so much fun. Roller Coasters are as close as we can get, I guess!" The filly finished, as she looked up and smiled.

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The young dragon waited as patiently for his "date" as he could. As minutes went by, he began to get a more nervous. This was gonna be real awkward if Sweetie didn't make it back in time. It'd probably already be awkward, considering she'd have to hop right back in line. Where'd she even go, he wondered?

Before too long, there was blur of white, pink and purple and Sweetie was right back beside him. Spike shrugged as the ponies behind them seemed they

"It's fine, yeah," Spike responded as they were let in. "No biggie."

Spike felt cautiously excited to get on board the ride. That unmistakeable mixed feeling of fear and excitement one had before doing something like riding a roller coaster. The looming revelation of 'oh crap, I'm gonna have to actually ride this thing, aren't I?' He was snapped out of it before he could he really come to regret it by Sweetie Belle asking a question he'd never really thought of.

"Well...I mean..." Spike said, hesitant and a bit confused. "I don't think I've actually thought about this a lot. With ponies, there are three kinds and we all know what each does. But I don't know a lot about other dragons, so I don't really get to look at them and say 'Why can't I do that?' I just gotta look at myself and say 'This is me, I don't gotta regret anything.' I can't really help anything about how I'm born. And, hey, who knows? Maybe I might grow wings!"

He left out the 'in a few hundred years' part of his last sentence. That wasn't as important. Spike gripped the harness keeping him strapped in anxiously.

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Sweetie Belle wasn't so sure wings worked like that. Baby pegasai were born with wings, baby birds and baby bats, too... they didn't 'grow them later.' But then again, those weren't dragons, now were they? "Wings or not, you'll still be as awesome as you are now. I see what you mean about not needing to worry about it!" Sweetie Belle assured him, completely confidently. Then, with the usual child-like tact, she added "But if you do get wings, I hope you'll take me flying sometime!" The white filly glanced at him a moment, and seeing the dragon looking the other way, she took a moment to make a few quick adjustments to the ribbon on her tail, fluffing the bow, even though she'd just retied it a moment ago. She only had a moment though, because with a clank and a whir, the coaster jolted into motion! As they slowly climbed the very first incline, Sweetie Belle kicked her feet happily and tried to look out over the fair, especially in the direction of the drop towers. "Are you ready?! She asked Spike rhetorically, as the ramp leveled out. "Heeeere we goooo~" The bottom seemed to drop out of the world! The coaster plummeted down and Sweetie Belle screamed with equal measures of fear and delight, clinging to her harness. A sharp bank right and up into a whirl of a loop! Sweetie Belle felt a sudden lightness, a sense of something missing, and caught a flash of her ribbon as it floated away on the wind! "Oh no!" she exclaimed, but the cry was so mixed up with screams and laughter, it was probably unintelligible!

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"...you'll still be as awesome as you are now."

Awesome. Spike had just about never heard that word used to describe him. At best, he got a "cute" or a "sweet" or a "lovely" if he was lucky. But AWESOME? Spike himself didn't even think he was awesome. But apparently, someone else out there did. And knowing that someone else thought you were awesome felt pretty good. The little dragon had to look away for a moment to make sure Sweetie didn't catch him blushing...if she could even see him get flush through his scales.

"It might take a while, so give me a raincheck on that," Spike said as he turned back to Sweetie. "But you've got a deal!"[/font]

Spike didn't have time to explain the details of the deal, because the coaster was starting to move. It was finally time. Sweetie's question was rhetorical, but to be honest? Spike wasn't SURE he was ready. If he wasn't? Well, there was no time to back out now.

The young dragon's eyes widened as they went down the first hill and he felt his stomach go up to his throat. Spike was practically forced into the cushion of his seat as the coaster whipped and sped around. If he didn't know how short this ride was gonna be, he'd be worried that his scales would fly right off. Clearly, Sweetie was having the same issue...sort of.

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Despite having lost her ribbon, Sweetie Belle seemed to be having the time of her life! Up into a spiral! Down into a straight drop! Round and round in a series of loops! Sweetie Belle laughed, screamed, and shut her eyes whenever the situation demanded it! She couldn't quite summon the courage to stop clinging to her safety harness and throw her hooves up, like some foals were doing, but she didn't need to. It was exciting enough as it was! "Awww.... over so soon?" She groaned with a big grin as they slowed and rolled into the platform at the end of the ride. "That was FUN! I liked the part where it was all like, WHOOSH! and then we whipped around that turn like Nyeeeeerrroom! We gotta do that again before we go! What part did you like best? Nowait!" Sweetie Belle interrupted him as she bounced down the stairs to the exit of the ride, "I've gotta go get my ribbon! I think I know where it went! I'll be right back! Meet you by the hot chocolate stand!" The energetic little filly dashed off before poor Spike could get a word in edgewise, or even offer to lend a claw in looking!

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Spike's knuckles turned white as he gripped the harness tightly, claws digging into them as the ride whipped and sped the two along. The young dragon's eyes were open the whole time, pupils dialated and filled with the adrenaline of thrill as the ride thundered across its track. If one were to take a look at the dragon, they'd say he was scared out of his mind. But it was quite the opposite, actually.

As the coaster neared the end of the track, Spike started laughing, the excitement hitting him right at the end. He almost seemed disappointed as the coaster hit its end point and they had to hop out. He smiled as Sweetie recounted the details...which he thought was weird considering that he was also riding it. Before he could get an answer out, his date was already off again to go grab her ribbon.

"That's gonna take some getting used to," Spike thought as he walked over to the hot cocoa stand as asked.

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It seemed hard to believe, but this time, the wait for Sweetie Belle was even longer. Which kind of made sense, seeing as how before, she'd been retrieving her tickets from a place she remembered, but this time she wasn't sure of where her ribbon had flown off to... Somewhere halfway to the Crystal Empire, if this absence was any indication. Just about the time Spike might reasonably start beginning to wonder if she'd simply ditched him for some reason, Sweetie staggered out of the crowd, Hair ribbon in place, but looking... somehow, wrong. There was definitely off about the greenish-grey filly. Ah! That must be it! She'd tied her hair ribbon on the other side now! Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and lurched over to Spike, managing a watery smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting.." she apologized, and then swallowed hard a few times. Her stomach felt like she'd left it on the drop tower. A very likely possibility. "Are you cold? Did you want to get some hot cocoa?" The last thing in the world she wanted to do right now was put something in the spot where her stomach should be. But she'd made him wait! she had to consider his feelings, too!