Spike didn’t get to see Celestia for very long, much to his great disappointment. The setting of the sun had already been put into motion when the shining princess arrived at Twilight’s palace with Luna by her side. When he had tried to greet her, she simply brushed him aside and continued on her way to meet Twilight.
Celestia offered him only a sweet smile and a subtle ‘wink’ as she passed him by. Luna, on the other hand, gave Spike a strange stare but said nothing. The sisters disappeared with Twilight behind her office door which slammed shut and locked, separating Spike from Celestia. The dragon let out a disappointed sigh and kicked his feet up as he strolled back down the corridor towards the main entrance.
As he looked outside, through the open doors, he saw the erection of tents, tables, and banners. The festival would be starting very soon. With nothing else to do inside the palace, Spike figured the best place for him to be was in Ponyville, out and about. He clenched his claws and shoved them into his pockets before stepping onto the simple dirt path that lead into town.
It didn’t take him long to encounter Starlight. The mare had her back to him, and she held a clipboard in one hand and a quill in the other. She appeared to be directing winged ponies as they hoisted a tent into the air. One in particular looked familiar. “A little to the left, Fluttershy!”
Spike smiled and approached her from behind. “Um... Hi, Starlight.”
She clenched onto her quill and clipboard and spun on her heels. “Ah!” Only the sight of Spike was enough to put her brief outburst of terror at ease. “Oh... Hey, Spike... What are you doing here?”
The dragon shrugged, keeping his hands in his pockets. “I dunno... The palace seems kinda crowded with the princesses there, so I thought I’d come and see if there was anything I could do to help.”
Starlight cracked a smile and put a hand on her hips. “That’s really nice of you, Spike, but I have everything under control.” She gestured to the tent behind her. “This is the last thing to set up. The rest of the festival is already in full swing. You should get going and have some fun.”
Spike frowned, but found that he had no argument to make. “Yeah... Sure, Starlight...”
Without meeting the mare’s gaze, he turned and headed back down the dirt road, further into town where string light crisscrossed from building to building. “Spike, when I see Twilight, I’ll tell her I spoke with you, alright?”
He didn’t turn around of offer her any response. Spike just felt bummed out. His heart yearned for one thing, one mare, and that one thing was persistently denied to him. Ponies surrounded him, laughing and cheering as they shared in each other’s company.
By the time he reached the center of town, the sun had completely set behind the distant mountains, but that didn’t matter to the ponies of Ponyville. Lights shined all throughout the community and upbeat music played harmoniously. Thirsty and in search of a place to sit, Spike sought out an outdoor bar that had been raised by the steps of the town hall. The counter formed an ‘L’ shape and reached around the government building with barstools standing every few feet in the dirt.
It looked as good enough of a place as any other. Spike approached the bar and took the nearest stool for himself, sitting down and placing his elbows on the counter. The bartender turned and saw him, raising an eyebrow before confronting the young dragon. “I’m sorry, kid. I can’t serve minors.”
Spike looked down, observing himself before looking back up at the stallion running the bar. “Minor? How old do you think I am?” In truth, he was only nineteen years old. At least, that’s how long it had been since Twilight hatched him so long ago.
His response seemed to take the bartender by surprise, but Spike waved his hand dismissively. “I just want some water, please...”
The bartender smiled and tilted a nod in his direction. “Sure thing, sir.”
Moments later, Spike had a tall glass of crystal clear water in front of him. To top it all off, little bergs of ice floated and bounced around inside the glass, chilling the water to the point where drops began forming along the outside before dripping onto the counter.
Spike eagerly took the glass. “Thank you.”
Then, he began to take long sips that traveled down his throat and cooled his chest. Occasionally, he would look over his shoulder to see the dancing ponies circling around the fountain behind him, and every so often, another pony would sit down at the bar. Sometimes, there would be a couple, laughing and drinking, but they would quickly get bored with the bar and share a kiss before racing back to the fountain.
It sure was, without a doubt, the Festival of Laughter, but with every minute that passed, Spike began to feel more and more unhinged. He wanted to go back home, to lock himself away in his room and sleep the night away, but just as he was about to rise from the stool, a pair of gentle hands landed on his shoulders. Spike froze as the hands caressed his shoulders, then his neck.
They gracefully grazed his cheeks and covered his eyes. Spike watched as several pale fingers closed over his eyes, blocking his view. “Guess who...”
The dragon’s heart raced in his chest and a wide smile forced its way onto his lips. The fingers pulled away, and he came face to face with Celestia. The princess beamed at him as she took the seat beside his. “I’m sorry I kept you so long... The meeting went on longer than I anticipated.”
Her hands still caressed his cheeks. They were all he could focus on, her soft touch, but as he opened his eyes, he saw that Celestia’s smile had vanished. “There was another complication as well...”
That certainly didn’t sound good, but before Spike could pry into her concern, a cheerful voice erupted from the fountain as a mare came waltzing towards them. “Celestia, my dear! There you are...”
The white princess forced a toothy smile and turned her gaze to face the interruption. “Hello, mother...”
Spike’s has dropped. It was indeed Celestia’s mom, but what she was doing there, the dragon had no clue.
The alicorn held an erotic glass in her hand filled with a blue liquid. “Ah, Celestia, honey... I’m so glad I found you. Your father-“
Then, her eyes landed on him. “Oh... Um...” She tapped her forehead, just below her horn, like she was trying to remember something. “Spike! Yes, my daughter’s charming boyfriend. It’s a pleasure to see you again, my dear. How are things?”
Celestia loudly cleared her throat. “Ehem! Mother... We were a little busy, now please-“
She held her free hand up, making sure not to spill her drink. “Say no more, sweetie. I’m going to go find your father and Luna. I believe she wanted to indulge herself in some of the festivities around here.” She then began to back towards the crowd of partying ponies. “Do enjoy yourselves! It was nice seeing you again, Spike!”
Then, just as quickly as she arrived, the elder alicorn vanished. Celestia raised a hand to her temples and sighed. Spike was still baffled by the whole encounter as he turned to face his date. “What was that about?”
The princess shrugged her shoulders as she turned and placed her arms on the counter. “Just my mother prying into things that don’t concern her...”
Spike recoiled slightly. That didn’t sound like Celestia at all, but she put on her kind smile and wrapped a gentle arm around his neck. The dragon felt himself being pulled forward ever so slightly. “Don’t worry about a thing, Spike. We’re here to have fun and enjoy ourselves...”
Being so close to her, he became painfully aware of what she was wearing, a gown that exsposed ample amounts of her flesh for the world to behold. “Now, are you going to kiss me, or should I kiss you?”
Trying desperately not to stare at her chest, Spike couldn’t bring himself to respond. Celestia chuckled softly and bit her lower lip before moving in and pressing her mouth against his. There it was, that same sensation he felt he might before when she kissed him on the lips. Fireworks exploded in his chest and his mind turned to jelly.
The kiss was brief, and it ended with a firm smooch that left Spike feeling like he’d been shot out of a cannon, dazed and confused. Celestia brushed her hair aside as she pulled away, grinning sweetly. “Mmmm... You taste just as good as you did last night, Spike...”
She then stood up from her stool and took a step backwards. “Wait here... I’m going back to the palace to change. I’ll be back soon!”
Spike waved as she vanished into the crowd of dancing ponies, feeling far better than he had minutes ago.
***Up Next: Touching Tenderly***