Last time, on Rarity “Quest:”
 
        You woke up from your night of intimacy and went yet another round after some clever word play prompted it. Not that you mind, though her taking a dom position without your initial consent caused a little confusion. But in the end, you enjoyed it more than you might care to admit to her. You suspect she enjoyed it a little more than she lets on as well, but have no way of backing up that claim.
 
        Afterward, the two of you showered, were informed that you are now an ambassador, and went out shopping for a saddle in celebration. You aren't certain what significance saddles hold in pony culture, but Rarity seemed beside herself at the proposition.
 
        You ended up heading to a store where you met a stallion named Sal. He lamented the fact no one had purchased the last saddle of his own design, and in the end convinced you to purchase it. Rarity confirmed its value and genuine craftsmanship, and had tears in her eyes as you put it on her.
 
        The two of you set off back for your hotel room, and she spent a decent amount of time teary eyed, telling you how perfect everything is.
 
        But it's not over yet!
 
        Today you're packing your bags back up and taking the train back to Ponyville, since you're out of cash and the reason for your trip is over with. How will Rarity's friends react to the news, or will you tell them at all? Who waits for you when you return?
 
        Only one way to find out! Onward!
 
 
 
>After spending almost all your cash on a nice saddle for Rarity, the two of you decided that after a few walks around Canterlot, it was time for the both of you to head back to Ponyville. Rarity has work she could be doing, you need to find some income, and there are oh so many people who would no doubt be interested in finding out how this trip went, and what exactly happened.
>It is now the next day, early morning since you'd like to be back in Ponyville before dinner.
>So the two of you pack your luggage carriers, Celestia being kind enough to provide a case for Rarity's new saddle since it wouldn't fit in your luggage without ruining something, and you're both on the train once again.
 
>The two of you are sitting in a forward cab, looking out at the rising sun while you enjoy some coffee and doughnuts, when you wonder aloud what her parents and friends will think when they find out about the two of you.
>Rarity sort of giggles before taking a sip of her coffee, "Well, my friends are my friends. I'm certain they'll be happy, though Twilight may have some questions for you, as she always does." She sets her coffee down and continues, "As for my family….they all seem to like you too. I don't foresee any problems as long as you don't do anything rash."
>Once again she smiles, putting her hoof across the table and gently resting it on your hand, "I still can't quite believe how quickly everything happened, myself. But in the end, I couldn't ask for anything more."
 
>You still wonder about Spike, and how you're going to break it to him. Also, why did Rarity fall for you so quickly? Not that it matters where you stand right now, it just seemed so sudden. One moment you're admitting you have feeling for one another in a theater, and then after that dinner with Celestia and Luna, suddenly you're getting physical in the hot tub. Again, not that you were complaining then or now.
 
>You take her hoof in your hand, smiling back at her as you think of the good times the two of you have had in such a short period of time.
>But one question keeps popping up, "Why me?"
>It's time to get it off your chest, you decide.
>So you ask her.
 
>Rarity blushes at your question, removing her hoof from your hand and fidgeting in her seat.
>"W-well, you see…." she coughs, "Oh this is going to sound so cliche, but there was just….something about you when we met. Back when Twilight first introduced us, I remarked to her how….well…handsome, you were. She laughed and made a joke, I can't really remember what it was, but for some reason it stuck in my head. And then you just waltz into my boutique one day, talking about an interest in sewing, asking me to make you things…" she trails off a bit before recovering, "Everything just felt right. But, I was worried you didn't think the same of me. Especially after how off putting meeting my parents might have been."
>"And I was worried you might just not be attracted to me. We are different, after all. And then Celestia herself tells me to just put myself out there and see if you reciprocate, and the whole time I'm worried I'm going too fast, that I'm being unladylike, a harlot, lusting after someone I hardly know, and, and…."
 
>She seems a little worked up now, wringing her hooves together while she looks at her cup of coffee, taking occasional glances at you to see how you react.
 
>You move from your side of the table to sit next to her in the padded booth, putting an arm around her and pulling her close to you as you chuckle to yourself.
>She relaxes into your hug, whispering, "I've just never felt like that before. So…impatient. Out of control. It worries me."
>You squeeze her a little and tell her that it's alright. In the end, you felt a lot of those fears too, wondering if it was right to go so fast, if that's really what she wanted, and so on.
>She can't help but laugh a little as well, "You too? And yet we both moved forward anyway. But…if you are alright with where we are now, then I won't worry about it anymore."
>She finally puts her hooves around you and squeezes you in a gentle hug, breaking free of her spaghetti moment, "Thank you."
 
>The rest of the train ride goes without problems, the two of you eating another free lunch and holding one another on a couch or in a padded chair, Rarity nuzzling your neck and chest and looking up at you with those big, beautiful eyes of hers while you stroke her mane and hold her close.
>As you near Ponyville, she reminds you, "I'll talk to the girls when the time is right. Leave them to me. My parents, well, they should be happy too, but I'd still like you to be there."
 
>That just leaves Spike.
 
 
>The train pulls into the station of Ponyville, and the two of you exit the train together, carrying your luggage, to find Twilight waiting on the platform.
>"Welcome back you two!" she proclaims, walking forward to give Rarity a hug and nod at you appreciatively. "Before you ask, I knew you were coming back because Celestia sent a letter. I took the liberty of getting a cab for the three of us, since Celestia mentioned you were coming back with a little additional luggage."
>You thank Twilight for her planning, helping to load the luggage into the cab's trunk. Twilight asks Rarity how things went, and Rarity replies, "Wonderfully, but I'll tell you in detail about it later. First I need to arrange a meeting with my parents."
 
>The cab drops Rarity off at the boutique without fuss, and she waves at you and Twilight as the cab continues onward towards your home. You and Twilight are alone in the cab, and she tries to break the silence, "So, how was your trip, Mr. Ambassador?"
 
>You smile, "It was nice. Saw a play, had dinner with the Princesses-"
>"BOTH of them?" Twilight gawks, "Oh wow, what was Luna like? Where did you go? What kind of food was it?"
>You laugh as she runs question after question by you, and you do what you can to answer before finally telling her to wait for Rarity to give her all the details.
>Twilight's ears droop a bit, but then a smirk comes across her face, "Why, Mr. Ambassador, is Rarity your secretary now?"
>You stumble with your words, trying to tell her it isn't like that, but she laughs and tells you she's kidding.
>The two of you share a laugh at your misunderstanding before you ask about that magic enchantment thing in the hotel suite.
>"I….wait, are you telling me Celestia let you stay in HER VIP suite?"
 
>"Uh, she kinda, gifted it to me."
>Twilight remains silent at the news, a look of absolute shock stuck on her face as she processes this information.
>You try to snap her out of it by asking about the magic enchantment thing, and she slowly responds, working her way out of whatever thoughts were so distracting her.
>"Oh…that. That's something that Celestia had me help work on not long before I left for Ponyville. Honestly she did most the work, I just helped get it so you could store information in it, so it could be a clock, calendar, planner…."
 
>"Well, it's very helpful," you comment, earning a smile and a blush from Twilight.
>"I can't take the credit for it, it was mostly Celestia's work and idea, but I'm glad you like it!"
>Some part of your mind is nervous about the implications of storing data, so you ask, "Hey, could it store images or audio or something like that?"
>Twilight's face contorts into a look of deep thought, her hoof coming to her chin as she thinks.
>"It would have to magically re-draw an image, so I don't think it could do that. Sounds? Maybe, but you'd have to use magic to put them into it in the first place, and not just anypony can do that, although you might be able to access it remotely if you had strong enough magic, assuming you knew how it worked…"
>You snap her out of it by thanking her again, telling her not to worry you were just curious about it. "It was like having an assistant. Very helpful." You look about the cab, as though searching, "Speaking of assistants, where's Spike? I thought he followed you everywhere."
>"He's back at the Library sorting some things for me. If I brought him here, I have a feeling he'd be too distracted to hold much of a conversation. Why? Do you need him for something?"
 
 
>"No, not particularly, just curious," you reply as the cab comes to a halt. The two of you look out the cab window and see you've arrived at your home on the outskirts of town.
>You hop out and remove your own baggage from the cab's trunk, and Twilight waves as the cab pulls away.
>"If you need anything Mr. Ambassador, just come get me and I'll be glad to help!"
>You wave as the cab sets off for the Library, before entering your humble home and unpacking.
 
>It's almost dinner time when you're finally unpacked, and you're wondering what to eat when there's a knock at your door.
>You open it to find Spike, wearing a bellhops hat, standing at the door looking a bit exasperated.
>"Hello Mr. Ambassador," he says in a near monotone as he reads from a letter he holds, "You have been cordially invited to a dinner celebrating your new position, hosted by Miss Applejack. Attendees are expected to arrive at 7, sharp. It will be a small gathering of friends before the larger ceremony to be held tomorrow night in town square, involving the Mayor of Ponyville. We humbly request your attendance to both events, and hope to see you there. Regards, Twilight Sparkle."
 
>"Having fun?" you ask with a smile.
>Spike's response is to remove his bellhop hat and stuff the letter inside, "Yeah, totally. Wandering town to hand out invites to the important people when I could be eating ice cream, or at least staring at the food AJ is making, is definitely fun."
>You look at a nearby clock in your foyer. It reads 6pm. You have an hour to get to AJ's for this meal, but you have time to talk with Spike if you're so inclined.
 
>You take a deep breath and decide to just come right out with it, he deserves nothing less.
>"Well, Rarity and I are in a relationship now."
 
>Spike shuts his eyes and bows his head, his tiny purple hands clenching into fists on the tabletop as he struggles to come to terms with what you've just told him.
>"So….you…win," he chokes out, obviously holding back tears as his nose begins to run. He bows his head further and you hear a faint whimper as his body begins to shake.
>With a final sniffle, the tears start.
>Spike puts his head on the table, wrapping his little arms around his head, and he cries.
>He manages to keep himself from hysterics, or wailing too loudly, but still he cries, sniffling and sobbing, wrenching at your heart as he experiences his first failed crush.
 
>You move your chair beside his, and carefully put a hand on his shoulder in a supportive gesture.
 
>He starts at the sudden contact, and looks at you, his eyes red and his face a mess of tears and snot.
>And he grabs you in a hug, burying his face in your shirt.
>You put your arms around him and hug him as he cries.
>Soon enough he starts to quiet down, his wracking sobs becoming less frequent until he's back to breathing normally. He sniffles once, twice more, then pulls himself away from you.
>You get up and grab a box of tissues for him, and he blows his nose and wipes his eyes as you sit beside him.
 
>Eventually he finds the will to speak, though his voice is cracked and waving from his crying.
>"…Thanks."
>You want to tell him you've been there before, you know what it's like, but in the end you stay silent for fear of patronizing him.
>You just leave your hand on his shoulder as he wipes his face and sniffles, finally regaining his composure.
 
>The clock strikes 6:30.
 
>You pat Spike on the shoulder and speak quietly, "Hey, we've got that thing to go to in half an hour. Let's get you cleaned up."
>Spike just nods and lets you lead him to the bathroom, where you sit him up on the counter and give him a soaked, warm washcloth to wipe his face with.
>As he's doing so you ask about those invites he has to hand out, and he just shakes his head slowly.
>"The other ones I deliver tomorrow. I'm done with the ones for tonight," he looks down at the ground sadly, "I don't even know if I should go to this thing. I don't know if I could look at her and not just…fall apart."
 
>"It wouldn't be the same if I was missing one of my friends," you tell Spike.
>He smiles a little, raising his head and wiping his eyes again. "Well, if we're going, we better hurry," he hops off the bathroom sink counter, walking into the kitchen to grab his little hat, making sure it doesn't have any ice cream or tears on it before putting it on.
>It'll take Spike longer than you to get there, due to his size and inability to run as well as you. And if you don't travel with him, he might chicken out and not show up at all. That would cause some suspicion, not to mention just sorta suck. You still want Spike to be happy, despite having taken his crush.
 
 
>You toss on some casual clothes, deciding that if it's a meeting with friends you don't need to be too formal, and you dash out the door behind Spike, making sure to lock your home up before grabbing spike and putting him on your shoulders before taking off towards AJ's.
>Despite his initial yelp of surprise, Spike is soon laughing as he waves at random passerby again while whooping and hollering while you jog.
 
>You arrive with scant minutes to spare, but stop well outside of AJ's property and let Spike off your back, giving you time to flatten your clothes back out and for Spike to calm down again.
>"Hey," Spike says, getting your attention, "Thanks. Again."
>You smile at him, despite knowing that you're ultimately the cause of his dilemma, and the two of you head to AJ's barn, where the dinner awaits.
 
 
>You enter the barn to find it filled with streamers and balloons of all colors and sizes, with a single long table in the center of the barn covered in a copious amount of food. Most of which are apple based.
>Twilight, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie are sitting around the table while Dash and Fluttershy hover overhead, all of them talking to one another and sharing jokes. As soon as you enter with Spike, they all cheer, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Rarity clapping their hooves together while AJ and Pinkie cheer loudly. Fluttershy just smiles and waves when you look at her.
>When everyone quiets back down, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy take two empty seats next to Applejack, while Spike takes an empty seat next to Twilight. Leaving the only empty seat at the head of the table, between Applejack and Rarity.
>You take your spot at the head of the table, and Applejack shouts, "Dig in!"
>Everyone fills their plates with varying foods, eating raucously and having a good time. Despite his earlier attitude, Spike converses with Pinkie Pie and Twilight normally and eats a healthy amount of food before all is said and done.
>After the food has been picked over and everyone rubs their full bellies, AJ produces a large container of hot cider, pouring a mug for everyone as they relax. Twilight takes the opportunity to make a toast.
>"To our friend and new ambassador! May his future be filled with friendship, happiness, and learning new things!"
>"Hear, hear!" The others chant, Pinkie even whistling through her teeth and clapping before taking a drink of her cider.
 
>After everyone has a sip of cider, Twilight motions to Rarity, who clears her throat, "Everyone, I have something very important to tell you."
>Twilight makes a motion, and Spike leaves the barn, mug of cider in hand.
>"As you know, I accompanied our friend here to Canterlot for his meeting with the Princess," Rarity says, motioning to you, "We had a lovely time at the dinner, and the hotel suite was simply divine!"
>"Get on with it!" Rainbow Dash shouts, earning a glare from Rarity.
>"Well, fine. What you may not know is that…well…erm…he and I, are…together, now."
 
>"O-oh my," Fluttershy responds, her cheeks turning bright red at the announcement.
>"Neat!" is all Pinkie says, smiling as energetically as ever and bouncing in her seat.
>"You're what now?" Applejack asks confusedly, her jaw slightly ajar in disbelief.
>"HA, yeah right! You and him? Nah." Rainbow Dash hollers, apparently convinced this is a joke or something.
>Twilight just smiles and claps her hooves together, "That's great! I'm so happy for the two of you! Though I certainly have questions…"
>"Yes, please, explain," Applejack says.
 
>You go over what happened between the two of you, sparing any unnecessary details. The other ponies listen intently, though Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes at many things, especially when Rarity describes the nice things you did for her.
>In the end, Rainbow Dash is the only one who remains unconvinced.
>Applejack congratulates the two of you, Fluttershy claps her hooves together and nods in support, Pinkie whoops and cheers, and Twilight is filled with questions, some not all that appropriate for group discussion.
>"So, have you two gotten physical with-"
>Applejack's hoof covers Twilight's mouth quick as a flash, and you wonder when AJ got to the other side of the table, let alone how quickly.
>"Now, Sugar, that ain't something you can just ask."
>Rarity blushes furiously, but keeps explaining why she fell for you and how it happened. It's really odd to hear the reasons explained to a third party, but the compliments she bestows on you still make you feel fuzzy inside. Doubly so when she puts her hoof in your hand in a way that everyone can see.
 
>In the end, even Dash becomes supportive, though she pretends she isn't happy about it for some reason.
>But the dinner ends and everyone sets out for the night, AJ walking everyone to the front of her property before waving good night to all.
 
 
>You and Rarity walk towards her boutique side by side after the others disperse, and she explains that her parents are waiting at the boutique.
>"I had them come over on short notice because I figure they'd like to find out before your little ceremony tomorrow night," she looks up at you nervously as you approach the boutique doors, "Are you ready? I don't think they'll react adversely, but, I'm still nervous myself."
 
>You nod, and the two of you head into the boutique to find her parents and Sweetie Belle sitting on some of the cushions of her work space.
>"Hey, hey, there's my girl!" her father chimes, wandering over to give her a hug, his wife right behind him.
>Rarity hugs her parents and begins asking them how they are as Sweetie Belle dashes over to you and leaps into your arms, surprising you. You manage to hold onto her though as she greets you with a boop on the nose, "Hey mister! Here to play with me again?"
>"Sweetie, please get off of him," Rarity calls out, the smile on her face giving away that she doesn't mind Sweetie's affection towards you.
>You laugh and ruffle Sweeties mane before she hops out of your arms and bounds back to her parents side, and Rarity motions for you to take a seat next to her, across from Sweetie and the parents.
 
>Her parents take the news about as well as expected, her father smiling, giving you a wink and mouthing "Told ya so," while her mother hugs Rarity, tears in her eyes.
>"What did I tell you? Mama's got a knack for these things, doesn't she?"
>Sweetie is a little confused, perhaps too young to understand what Rarity means when she says you're "together."
>When she asks, everyone goes silent until you bend over and ruffle her mane again, saying, "Just means you'll be seeing a lot more of me, that's all."
>Sweetie's eyes light up and she gives a cheer as she tackles your leg, hugging your shin while everyone else laughs.
>Later that night, after Sweetie is put to bed, You have a serious discussion with Rarity and her parents. They're curious about the whole species thing, and you spend time talking about the future and the implications of the two of you being together. Her parents are supportive, but of course full of questions you don't have answers to.
>When that's finished, you follow Rarity's father to that old hole in the wall pub he took you to before. And you fulfill your promise by buying him an ice cold one.
 
You and Rarity decide to take it slow after breaking it to her parents, and you make sure to take the time to get to know one another's quirks. Rarity even teaches you how to sew, allowing you to help her make her designs at an increased pace, earning her more business.
There's a point where the two of you realize you spend more time at her boutique than at your own house, which leads to the inevitable moving in with one another. Sweetie couldn't be happier. Every time she visits from school she gets to play with "the mountain", while her older sister always seems so cheerful and full of energy.
Rarity's parents visit every now and then, to see how things are going, always happy to hear things are working out.
And your private life really leaps forward once you share a residence. Sometimes, it's hard to get anything done, so attracted are you to each other. Those days really are the best, though.
Her friends support your relationship and invite the two of you to their parties and get togethers, always happy to have another friend along for the ride.
 
The future promises to be a kind and loving one, filled with romance and laughter.
And neither you or her could ask for anything more.