“Spike?”
The deep rumble of snoring caught Twilight’s attention from below. A huge pile of books on the library floor was expanding and shrinking in time to the rhythmic rumble. With the hoof not holding the cake, she flipped a book aside and poked the revealed purple scales. The snoring stopped.
“Spike,” she tried again and then jumped back as Spike sat up abruptly, dislodging the hardbacks in an avalanche of books. The cake teetered precariously for a moment and then settled. Twilight put it on her desk, out of harm’s way.
“Wassat?” He looked blearily around and then down. “Oh, Twilight. Hey.”
“Sorry to disturb your beauty sleep. Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”
“Huh?”
Twilight nodded meaningfully towards the boxed wedding cake. Spike’s shoulders sagged
.
“Oh yeah.”
With a stretch that cracked his spine, Spike squeezed through the doorway up to the mezzanine. A few minutes later he reappeared in a tuxedo.
“How do I look?” He asked.
Twilight smiled.
“Very handsome.”
“You’re the only one who thinks so,” Spike said with a forlorn sigh.
With a thud he sat down, the books shaking on their shelves.
“Now Spike, that’s not true,” Twilight said, bending her head to pick up the quill that had fallen from her desk.
“Rarity doesn’t,” Spike said, looking embarrassed.
Twilight bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. Poor Spike, still holding a candle for Rarity after all these years.
“Rarity’s very fond of you, why else would she ask you to be her pageboy?” She chided gently.
But Spike just looked more dejected, large shoulders hunching about his ears. Twilight straightened up, mentally preparing a speech.
“You know, Spike,” she started but she was interrupted by an explosion of streamers and Pinkie Pie erupting into the room through the bookcase.
“Are you two ready? I’m ready! Oh my gosh this is so exciting I can’t wait I can’t wait!”
“Come on now, you two,” Apple Jack chimed in from the doorway. “Why, Twilight you’re not even ready.”
“I’m ready!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“I know you are, Pinkie Pie,” Apple Jack said with a warm smile.
“I’m ready too,” Spike rumbled.
“Why so you are. My you look very handsome!” Apple Jack said with a grin.
Spike blushed, sitting up a little.
“Thanks. You look very, uh, nice?”
Actually Apple Jack looked hideously uncomfortable, Twilight thought. For the first time in her life AJ had consented to wear a gown, one of Rarity’s choosing no less – the same organza affair they were all wearing as her bridesfillies. Tasteful of course. And because it was Rarity’s wedding they had all agreed to wear them, even Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack.
Apple Jack hooked a hoof into the collar of her dress and pulled it this way and that.
“Most uncomfortable darned thing I’ve ever worn,” she said.
“Twilight, you’ll make us late!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Rarity’s wedding was an elegantly expensive affair. They all danced well into the night until Twilight felt she needed to sit down before her legs fell off. She found a spot under a tree where she could watch the other ponies hoofing around the dance floor.
She felt sad for some inexplicable reason. Why did she feel sad when this was supposed to be the happiest day of her friend’s life? It felt like the end of an era.
“Man I am beat,” Spike said, sitting on the ground next to her. “Well that’s it I guess,” he said sadly, looking towards where Rarity and Beau were dancing and rubbing noses.
“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight said.
“Meh, I knew it was never going to happen. It’s just, she was my first love, you know?”
Twilight turned to look at him. Spike smiled at her.
“Are you going to be okay?” She asked.
“Oh yeah. I’m fine. How about you? You were looking sad there for a moment.”
She let her gaze wonder back to Rarity.
“It’s the end of an era,” she said ruefully. “Now there’s only five of us.” A horrible thought struck her. “Well until somepony else gets married, and then another and then another and then it’ll be just me!”
To her surprise Spike laughed so hard he fell backwards onto the grass.
“Twilight, that’s ridiculous. Rarity’s not going anywhere, she’s still your friend.”
“I know. It’s different though.”
Spike knocked her flank with his shoulder in comfort.
“Yeah.”
She flopped backward with a melodramatic sigh into the grass next to him. There were lanterns in the tree branches above, and beyond that the spread of stars over the night sky.
“What planet is that again?” Spike asked, pointing to Mars in a blatant attempt at distracting her.
Twilight let him, launching into a description of the planet Mars. She was half way through its history when Rarity loomed over them, blocking out the sky above.
“What on earth are you two doing lying in the grass? Twilight, Spike, I insist you both come and dance with me at once!”
Surrounded by her friends on the dance floor, Twilight felt a lot better. She danced and danced until her hooves were aching, until Rarity caught sight of Beau, sitting to the side waiting for her. Then there were hugs all round, a kiss on the cheek for Spike and tears in Rarity’s eyes as she threw herself around Twilight.
“Oh I’ll miss you all so much. Don’t you dare have too much fun without me while I’m away!”
“We won’t,” Twilight promised.
“I’ll miss you, Rarity,” Fluttershy said sadly. “It won’t be the same.”
“Oh darling, don’t be silly. I’ll be back before you know it and then nothing will have changed!”
I hope so, Twilight thought to herself as she watched Beau lead Rarity away.
After that they all went their separate ways. Rainbow and Fluttershy waved to her as they flew off, carrying a fast-asleep Pinkie Pie between them. Apple Jack had woken a sleepy Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle and was herding them towards the farmhouse. It was now so late that Twilight was having difficulty keeping her eyes open. She knelt down to pick up her cape from where she had left it. The grass was soft and so comfortable that she stayed put a moment, enjoying the sensation of taking the weight off her hooves; the next thing she knew, Spike was gently scooping her up. He was big enough now to carry her without breaking a sweat. Soon they’d have to build him an extension for the library, if he stayed. He was getting older, he must have thought about leaving, maybe finding other dragons again. The question bubbled up out of her.
“Spike, are you going to leave?” She asked him sleepily.
Spike snorted.
“I couldn’t possibly leave. What would you do without me huh?”
There was a jolting motion as Spike ducked through the doorway into the library and then a rocking as he climbed the stairs. Carefully he lowered her to her bed.
“Good,“ Twilight mumbled, stretching out under her covers feeling warm and content.
A scaly hand ruffled her mane and then she could hear Spike moving away as she drifted off, back to sleep.
Outside the sun was rising. It was already a new day.