Starlight did her best to hold back her laughter but kept failing miserably in her attempts to do so. “Hold on, hold on.” Starlight took a deep breath. “So, you’re trying to think up a pet name for your marefriend and the best you could come up with was ‘sweets’?”
Spike deadpanned. “Yes. Is there a problem with that? I’m assuming there is considering your inability to act like a civilized pony.”
Starlight waved a hoof at him. “No, no, there’s no problem. Just… you think that’s special and original?”
“Yes. Yes I do.” Spike angrily tapped his foot against Starlight’s bedroom floor. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anypony use it before. Game, set, and match.”
“Whatever you say… sweets.” Starlight erupted into yet another laughter fit.
This had been going on since the moment Spike woke up and sought out Starlight to get her up to date on the goings on of his relationship. Deep down, he knew this was going to happen in his attempts to get advice, as it usually does. It was just a matter of weathering the storm until he reached the destination he was looking for, which was advice and a quick confidence boost.
She was usually good for at least one of those things.
“Okay, look, I like it,” Spike said, rolling his eyes at the mare curled up on the bed in front of him. “But I take it you have something better in mind since you’re so ready to dash my hopes and dreams?”
“Hmm,” Starlight rubbed her, propping her head up from her pillow to do so. “A good pet name has to take into account something about the pony it’s referring to.”
“I can agree with that,” Spike said. “And she’s really sweet.”
“Hush, I’m thinking.” Starlight racked her brain for a few more seconds. “Oh, I got it! She likes muffins and stuff, right?”
“Yeah, so? Everypony likes muffins.”
“How about you call her your ‘love-muffin’.” Starlight waggled her eyebrows at the dragon. “Ayy, pretty good, right?”
“I’m pretty sure I’d rather bathe in acid until my bones bleed than call her that,” Spike said. “Besides, do we look like we’re in our seventies?”
“Eh, you’re a dragon. Aging isn’t really an exact science with you guys.” Starlight shrugged. “You looked like a baby until you were like fifteen, after all.”
Spike chuckled and sat down at the foot of the bed. “Okay, fine, it’s not bad. But I didn’t come up with it, so it doesn’t feel genuine enough.”
“Okay, fine, be that way,” Starlight said, lightly pushing him with a hoof. “But I’m telling you, you should at least test the waters with it next time you see her. Just to see what happens.”
Spike groaned out loud and reciprocated her push with a slightly stronger shove. “Okay, fine, you win. But if it blows up in my face and I end up embarrassing myself, I’m blaming you.”
“Whatever. You don’t need my help to do that.”
Spike gave her a glare that could freeze a campfire.
“Alright, just do what you want, Spike.” She got up and moved a bit closer to Spike. “I take it you’re talking to me for something a bit more important than pet names. What’s up?”
Spike sighed and turned toward her. “Well, I’m seeing her tonight…”
Starlight cocked an eyebrow. “Tonight? That’s pretty quick considering you just saw her yesterday, but hey, more power to ya for—”
“...At her house. For a ‘surprise’.”
The mare blinked a few times before speaking up. “Oh, well, that’s a different story, then.”
“No joke,” Spike responded, flopping his back onto the bed. “This will be my first time going over there and I don’t have any idea of what to expect or even worse, what to do when the unexpected happens.”
She simply nodded in agreement. “This is quite the dilemma, Spike. Going to your marefriend’s house for the first time… That’s big. Really big. Like, what happens tonight, especially considering you’re at the most important stage of your relationship, it could change the entire course of your potential life together.”
Spike’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “Oh gosh. The pressure is real.” Spike shot up and looked at Starlight. “I don’t think I can handle it. I should cancel.” He was shut up by a quick smack to the face, courtesy of Starlight.
“Spike, keep your mouth shut and listen for a second, or I’ll break the house rules and use my magic to make you shut up.”
Spike rubbed his now red sore cheek. He knew when he needed help and this was one of those times.
“Here’s the deal,” Starlight began. She hopped off the bed and paced back and forth in front of him. “Is this an important event? Yes. What should you expect? I’m not entirely sure. What’s the surprise? We’ll get to that in a second. Obviously, Spike, there are a lot of unknowns going on here, but you’ve got a secret weapon on your side. You know what that weapon is?”
Spike scratched his head and thought for a moment. “Good looks and a high charisma modifier?”
“No!” She screeched out, pausing her pacing for a moment. “You’ve got me and my loads of wisdom and experience.”
In any normal conversation with Starlight, this would be the perfect opportunity for some well-timed snark. But now was not the time for such antics as Spike genuinely needed this mare’s help. It hurt his very heart and soul to admit that, but alas, some wars were not meant to be won alone.
“Alright, Starlight,” Spike said. “I’m listening. Let me have it.”
“Good.” Starlight resumed her pacing once more. “So, first things first, you’re approaching this with the wrong frame of mind. It’s important, but don’t think of it as important. You understand what I mean?”
Spike rose a claw in the air. “Umm…”
“I’ll take that as a no. Basically, treat it just like your seeing her again under normal circumstances. How you would act and prepare for just seeing her on a normal visit, that’s what this needs to be in your head, alright?”
“Normal visit, got it,” Spike said with a thumbs up. “But what about the stuff that might happen? Like, even if I pretend this a regular date, the setting is different and all kinds of stuff. What if I mess something up, say the wrong thing?”
“Hmm, there is a lot of room for error and you have been known for taking advantage of even the smallest crawl spaces in that room…”
“I can’t even argue with you there,” Spike said with a frown. “I’m doomed, aren’t I?”
“Do I need to smack you again?” she asked, hoof raised in anticipation of violence.
Spike immediately perked up. “No, I’m good.”
“Alright, so here’s the deal.” Starlight sat on the floor and made direct eye contact with Spike. “Some new stuff could happen. No wait, strike that. New stuff will happen. But that’s how relationships grow. If nothing new ever happened, things would get stagnant and boring, right?”
The dragon slowly nodded. “Yeah, I think I get it. So, I should look forward to the new stuff instead of being freaked out by it.”
“Precisely!” Starlight said, reaching out for a quick hoof bump. “You’re not hopeless after all. Who knew?”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, even that doesn’t help with probably the biggest thing happening tonight. The ‘surprise’.”
“That’s definitely a big variable in the equation,” Starlight said, rubbing her chin with even more purpose than before.
“Huh?”
“Sorry, I heard Twilight say that the other day when she found out her favorite hayburger now comes with tomato added to it.”
“Got it. Carry on.”
“Tell me, Spike.” Starlight gazed at him curiously. “In what context did she mention this ‘surprise’. What was the conversation about?”
“Let me think.” Spike scratched the back of his head. “We were just chatting about life and stuff and she asked if I could come over tonight. And then she just said she had a surprise for me when I got there.”
“I see,” she replied. “Was there any excessive eyelash fluttering or sensual hoof touching going on.”
“Not that I can think of,” Spike said. “She did bite her lip a bit when she asked if I could come to her house, though. I think. Maybe. Possibly. Perhaps?”
“Okay, I think I’ve got this,” Starlight said. “Spike, the answer is short, sweet and to the point.”
He was quite literally on the edge of his seat. “Yeah?”
“She simply has something she wants to show you. Simple as that.”
The dragon frowned and schooched back. “Oh, really? What drew you to that conclusion, genius?”
Starlight shrugged. “Well, what I’m saying is it’s nothing big. It’s probably just an old photo or a present or something. Honestly, it might have been more incentive for you to come over in the first place if she was afraid you’d say no.”
Spike cocked an eyebrow at her. “Really? Is that what you mares really think?”
“We’re complex creatures, Spike.” Starlight hopped up on the bed next to him. “But remember, because we’re complex, none of us are the same. So, I could be completely wrong… and you better never tell anypony I said that or I’ll make sure you never live it down.”
“No worries,” he replied. “But if you don’t know what it is, then that means I have to—”
“Be surprised.” Starlight lightly knocked him upside the head. “I mean, it’s probably something small, but for all you know she could be showing you a really cool family heirloom, or she might be showing you a nifty present she picked out at the general store. But the principle remains the same. Make sure to be yourself, be genuine and be confident, or she’ll be showing you the way to the front door.”
Spike released a deep, breathy sigh. “Alright… I think I could do that. But why do you think so?”
“Think what?”
“You know, that I can handle it? Not just now, but tomorrow and next week and so on?”
“Spike,” she said. “You’re a great guy and if she’s been with you for a month then I guarantee she thinks so, too. I’ll even admit that it’s cute how much you care about her and how she sees you. But you gotta relax. I believe in you, she believes you, so you just gotta believe in yourself now, alright? Because it doesn’t matter how much I think you’ll succeed. You have to believe so, too.”
Spike smiled at her and wrapped her up in a tight hug. No matter how much flak they gave each other on a daily basis, they always had each other’s backs. He needed her today, and she delivered.
“Thanks. I owe you one.” He hopped off the bed and wandered over to the door. “If you ever manage to find a pony that can tolerate you for more than a few minutes, I’ll be here.”
His snide comment was followed up by a book being tossed and connecting with his face.
“Get out of here and go shower or something,” Starlight shouted as he walked out the door. “You need to be yourself, but yourself needs to smell good.”
He gave her one last thumbs up before shutting the door behind him.
As he walked down the hall, he kept replaying the key points of their conversation in his mind. Ordinary date, believe in yourself, be genuine. It seemed so simple, yet so complex at the same time. This wasn’t an ordinary date. The chips were on the table. He and Derpy were going to be alone… in an enclosed space… a space that belonged to her!
This was uncharted territory.
But Starlight was definitely right about one thing: dwelling about the situation for the rest of the day would do little but make him sick. He immediately shook off the thoughts and headed toward the shower to fix himself up. The afternoon was quickly approaching and he needed to be ready.
Ready for whatever was in store.
It was a warm evening. It wasn’t hot enough to be uncomfortable, but it wasn’t cool enough to be pleasant. As he winded through the brick pathways of Ponyville, he couldn’t help but think of the weather being the perfect backdrop for how he was feeling.
He wasn’t quite confident enough to feel completely relaxed, but he wasn’t so nervous that he had to fight with himself every step to keep from running home. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ideal.
He at least thought of one thing on his own for the occasion. He had picked up a small bouquet of flowers to bring Derpy. They were nothing special, but they were yellow ones, just like the one he put in her mane back when they were first hanging out. He thought it might lessen the tension if he started things out with a nice gesture.
He finally arrived at her doorstep a short time later. It was a few minutes early, but he’d rather be early than late. He wasn’t a dating expert, but showing up for important dates late definitely didn’t seem like a good move.
He clutched the flowers in one claw and gently knocked a few times on the door with the other. He took a moment to look at her place while awaiting a response.
It was nothing special, just a one-story home made out of stone. It had a wooden porch area and small patch of grass that qualified as her yard. It was near the town center, but not close enough to be bothered by the hustle and bustle.
All in all, it was a very nice, humble home.
His admiration screeched to a grinding halt however as he heard some movement coming from behind the door. The handle began to jiggle before it twisted around and the door swung open.
Derpy was standing in the doorway, her mane a bit frazzled and a slight redness on her cheeks. “S-Sorry that took so long, Spike. I was in the other room.”
Spike smiled at her. “Oh, no worries. I was just getting a look at your home from the outside. It’s really nice.”
“Really?” she asked, brushing her mane out of her face. “It’s kinda simple and small. Nothing like the castle.”
“Eh,” Spike said, waving a claw. “Space is overrated.”
They shared a chuckle for a brief second before Spike noticed Derpy’s eyes drawn to the flowers in his claw.
“Oh! I almost forgot.” Spike held out the bouquet to her. “I, um, I got these for you. I saw them on the way over and they were pretty and stuff, so you know, I thought you should have them.”
If her face wasn’t red before, it was making up for it in spades now. She gently reached out a hoof and took the flowers from him. “They’re beautiful. Thank you so much, Spike.”
He rubbed the back of head. “Oh, well, it’s just a small thing and… I guess I’m kinda bad at this whole gentlecolt thing. Flowers are kinda generic I know, but—”
His sentence was cut off by Depry fluttering over to him and planting a kiss on his lips. It was a short one, but boy did the point come across to him.
“You’re welcome,” he said, a goofy grin taking over his face.
Derpy smiled at him, a moment of silence hanging in the air soon after. She finally snapped back to attention however and broke it. “Do you wanna come inside?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. That’s what I’m here for and everything.” He’d have to schedule a good old-fashioned facepalm later for that awkward showing.
Spike walked in the doorway and got a good look around her living room as he did so. It was small and very cozy. There was a single loveseat against the back wall with a short coffee table in front of it. The floors were wooden with the exception of a small rug underneath the table. The space was dressed with a few pictures clinging to the walls. A small bookcase stood in one of the corners, slightly filled with a few books and decorated with some ornaments.
“This is awesome,” Spike said, turning around to meet her eyes. “It’s so cozy. I like it.”
“Thanks,” she said with her own awkward smile.”You wanna have a seat?” She pointed toward the loveseat and Spike gladly did her bidding.
It was a pretty comfortable arrangement. He could get used to it. He wondered what the rest of the house looked like, but he wasn’t about to ask for a personal tour. He got in the door and that was more than what he expected of himself tonight. No need to get greedy.
Derpy smiled at him for where she was standing near the door. “I’m really glad you like it. So, if you remember, I told you I had a surprise for you, right?”
“Yeah,” Spike squeaked out. He was not anticipating the unknown rearing its ugly head so quickly. But, as Starlight said, he had to be ready to roll with it. He cleared his throat and spoke again. “I remember. I’m excited to see it. Whatever it is.”
“Good.” Derpy said. “So, just like when you showed me that rooftop in Manehattan, I need you to close your eyes, okay?”
Spike gulped. “Okay.” He closed his eyes as tightly as he could. “They’re closed.”
“Alright,” she said. “Don’t open them until I say so, okay? I’ll be right back.”
“Got it.”
Spike thought about cracking one eye just to get a bearing on everything, but he did make a promise and he really didn’t want to start this night by breaking one. It just seemed like bad mojo.
He heard a door at the other side of the home open and shut rapidly, followed by a pair of hooves scurrying back toward him. That was soon followed by the loveseat bouncing next to him, as if a pony just sat down beside him. Oh gosh, if this surprise ended up being some kind of cuddling thing, he’d probably have a heart attack.
“Alright,” Derpy’s voice called out… not from right next to him. “You can open them.”
He shot his eyes open and was immediately met with a—
“Surprise!”
He was immediately tackled back into the cushions by a bouncing filly, grin wider than the ocean.
“Dinky?” Spike couldn’t believe it. “You’re home!”
Aww, that was heartwarming, and spike was having a fit over it.
AAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
...
Well GREAT! Now I can't wait for the next chapter
Nice ending So beautiful.
Seriously, keep up the good work my good man
OH! And congrats on 600 likes!
N'awwwwww!!!!! Dinky's better! Time for Spike-Dad to come out to play.
hurrah dinkies better
Will Rarity play any role in this story?
I thought for sure she’d ask him to stay the night, but this is better!
massive smile on my face from those last two lines
Worthwhile payoff was worthwhile.
So Spike did she get a wingboner?
No! she Just a little Dinky.
RAINBOW DASH BEHAVE
So she's not interested?
She's a foal!
Derpy's no foal!
RAINBOW STOP!
make me!
LOVE Muffins!
Me too and pies and cakes and cookies and candy and pudding and frosting and sweet stuff and ice cream and...
I knew it. I said Dinky was home in the chapter 'All the small things'. I just knew it had to be Dinky.
Ah-HAH! Nice! That's a quality surprise right there!
I about jumped out of my seat at the filly jumping at Spike!! Good job!
Well that's friggin' awesome. Now we have another member of the 'Let's Get Spike and Derpy Hitched' club to work with, or so I'd gather.
So not gonna be the new nickname, but at least it gets a cameo appearance.
Not what I expected, but still a nice chapter overall :D
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Spike the Dadgon
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I was thinking more like this, but close enough.
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I told you I'd find a place, bro.
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Thanks, man! We've offically made it into the top 400 highest rated stories on the site. That's thanks to you guys and the support you keep giving me!
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Yes. She has her moments throughout that have a building impact toward the end.
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I'm glad you guys liked it! It wasn't easy coming up with the perfect entrance for a sweet filly.
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i read that and I was like "Oh man, they're catching on to me!" But I'm glad you liked it!
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I'm glad you guys are digging the direction I'm taking the story.
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I like to take things in weird turns here and there. Glad you're reading, my friend.
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Oh my Celestia, that pun!
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I'm digging it, alright!
For a second, I thought Dinky was going to die.
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The only guaranteed thing in life is that nothing is guaranteed.
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... you're cryptic about your hints... I like it.
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Are they hints? Are they clues? Are they misguided attempts at leading you off the righteous path?
Nobody knows...
...Except me.
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And people say I talk in riddles...
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One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.
This is exactly what I hoped the surprise would be.
Great Work! Glad to see dinky's recovered and doing well. Derpy will be very Happy. Hope their parents won't kill Spike.
I hope he is actually old enough for that relationship and that a small hord could take care of whatever problems his height could give him at the moment.
That was funny for some reason and I had to image a screaming person or something out of an cartoon.
I kind of do hope that they don't rush anything that night, but I still had to image Spike going into the bedroom with her but slamming the door in her face causing her to sleep on the couch that night after they said he does every little mistake.
I kind of thought somehing like that happened after that one picture you showed us, but I couldn'T shake of the possibility this might go into the other direction too.
Nice chapter.
Since someone mentioned it, when they going to see some part of Derpys family, I kind of hope it isn't the usual questioning and father being all mean and scary thing. I want something different, maybe even one of the parents being simply sad and talking about her daugthers dissability and stuff, maybe both of them being more like soft and simply nice ponies instead of the generic parent image.
Dinky's home
But that was a nice twist.
I knew it, and love it!
Great job!
Yay! This is very exciting. I'm curious how it will affect their relationship, but that was always a thought in the back of my mind.
(Edit) By which I just mean they'll have to either take Dinky along on their dates or get a babysitter. Privacy will only be had in the second instance or after Dinky is asleep for the night. I know Spike will enjoy being able to take her along more often, though.
Awww that's cute!
I knew this was the surprise. Still, it's great to have Dinky FINALLY get home <3
So basically hakuna matata
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Starlight's loads of wisdom and experience?
Since when does Starlight knows how to attract a guy when pretty much Spike is the only one in the group is dating?
I was predicting Dinky being the surprise at the start. But yay for Dinky finally being home!
An ideal is a concept or standard of perfection
Not much of a plot twist. Saw that coming from the last chapter.
Already cracking up not even two paragraphs in. This is gonna be good.
"Pretend this is a regular date."
Question maaaaaaaaark.
Look out, Spike! It wants all your private information!
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH I KNEW IT
cough* cough* sorry taken
fuck yeah, just Starlight things
is that a good or a bad thing?
AH, I should have known, and where's the heart attack at?
Well well well I should have known that Dinky was coming back, why would Derpy act nervous though. I mean surely Spike won't be disappointed that Dinky is all well and healthy right? Now I'm wondering if Twilight has the same sickness as Dinky.
Yesss, Dinkers is home~
Nailed the plot twist! 10 points to me! Lol
A great story so far and nicely paced too.
Why was Dinky in hospital so long anyway? (Edit) oh never mind...