“It was nice of Spike to ask us all over for a sleepover!” cheered Apple Bloom from within the guest room she shared with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
“I just don’t see why he wouldn’t stay with us in the same room,” Scootaloo shrugged. “It’s not like we have cooties or something silly like that.”
Sweetie Belle was fighting sleep but felt compelled to add to the discussion.
“”He just is probably nervous about snoring or doing something embarrassing in his sleep,” she yawned.
“Embarrassin’?” thought Apple Bloom.
“No pony could snore louder than Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo sighed. “No monster would dare ever even try to hide under her bed.”
The girls snickered.
“That’s funny,” remarked Apple Bloom. “Maybe all Equestria needs is to make a siren that belts out Dash’s snorin’ to scare away the baddies?”
Sweetie Belle smiled.
“Rarity talks in her sleep,” she grinned. “It’s really funny when she starts waving her hoof about while saying something about a fashion she’s showing to one of those fashion ponies she works with.”
Scootaloo looked towards Apple Bloom and snickered.
“I bet your sister says a bunch of those ‘countryisms’ while kicking her blankets off like she’s bucking apples,” she teased. “Lasso spaghetti on apple-butter toast!”
The young farm pony blushed.
“Can’t deny it,” she sighed. “My favorite was when I heard her say, ‘Well hoot the owl and doodle the rooster.’.”
The girls all laughed.
Scootaloo got out of her sleeping bag and stretched.
“I say we go see what Spike does in his sleep!” she announced while wiggling her tiny wings.
“Whaddaya’ mean, Scoot?” wondered Apple Bloom. “Like snoopin’?”
“Just a peak,” the orange-colored filly Pegasus. Replied. “I’m not feeling all that tired and seeing what Spike is like when he sleeps sounds fun.”
“Can’t we just sleep, scootaloo?” pleaded Sweetie Belle. “I just got comfortable and you remember what happened when we snooped around on ponies the last time.”
Apple Bloom rolled over in her sleeping bag.
“Sweetie’s right, Scoot,” she stated. “No good will come of it.”
Scootaloo moved for the guest room door.
“And you all call me chicken,” she taunted. “Sleepovers are for adventure and living dangerously.”
“This comin’ from the pony whose afraid of old mare’s tales,” Apple Bloom retorted.
Scootaloo scowled.
“fine!” she snapped. “I ain’t afraid of nothing and I’ll prove it!”
Sweetie Belle sighed with frustration.
“We have to go after her,” she grumbled as she sat up in her sleeping bag.
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom moaned. “Last thing I want is to get in trouble because Scootaloo thinks she’s got somethin’ to prove.”
***
The orange Pegasus delighted in stealthily making her way through the halls of Twilight’s castle.
“I’ll show them who’s afraid,” she softly said to herself while peaking around a corner. “Spike’s room is just down this way and no pony is in sight.”
***
Spike was having a hard time sleeping. The purple dragon normally had no trouble at all getting cozy enough to fall into a deep slumber. However recent changes had made him a bit insecure.
“Just don’t think about it,” he said as he fixated his tired eyes upon a shiny gem in his claw. “It’s not a big deal. It’s only temporary. It’s not going to be forever.”
He gasped as he felt himself spasm with awareness of what was the cause of his bedtime woes.
“No!” he scolded himself. “I can’t let this beat me!”
The emerald-eyed dragon angrily kicked at his blankets and sat himself upp.
“Ungh…,” he moaned. “All I want to do is fall asleep!”
Spike took a firm grip on the gem and stared intently at it.
“Just think of the gem,” he said. “Think of how you’ll eat this in the morning and how delicious it will be to eat it without thinking of how… that… argh!”
***
Spike’s ranting from his bedroom caught the attention of Scootaloo.
“Ha!” she grinned. “I knew he didn’t just go to bed.”
TAP-TAP
EEP!
The orange Pegasus shrieked upon feeling something pat upon her back. However it wasn’t long before she realized it was just Apple Bloom with a groggy Sweetie Belle in tow.
“This ain’t a good idea, Scoot,” the Earth Pony with the red mane stated. “Best come back to bed with us.”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle whimpered. “What if Starlight or Twilight wake up?”
Scootaloo rolled her purple-colored eyes.
“Yeah…,” she trailed while adjusting herself to turn to burst into Spike’s bedroom door. “Not gonna’ happen!”
“Scootaloo!” growled Apple Bloom as she gave chase.
Sweetie Belle tripped on her hooves as she battled with herself on whether to stay, follow, or run back to the guest room.
“Wait for me!” she called as Scootaloo crashed through the door.
***
Spike really wanted to sleep. He really wanted to get some rest. However both escaped him and all because of-
CRASH!
-“Hey, Spike!” cheered Scootaloo who was soon followed by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “We weren’t ready for sleep and thought…”
Silence fell upon the room as Spike wearily looked towards the girls who all couldn’t believe what they had come to find.
“Uh…,” trailed Apple Bloom with a blush.
“Bad idea…,” stated Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle simply burned red with embarrassment as she turned her head away.
The youthful dragon didn’t know whether to cry or be angry. He was just too tired from days of having to concern himself with…
“I wet the bed,” he stated with defeat. “So I have to wear a diaper so I don’t make a mess of my sheets.”
The girls were at a loss for words.
Spike’s face burned red with shame.
“You won’t tell anyone, right?” he asked pleadingly. “Only Twilight and Starlight know and I don’t want anyone else to know about this.”
Scootaloo felt very guilty for wanting to do what she did to Spike. This idea had definitely gone all wrong.
“Spike…,” Apple Bloom tried to apologize.
Sweetie Belle felt tears well up in her green eyes as she trotted towards the dragon.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I used to wet the bed, too.”
Spike appeared surprised to hear the filly Unicorn’s statement.
“Did you…,” he gulped while gesturing towards the diaper he was currently wearing. “Need one of these?”
Sweetie’s face burned so deep from embarrassment that the white coloring of her fur could barely be seen.
“I still, uh…,” she said while scraping a hoof upon the ground as she looked away. “I still need to when there are thunderstorms at night… Or if I’m really scared.”
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked at each other with surprise.
“It’s okay, Spike,” added Sweetie Belle as she reached to hold his claw in her hoof. “I didn’t want any pony to know either. However, just maybe, it is good to know as it does feel better knowing I’m not the only one who still wets the bed.”
Spike squeezed Sweetie Belle’s hoof.
“It does kind of feel better,” he replied.
“Uh…,” Scootaloo anxiously began. “I, uh, needed diapers until I was almost five.”
“It’s no big deal,” stated Apple Bloom. “We’re quite sorry for barging in on you like this. We won’t say anything and promise to never do somethin’ like this ever again.”
The situation was quite awkward. However Sweetie Belle knew how to put it all to an end.
PSHEW
The white Unicorn used her magic to fluff Spike’s pillow and bring his blanket back over his torso.
“Just get some rest,” she said. “No pony is going to say anything and you are no less a dragon for needing a little protection at night. You’ll grow out of it.”
The restless dragon laid himself down upon the pillow and held the blankets firmly in his claws.
“It will?” he asked with hope.
Sweetie nodded.
“It will,” she assured. “Rarity promised and so did my mom and dad.”
“Thanks,” yawned spike as his panic gave way for his total exhaustion.
Sweetie noticed the plush version of her sister lying on the floor and discretely slipped it under the blanket with her magic until it reached Spike’s side.
“Just rest easy,” she mothered. “Tomorrow is another day and everything will be a-okay.”
Spike’s eyes began to flutter closed.
“Okay girls,” Sweetie softly stated. “Let’s let Spike get his rest.”
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded their heads before allowing their friend to lead the way out of the room.
“You’re not going to say anything to Rainbow Dash, are you?” the orange Pegasus asked with a hint of worry.
“As far as I’m concerned,” added Apple Bloom as they followed Sweetie Belle back to the guest room. “This never happened and will never happen again.”
“Privacy is important,” added Sweetie Belle. “Now let’s get some sleep and not go back to our Gabby Gums ways.”
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom nodded their heads as they returned to their sleeping bags and fell asleep.