//------------------------------// // A New Day, A New Twilight // Story: Twilight Learns To Loosen Up // by AkumaKami64 //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle had a specific way she did a lot of things; specific ways that Spike had memorized, partially unintentionally due to being around the mare his whole life and partially intentionally to make his life easier. Because watching Twilight get into one of her compulsive order phases, usually brought on by stress in her own little world, was very annoying if not scary or concerning. Albeit, she was a LOT better about it now. He wasn't sure if it was her new friends, the small town life, just getting out more, or a perk of the elements, but her "Moments" were more short term and much easier to manage; Smarty Pants incident notwithstanding. On a normal day with just the two of them she woke up at seven in the morning, had a glass of orange juice(or coffee, if needed), a bowl of cereal or soup,(depending on the weather and mood) some toast, a cookie and did a few cleaning spells to get herself completely awake. Sure, she deviated from time to time or Spike cooked up something to change things up, but that was the norm. To that effect, Spike was a bit bewildered by the sight before him. Twilight was humming a tune to herself, shaking her flank and tail to the beat, as she cooked up a neat stack of pancakes, placing finished ones on a plate and covering them in a generous amount of syrup, as well as pouring some milk into cups. Oh, and this was all happenings before six in the morning- buck, before sunrise even! "Umm, Twilight, are you *YAWWWWWN!* okay?" Spike asked in concern, licking his chops as he rubbed his crust filled eyes. "Spike! I didn't think you'd be awake yet," Twilight greeted with a smile, using her magic to stir the latest pancake in the pan as she gave the baby dragon a hug, "Did I wake you?" She asked, tilting her head in concern of her own. "I don't know anymore. I think I stumbled out to the bathroom before I caught your tune," He admitted, rolling his neck as he tried to clear the cobwebs from his mind, "Why ya up and doing all this?" He asked in the midst of stretching. "Oh, no reason, just trying something new. Ever since the Smarty Pants thing, I started looking into self-help books. So I'm changing stuff up a bit, acting outside my box and all that," Twilight answered with a smile, "Now, are you going back to bed or staying up? Cause these pancakes are soon going to go from delicious and warm to soggy and cold," Twilight informed with a twinkle in her eye. Spike blinked before grinning, "Sure, I could use a bite. Just warn me before you start shifting sleeping schedules again," He requested, climbing up a footstool to make some coffee. "I'll put it on a sticky note," Twilight joked as she served up the last of the pancakes, putting them onto three plates equally. "Who's the third plate for?" Spike asked with a raised eyebrow as Twilight magically pulled out a salt shaker filled with purple gem shavings, making him drool a bit. Twilight smirked playfully, using her napkin-covered hoof to close his mouth and wipe it clean, "That would be for Pinkie Pie," She informed with a giggle as she set the table. "What, she coming over?" Spike asked in confusion. "Not that I know of, but call it a hunch," Twilight informed mysteriously. Spike opened his mouth, only to blink as he hear a knock on the door, "...No way," He said, not sure to grin or looked shocked. Twilight gave a too-innocent look as she went to answer the door, "Hello, Pinkie, fancy seeing you at this hour," Twilight greeted with a smile. "Hi Twilight! I smelt something delicious. Can I have pancakes too?" She asked hopefully. "I already made a place for you," Twilight assured, waving Pinkie Pie in. "Huh? How'd you know I was coming Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked with wide eyes as she walked into the kitchen before gasping, "Can you read minds now?!" She asked in awe, "Spike, can Twilight read minds?!" She asked to the drake in a too-loud whisper. The dragon rolled his eyes at that as he swallowed a bite of pancake, "Yes, Pinkie, Twilight reads minds now," He answered sarcastically. "That's right," Twilight agreed with a grin, getting wider eyes from Pinkie and a raised eyebrow from Spike, "That's how I knew your Pinkie Sense told you that someone was making pancakes right as you passed by the library," She explained playfully. "GASSSSP! You can read minds!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, pointing an accusing hoof at her. "Nice trick, eh? Found it a few nights ago," Twilight teased. "Twilight?" Spike asked slowly in confusion. "Shh," She said to Spike with an innocent look, winking at him. '...Prankster Twilight. Scary, but interesting,' Spike decided, fighting off a smirk. "So, does that mean you know what I'm thinking right now?" Pinkie asked, somewhere between excited and concerned or afraid. "Yep! You're wondering what flavor the pancakes are and you're intending to eat a third of them the second I stop talking," Twilight predicted with her eyes closed. She opened them and saw Pinkie Pie, face stuffed with pancakes and looking at her in shock. The party pony swallowed it all in one gulp, "That's uncanny!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Is that even legal?" Spike asked curiously, deciding to go along with it. "Potentially. If Pinkie tells me to stop and I don't, it's illegal. If hadn't told I was doing it to her fairly soon after doing it, also illegal. And if I had done it with the intent of doing harm to the pony in any form? The answer rhymes with Still-Beagle," Twilight elaborated slyly. "Don't worry, Twilight! You can read my mind all you want!" Pinkie Pie assured happily, before looking nervous, "Just, uh, don't share with anypony about the...op-clay in-way y-may ead-hay." "Pinkie, we have innocent ears present," Twilight reminded in light scolding. "We do?" Spike asked in confusion, deflating at their stares, "Oh, right," He grumbled flatly. "And Pinkie, if I talked to anypony about that stuff, your name would not be brought up and I'd only be wondering if those things exist or if the act itself is even physically possible," Twilight assured comfortingly. "Ohh...you know about those ones...," Pinkie Pie said with a near invisible blush. "Don't worry, Pinkie, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Also, yes, unicorn horns can do that," Twilight said with a suggestive grin. Now Pinkie Pie was definitely blushing, "Cherry Pie, anyone?" Spike quipped with a smirk. "C-can we change the subject, please?" Pinkie Pie requested, rubbing her hoof over her other foreleg. "As soon as you stop thinking about it," Twilight promised, "Here, I'll help: rock, roof, rinds, widow." "...One of those things is not like the others," Spike commented with a raised eyebrow as Pinkie Pie blinked. "Well, it worked. Right, Pinkie?" Twilight asked with a grin. "Worked on what?" Pinkie Pie asked with a head tilt. "Exactly," Twilight said with mock smugly, "Now, we feast!...Because, seriously, the pancakes are getting cold." One Meal Later "Top Ten. Best Pancakes. Ever," Pinkie Pie said with a content grin, patting her belly. "Well, magic wasn't the only thing I studied," Twilight said proudly. "She says, after I caught a cold when we moved here and couldn't cook for nearly a week," Spike retorted with a smirk. "Is that a challenge? Are you a challenger, good drake?" Twilight asked with a challenging glare, getting a raised eyebrow from Spike, "Are you challenging me to make a changeling joke?!...Because it's too soon and too fresh and I really don't have a good one," She finished, deflating with a sigh, "Poor Shiny said they barely got to enjoy the honeymoon." "I think sleeping is how I'd enjoy myself after repelling an invasion," Spike commented, "After the victory party, Pinkie," He added on as she raised a hoof. "Oh. Well, I'd enjoy it with a lot of baked goods from my secret secret stash," Pinkie Pie answered with a grin before looking thoughtful, "Twilight, can you read my mind to figure out where I put them?" "Pinkie, if you forgot them, what good would reading your mind do?" Twilight pointed out in amusement. "Yeah, she'd have to probe you for that one," Spike mused with a chuckle. "...Probe me?" Pinkie Pie repeated, wide eyes darting between the two. "I'd have to ease you into it, otherwise I might hurt you," Twilight answered casually. "Don't worry, Twilight is good with aftercare," Spike added on with a grin. "...Excuse me, I think Gummy is calling me!" a very embarrassed Pinkie Pie yelled before running out of the library, "Thanks for the Pancakes!" "Your windmill roofs are not dirty!" Twilight called after her. The door stopped in mid-slam as Pinkie peeked her head back in with a confused look, "What did you say, Twilight?" "Your windmill roofs are not dirty," Twilight repeated with a smile. "Oh, thanks! Thought you said my spend thrill hooves are not flirty," Pinkie Pie commented with a beaming smile, before closing the door and heading off. Spike waited ten seconds before turning to Twilight with a smirk, "We just pranked Pinkie Pie, didn't we?" He asked deviously. "Yes, my scaly comrade, we have indeed," Twilight answered with a giggle. "Best. Breakfast. Ever. Of all Time," Spike declared with relish, "...So, what was that about windmills?" he asked curiously. "Oh, nothing. I'm just trying to think a bit like Pinkie. Partially to get outside my box, partially to see what I come up with, but mostly for whatever reactions I'll get," Twilight admitted with a snicker. "Just be careful, somepony might think you're a changeling," Spike warned as he put the plates in the sink "Oh trust me, I'm counting on that," Twilight assured with a grin before scowling curiously, "Actually, why don't you think that?" "Because no one pretending to be you would try to prank Pinkie Pie," Spike answered bluntly. "So, it's so out of character, it's somehow in character?" Twilight asked thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. "Well, that and I know your pancakes anywhere," Spike answered with a sheepish blush. Twilight said nothing to that, just giving ruffling his head a bit, "So, any plans for the day?" She asked curiously. "Not really, why?" Spike replied, looking up at her with a raised eyebrow. "I got a little...prank-gift for Rainbow once she gets over suspecting I'm not Twilight, but I need somepony-or somedrake- to help me get it right," Twilight answered mischievously. "Don't you mean be the guinea pig?" Spike asked dryly. "Co-pig, Spike, co-pig," Twilight assured, patting him on the back. "...Well, if we're both doing it, why not," Spike answered with a grin. "That's the spirit! Besides, we'll both get to laugh at each other for a bit," Twilight proposed. "Yeah, yeah, but I'm out if one of us starts grow tentacles." "I'll be happy as long as we have the same number of limbs by the end of the day."