//------------------------------//
// What'll I Tell Them? 
// Story: Stitching it Together 
// by ThunderChaserCreate 
//------------------------------//

	"You're fine, Spike!" I celebrated, giving the dragon one final squeeze before setting him down, "You're just fine! I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"Through... what?" Spike's voice droned, with an odd space between the words.
I, thinking quick on my hooves, made up a clever lie, "Um... your, uh... Surgery! Yes, that's it, surgery!"
"That's not... true..." Spike mumbled, "I was... cold. And alone. And something... grabbed me. It was clammy and slimy and it was inside me!"
Spike's claw wiped away a generous few tears that spilled onto his scales, "I think that I was... dead."
The word hit me hard in the chest, and my breath caught in my throat and choked me. My soul seemed to drop through the floor as I stared into the face of my dear Spike, who knew I was lying through my pearly white teeth. He only stared back, a look behind his eyes that looked a little like sorrow, and a little bit like hate. 
Now it was my turn to burst into tears, as it hit me that what I had done was completely ridiculous, and maybe not all in a good way. I fell to the floor in front of the little dragon, burying my snout in my forelock, thinking about what I would tell the others. Was Spike truly back from the dead, or was he only a--
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: ZOMBIE SLAYERS!" I heard the little girls' voices from outside, and galloped to the front door of the boutique. The fillies were decked out in pots, pans, and trashcan lids, all roped together with clashing leather belts and twine.
"How do they do that so fast?" I whispered to myself, but soon filed the thought away to be pondered later. 
In the meantime, I dashed back to the back door, scooped up the tiny dragon with my magic, and tucked him under the kitchen table.
The CMC, toting used paper towel tubes as swords of some kind, scampered into the room, hooves sliding on the tile floor. They looked a bit perturbed, but proceeded to search the room for any sign of the dragon.
I cleared my throat, "Yes, girls?" I asked as calmly as she could, while moving to a place blocking the table.
"Don't pretend nothing happened!" Sweetie ran up to me and gave me the stink eye, "I saw you resurrect Spike in the backyard! You made me help!"
I was completely silent for a moment, preparing to explode in my younger sister's face. I counted to ten, slowly, in my head, then leaned down and whispered, "Can I talk to you alone, Sweetie?"
She looked hesitant, but followed with quick steps after me into the next room. I shut the door with my magic, then fell on the floor at my sister's hooves, "Sweetie Belle, please! I don't want anypony to know about this! And, although it shames me,  I want you to tell your friends that it was one of Rainbow's dumb pranks that I was... roped  into."
My younger sister stared at me as though I had grown three heads, then said, "Why shouldn't I tell them the truth?"
I sat up, trying to think of a quick reply, "It's... grownup stuff," I landed on, "you'll understand when you're older."
Sweetie thought on this a moment, "Alright. But!" she interrupted just as I was getting up, "It's going to cost you."
I sighed, "Fine, I'll do your chores for--"
"No! I want you to spend a whole entire day with me, doing whatever I want to do."
"But, Sweetie--"
"No buts!" it was clear the young filly enjoyed lording over her older sister.
I grumbled, then whined a quiet agreement under my breath.
"What?"
"I said 'FINE!'" I shrieked.
The two stared at each other for a few moments, grimaces twisting across our faces. Until--
"I FOUND HIM!" Scootaloo yelled from the other room.
I practically howled as I blew through the double doors and tackled the pegasus filly to the floor. A black shape flew from between the hooves of the filly, shattering on the floor.
"Oh," Scootaloo seemed disappointed, "I guess it was just a vase."
I glared at the filly beneath me, adding an appropriate snivel in before letting her get up, "Get out of my house, before I throw you out."
"We don't gotta do nuthin'!" Applebloom revolted.
"It's 'we don't have to do anything,' and, yes! You do!" I turned to my sister, "Sweetie Belle, tell them the truth."
"Um... Rarity says that it was all a big joke that Rainbow Dash put together."
Scootaloo looked pleased, "Yeah, that seems like the type of awesome thing she'd do. Is she here? Where is she?"
I stuttered trying to find words in my frustration, "Not here! Now, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
I shooed the girls out the door, closing it, relieved, behind them. She sat there a moment or two, trying to catch my breath, before remembering that Spike was still hiding in the kitchen. I ran into the neighboring room, slipping on the tile floor that had been scrubbed within an inch of it's life. I flipped the edge of the teal tablecloth, only to find that Spike wasn't there.
"Spike? Spike, where did you go?" 
"Rarity? Help!"
I turned my gaze upward, only to see Spike hanging from the ceiling fan, two tiny wings drooped at his sides.
That wasn't really meant to happen.