“Um, Twilight?” A claw prodded her gently on the shoulder.
Twilight’s head shot up and she blinked her red eyes wildly, her cheek slightly flattened from being squished against the page. A small crust of drool had dried on her chin and her hair was sticking up on one side. She looked at Spike blearily.
“Hi Spike. That book was SO SAD. I could not believe how horribly sad it was. The sadness overwhelms me. I am exceptionally sad today. What time is it?”
“It’s about nine o’clock. I was going to carry you to bed, but I know how you HAVE to brush your teeth every night.”
“Well then you should have done it for me!” Twilight looked cross and Spike reeled back a little, but then she giggled and hugged him.
“Just kidding. Thanks, buddy.” She yawned. “May you get me a cup of warm milk? I could always use some tryptophan.”
“Skim or whole?” Spike asked, shrugging her lazy arms off of his shoulders.
“Skim, of course!” Twilight laughed, dizzily getting up and stumbling toward her bed. “It’s as if you don’t even know me!”
“When you’re this friendly, I don’t,” the baby dragon quipped, grinning. He poured her a glass, heated it with his dragon’s breath, inserted her straw and brought it to her, leading her up the stairs and to her bedside.
“Do you want me to get you your toothbrush?” he asked, putting the milk down on the bedside table.
“Yes pretty please!” Twilight hopped up onto her bed and folded her legs under her, lying her head close to her chest.
When Spike came back, carrying the bristled wooden stick, he found her sleeping quietly. He sighed and looked at the brush, then at her mouth. She already said she wanted me to... he thought. And it probably wouldn’t be THAT nasty...
In the end, he complied, brushing the minty spread on her perfectly white pony teeth for the solid two minutes. Miss Goody-Four-Shoes wouldn’t want it any other way. At the end, she spit the liquid into the cup of her own dreamy will, to Spike’s delight.
“Good night, Twi. You unconsciously owe me a favor.” He kissed her on the forehead, and she unconsciously nodded her head toward him, meeting his lips with hers. He moved his head back, kind of startled and dazed, and smiled. Once more, he kissed her on the forehead, holding her down firmly to make sure nothing happened, and trotted downstairs to lock the front door before returning to his own wicker bed.
Meanwhile, Twilight woke up with uncanny ease and felt at her forehead with her hoof. “I knew he would do it,” she smiled, then went to bed for real.