Sugarcube Corner was a pretty nice place. It was large enough to accommodate several decently sized dragons at the same time, but was set up so that smaller dragons wouldn’t have problems either. There were display case full of sweets and confections at various levels. Spike noticed that the higher the case, the larger the treats inside. Definitely a smart way to organize. The smaller and medium sized cases seemed to have the greatest variety of items though, from gemstone studded cupcakes to rockslide fudge bars. There were even items that spike didn’t recognize. One of those items caught his eye and he was staring at it through the glass of the display case. It appeared to be a red fruit of some kind. It was affixed to the end of a stick and dipped in what appeared to be some sort of candy coating.
He was so focused on trying to determine what the odd fruit was that he didn’t notice when Rarity tapped him on the shoulder with a knuckle. With a sigh, she tapped him again, this time with the tip of the claw. Spike jumped at the sharp and sudden poke. When he looked over at Rarity, she pointed to the now empty front counter. While Spike had been staring at the display case, the line of dragons ahead of them had disappeared. Grinning sheepishly, Spike walked over to the counter.
The dragon behind the counter looked up from the stack of delivery boxes he was tying together. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, where the sweets are, um, something. I forgot what she said.”
Spike looked at the dragon in disbelief. “Grumble?! What are you doing here? You were supposed to report to the military liaison.”
“Oh, Boss!” Grumble saluted, drawing Spike’s attention to a paper hat that was several sizes too small and sitting atop the dragon’s head. “I carried out your orders. However, there were unforeseen complications.”
Spike tried to look grumble in the eyes, but his gaze kept drifting to that ridiculous hat. “What kind of complications?”
“You remember that pink dragon? The one that can breathe in and out at the same time?” Grumble started scratching at the back of his neck. “Her name is Pinkie, and she’s the local military liaison. She’s also one of the bakers here. She’s on her way to take custody of the prisoners, but she made me take over the rest of her shift.” Grumble looked around the bakery and shrugged. “It’s actually been kind of fun. I’m not used to cooking this sort of food, so it’s been an interesting challenge. So, why are you here?”
Spike gestured to the dragoness beside him. “This is Rarity, you remember her, right?” Spike didn’t wait for an answer. He gestured to the hatchling on Rarity’s back. “You remember her too, don’t you? Well, this is Twilight, Twilight Sparkle.”
“No way.” Grumble leaned over the counter, inspecting the little, purple dragon with a critical eye. “She’s smaller than I expected.”
Twilight crossed her arms with a huff. “So?”
“So,” Grumble reached behind the counter and pulled out a small box, “you’re the perfect size to enjoy one of these.” Twilight’s eyes lit up as Grumble lifted the box’s lid, revealing a single cupcake. Its green frosting was dusted with cracked emerald and a slice of a green skinned fruit sat on top of it. Grumble removed the treat from the box and held it out to Twilight. Much to her dismay, Grumble pulled it away just as she reached for it. “Sorry.” Grumble looked down at Rarity. “Any allergies?”
Rarity shook her head. “None whatsoever.” She watched as Grumble gave Twilight the gem-encrusted confection. “Now, Twilight, don’t eat it all at o-“ Rarity ducked, barely dodging a splatter of green frosting as Twilight chomped down on the cupcake, devouring it whole.
Spike wasn’t so lucky. He got hit with the fruit flavored topping before he even knew it was coming. He grabbed a napkin of his own and wiped away the green frosting that landed on his face. He looked around for a waste bin or somewhere to toss his refuse, but didn’t find one. He looked over to make sure Twilight wasn’t looking at him and used a spell to quietly incinerate the napkin on the spot. He didn’t want her bugging him to be taught a spell that could be dangerous.
After making sure the air was clear of flying fosting, Rarity lifted her head and grabbed a napkin of the counter. She then wiped the traces of frosting from the sides of the hatchling’s face. “Don’t come crying to me when you have a tummy-ache later.”
“That’s future Twilight’s problem.” The hatchling looked at Grumble with hope in her eyes. “That was good, can I have another?”
Grumble let out a low laugh. “I’m glad you like it.” He patted Twilight on the head very carefully. He made a show of looking one way and then the other. He leaned in close to the hatchling. “I’ll let you in on a secret, don’t tell anybody.”
Twilight nodded. “Ok.” She liked secrets. Magic was full of secrets, and she liked magic. So, by extension, she liked secrets.
Grumble looked down at Rarity. The dragoness smiled and rolled her eyes before sitting down. Twilight had to hold on to the dragoness’ curved spines so she wouldn’t fall off. Rarity put her claws over her faintly rabbit-like ears with a flourish. “I trust this will be sufficient?”
Grumble looked back at Twilight and whispered to Twilight, “That was the first time I’ve ever made cupcakes.”
Twilight nodded solemnly, well, as solemnly as a hatchling can while thinking about cupcakes. “I bet Pinkie taught you. Probably used that song.” She put a claw to her chin. “Why did it work for you and not for me?”
“Because you turned the oven up to 3,500,” Rarity said. Her claws were still over her ears, even though it was clearly not doing anything. “You’re supposed to bake cupcakes at 350.”
Twilight paid no attention to the fact that Rarity was listening in. She was too busy thinking. “I thought ten times the temperature would mean ten times faster cooking speeds. I should have anticipated it would be on an order of magnitude instead. I wonder if there’s a direct correlation between the density of the mixture and its heat resistance?“
“So, what would you two like?” Grumble decided to take Spike and Rarity’s orders while Twilight was busy pondering the thermodynamic properties of cupcake batter.
Spike held up a hoof. “Nothing for me, I lost my saddlebag, so I don’t have any treasure markers.” He leaned over to Rarity. “Businesses in Dragonspire take treasure markers, right? I know some smaller towns are cash only.”
“Some places do, some places don’t.” Rarity pointed at a blue frosted cupcake in the case. It was dusted with amethyst and topped with a trio of blueberries. “One of those please.” She pointed at the item spike was looking at earlier. “One of those as well.” She looked back at Spike. Sugarcube corner takes markers, as does my shop. Sweet Apple Acres is cash only at the moment, but Applejack said she’s been considering the switch. Oh, but Sofa’s and Quills? Strictly cash. Don’t even go in there unless you’ve got gold on you.”
Spike’s head tilted to the side. “Sofas… and quills?” That’s a rather specific combination.
Grumble retrieved the selected items from the display case and held them out to Rarity. She lifted the cupcake in her magic. “Thank you, dear. Now, how much do I owe?”
“Uh,” Grumble looked down at the item still grasped in his claw, “Pinkie said that you’ve been through enough today, and that I should give you whatever you wanted when you came by.” Wasn’t she going to take the other treat? Grumble was holding the sticky fruit by the stick, but it was too small to hold comfortably. His claw was starting to cramp up.
“How nice of her.” Rarity walked off to a table, leaving Spike and Grumble at the counter.
Spike noticed that Grumble’s claw was starting to shake from being pinched down on the tiny stick. He lifted the candied fruit from Grumble’s grip.
“Thanks.” Grumble shook his claw before setting it back down. “So, she seems nice.”
“Hmm?” Spike was inspecting the confection he held in his magic. It was definitely a candy coated fruit, but he had never seen a fruit quite like it before.
“I’m talking about Rarity.” Grumble kept his voice low so only Spike could hear him.
Spike looked up from his examination of the treat. “How do you mean?”
Grumble gave Spike a small nudge with a folded claw. “I mean I see how you look at her.” Spike’s eyebrows pulled together in confusion, causing Grumble to smile. “You think she’s pretty.”
Spike looked over at the table where Rarity and Twilight sat. They appeared to be arguing over the cupcake. After a few moments of apparent standstill, Rarity used her magic to lift some of the amethyst off her cupcake. She crammed them together into a big lump with a little frosting and floated it over to Twilight. She took the improvised candy and stuffed it into her mouth with a big smile. “Yeah, I guess Rarity does meet most of the dragon standards for aesthetics.”
Grumble bit back a laugh. “I didn’t say anything about dragons, I said you.”
Spike looked back over his shoulder at Grumble. “And I’m a pony, not a dragon.”
Grumble leaned his head towards Spike. “And?”
“And?” Spike shook his head. “What do you mean by and?”
Grumble groaned and put a claw to his face. He lifted one claw in the air. “She’s a dragon,” he lifted the other, “you’re a pony, and?” He put both claws down. “What? You can still think she’s pretty.”
Spike looked back at Rarity. “Grumble, if you mention what I’m about to say to any living soul, I will call in a favor and have the records of your military service,” Spike made the air quotes motion with his hooves, “lost.” He turned around to face grumble over the counter. “I will then pull every string I can to make sure you become Ice Heart’s personal assistant for the next two years.” He tapped the counter on the last two words to emphasize his point. “You will be put through the depths of Tartarus under his special training, and I mean that literally. Ice Heart is insane!” Spike sat down and ran his hooves through his mane. “Certifiably crazy! He actually takes you to the Tartarus gate and flings you in.” Spike pantomimed tossing something to the side. “Then he makes you chase down Cerberus for the key. Do you know how fast that blasted, three-headed dog can run?”
“Uh,” Grumble glanced around the bakery, hoping for a customer to disrupt the conversation, “no.”
“Pretty fast, let me tell you. And the key isn’t even that big! It’s like this, little skeleton key.” Spike held up a hoof and pointed to it as if he were holding the thing. “I mean, it looks like the key to a little jewelry box for crying out loud. And then the stupid lock is like twenty gradus high. How are you supposed to get to that with those crazy monsters after you?” Spike swung his hoof up suddenly and leveled it at Grumble, causing the dragon to jump and straighten up. “And if you tell anydragon, anything, or anypony what I’m about to say, you will find out first hand. Is that understood?”
Grumble nodded stiffly.
Spike let out a sigh and let his face fall to the counter. “She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.” His voice was a little muffled, but still audible. “There were creatures in Tartarus that take on illusions of beauty in order to lure their prey, there were some that rely on their voices to draw you astray, there were even some that try to show you what you desire most. Not a single one of those illusions, voices, or desires holds a candle to her. Look at her, her scales shine brighter than even Celestia’s, she’s got a wonderful personality, and she’s even good with hatchlings! Even if I was a dragon, I wouldn’t stand a chance.” Spike sighed into the counter’s surface. Slowly, he straightened up and composed himself. “Well, no use complaining about it.”
Grumble nodded. “I guess not.” Being Ice Heart’s assistant would make him a centurion, right?
Spike started walking towards the table, but stopped after a few steps. He walked back to the counter. “Grumble, do you know what this is?” He undid an illusion from an item floating above his head. It was the diamond needle he found earlier. He lowered it until it was hovering in front of Grumble.
The dragon inspected the needle, letting out an appreciative whistle. “An earthmate’s spindle. You don’t see many of those anymore.”
“A what?” Spike looked from Grumble to the diamond object.
“An earthmate’s Spindle.” Grumble took off his tiny hat and set it on the counter before leaning towards Spike. “You know there are dragons that use magic connected to nature, like Old Flask and his tomato vines. Well, an earthmate is kind of like that, but instead of having a connection to life, nature, or anything like that, they have a connection with the earth, rocks, the very foundations of the world we live in. Dramatic, huh?”
“Yeah.” Spike cast the illusion spell on the spindle, once again hiding it from view. “So, Gray was an earthmate? He used to manipulate rocks and dirt.”
Grumble scoffed. “Yeah, manipulate, that’s it. An earthmate has a connection, sometimes, they can’t even manipulate a single stone, but the earth itself will move to protect them and those around them.”
Spike glanced back at the table. Twilight was watching intently as Rarity used a fork to eat her cupcake piece-by-piece. Rarity was doing her best to ignore her. Spike looked back at Grumble. “Hey,” he whispered, “you don’t suppose Twilight’s an earthmate?”
“It’s possible.” Grumble shrugged. “I don’t think there’s been a true earthmate for over a thousand years. There was one in my family, but she died about a millennium and a half ago. Being an earthmate would explain the princess’ interest in the little thing.”
“It certainly would. Well, enjoy the rest of your shift.” Spike started off for the table, but cast one last glance back at the dragon at the counter. “Remember what I said.”
Grumble lifted a claw to wave as he left. “I will, boss.”
Spike sat down at the table just as Rarity was finishing her cupcake. The moment he did so, Twilight started giggling. Rarity quickly shushed her and raised a napkin to her face. Both gestures were completely unnecessary. Nothing would stop Twilight’s giggles, and there wasn’t a single crumb on the dragoness’ face. Spike soon realized that Rarity wasn’t wiping her face off. She was just holding the napkin there, in front of her face, and trying to be nonchalant about it. He leaned over to her. “Are you, ok?” He whispered.
Rarity leaned away, keeping the napkin in place. “Of course I am. What makes you ask?”
Spike sat back and lifted a hoof. He made a small gesture towards his face, indicating the napkin Rarity held over her own.
She looked down at the napkin, then back at Spike. She cleared her throat and set the napkin down, folding it as she did. Her face was tinted pink. “It’s the sugar.” She fidgeted a little and looked off into the air somewhere. “I always get a little flushed when eating sweet foods.”
Spike nodded in understanding. “I get that with spicy stuff.” He started laughing. “For the Celestia, it’s salt. You should see her try to eat a bag of pretzels, it’s hilarious.”
Twilight and Rarity exchanged looks of confusion. Rarity was the first to look back at Spike and speak. “That seems a rather disrespectful way to speak of the princess.”
Twilight chimed in a moment later. “I wanna see her eat a bag of pretzels! I bet she eats a really big bag, doesn’t she?”
Rarity glared at the hatchling beside her. “I hardly think that’s an appropriate question.”
“Nah!” Spike dismissed her concerns with a wave of a hoof. “It’s fine. She special orders them from a company in Darkspire. Each pretzel is as big as I am, and Celestia can eat a clawfull at a time. They come in a canvas bag the size of a small building.”
“Wow,” Twilight said in breathless wonder, “I wonder if I’ll ever get that big?”
“You’d stand a better chance at it if you gave me less fuss about eating your vegetables.” Rarity cleared her throat and turned to face Spike. “Now, if you don’t mind me asking, how, exactly, do you know the princess?”
Spike glanced off to the side. “I guess it’s the kind of the same as you and Twilight. She found me in a forest somewhere about twenty-or-so years ago.” He glanced to the other side and noticed that he was still holding the candied fruit in a magical field. “Oh!” He grabbed hold of the stick in his hoof and offered it to Rarity. “Here you go.”
“Um, no,” Rarity held up a claw, “that’s for you. I saw you looking at it.”
“Gee, thanks, Rarity.” Spike turned the treat around in his hoof, examining it from all sides. He looked up at Rarity with a smile on his face. “What is it?”