//------------------------------// // Do For Love // Story: His Vector Grey // by Darkryt Orbinautz //------------------------------// As night fell upon Ponyville's dusty fields, Twilight and Pinkie left Fluttershy's house, leaving her to the mercies of the teenagers . . . or perhaps the teenagers to the mercies of Fluttershy. They weren't really sure which. But either way, Twilight had insisted on getting out quickly so they could keep an eye on Spike. Pinkie was glad to see that, even though Twilight wasn't willing to divulge the secrets of their relationship just yet, Twilight wasn't going to let Spike's investigative inquiries stop her from worrying over his safety in the darkness of the night. Spike felt differently, not knowing of Twilight's uncertainty and anxiety about sharing her secret, and to him, it seemed less like caring for his safety and more about smothering him. They got to the library without incident, though not entirely without distraction. Pinkie was still Pinkie, and that meant she had to check out every little moving thing that caught her interest, even that twitch she saw in the forest that turned to just be a grasshopper on a tree stump. Twilight stepped around the rest of her friends and unlocked the door. Spike grumbled about how pushy she was being. “There's no need to shove us around, Twi, geez . . .” “What was that?” “Nothing!” “Mh-hmm.” Twilight huffed at Spike, making it clear she didn't believe him, but she didn't seem too concerned about pursuing the matter, as she simply opened the door and trotted in. Spike followed after her, thinking about how nice it would be to wrap in his nice comfy basket and drift off to dreamland, but a painful sharp pressure on his tail brought him back to reality. “Ow!” “Oh, I'm sorry, Spike! I didn't mean to get your tail!” Spike turned around and raised an eyebrow at Pinkie. “Uh, shouldn't you be at Sugarcube Corner?” Why was Pinkie following him inside the house? She didn't sleep here. Did she think maybe they were a slumber party waiting, or did it not occur to her that the 'Celebratory Week' had long since ended? Pinkie shifted her eyes back and forth. “Uh, yes. No! Maybe. Um . . . ” Spike crossed his arms. “You and Twilight have been spending so much time together lately! Why-!” “Spike.” Spike's heart dropped into his stomach. He turned around and saw Twilight resting on the stairs, giving him a glare. Her shadow arched out from the stairs across the floor. It was a like a strict Victorian father ready to admonish his child for even daring to think that he could engage his sense of childlike wonder. “Remember what I said at Fluttershy's house?” Twilight questioned, walking towards him and taking her place – her rightful place- next to Pinkie Pie. “That what we're doing is an adult thing that does not concern you?” “But-!” Spike protested. “Why don't you go to bed, Spike?” Twilight asked softly, but Spike saw it for the veiled order that it was. Spike exploded, fed up with Twilight's secret-keeping. “You and her have been spending so much time together, it's like I don't even matter to you anymore!” Pinkie's nose started to whistle as she tried to contain the rage boiling inside her, threatening to burst forth and just frikkin' tell Spike already. She wanted to. Pinkie wanted to sooo badly, and she had faith that Spike could handle it, but she also knew if she just went out of nowhere and told Spike without clearing it with Twilight, Twilight would feel so betrayed! “All right, fine.” Twilight muttered in response. “Tomorrow, I will send Pinkie back to Sugarcube Corner and spend the whole day with you.” Spike raised an eyebrow, while Pinkie tried to raise an alarm. “You sure about that, Twi?” “Yes, Spike. I'm sure. I still care for you, even if I am spending time learning about . . . er, friendship with Pinkie Pie.” “Are you really, really sure?” Pinkie added in, pressing herself against Twilight and rubbing their Cutie Marks together. Pinkie started to wrap her tail around Twilight's neck. “I mean, think about what you'll be missing!” Pinkie would've loved for Twilight to send her away for a day and spend time with Spike, but she also knew what that meant to Twilight. Twilight, the pony afflicted with Pink Fever, addicted to the feel of Pink against her flesh, without her widdle Pinkie to treat her. Twilight closed her eyes and took in a big whiff of Pinkie's tail. She sighed in content. “Aaah . . . okay, okay . . . the day after tomorrow, I will send Pinkie Pie away and spend the day with you, Spike. I promise. Now go to bed.” Spike rubbed his chin, understandably doubtful that Twilight would live up to her end of the bargain. He noticed how pained Twilight seemed to be, either with or without Pinkie. The whines she made under her breath both when Pinkie came hopping in, and the whinnies when Pinkie turned to leave. He nodded his head and played along. “Yeah . . . all right . . . bed . . .” Spike turned around and walked up the stairs, his dragon tail crawling along the ground like a saddened slug. Seeing he was gone, Twilight sighed. Pinkie put a hoof on Twilight's neck, knowing that the feel of her hoof always made Twilight feel just a little bit better inside. “What's wrong?” “I don't know how long I can keep this up.” Twilight admitted. “He's going to know the truth eventually.” Pinkie blinked, not sure if she heard that right. “Could you repeat that?” Twilight was confused by Pinkie's request, but obeyed it. “He's going to know the truth eventually?” Pinkie tried not to let the smile that was forming inside her out. To hear Twilight admit that Spike was going to eventually know the truth was extremely encouraging, as before, Twilight was violently against the idea of letting Spike know anything, but now that she was confronted with the reality of it . . . she accepted it. She accepted that Spike was going to find out, instead of, say, having a complete breakdown and loss of contact with reality over the possibility that maybe, just maybe some secrets aren't worth keeping. “Yeah, that.” Pinkie answered. She frowned as she remembered she still needed to prepare Twilight for coping without her soon. Extending the deadline from tomorrow to the day after tomorrow gave some room for maneuvers, but only up from 12 hours for the rest of tonight to 36 for this night and tomorrow. “Come on.” Pinkie nudged her head against Twilight's neck, in the direction of the kitchen. “Let's go binge on sweets.” “Mmm . . . are you sure that's a good idea, Pinkie? We still have things to do tomorrow . . .” “Nope!” Pinkie answered. “In fact, I'm sure it is the absolute worst idea right now . . . which is typically when it is also the best idea!” “Mmm . . .” Twilight and Pinkie went to the kitchen and pulled out two chairs, taking out a secret, hidden stash of sugar cubes from the refrigerator and stacking them in pyramids on the table. With Spike in bed, they could freely indulge without worrying about Spike catching them doing something naughty with their inhibitions lowered. For the first cube, they felt a brief, fleeting spike of joy, the sweet taste of their treats allowing them to temporarily forget their troubled relationships. For the third cube, they felt their joy swell up, knowing they wouldn't run out of cubes any time soon. By the twelfth cube, they both felt daring, and picked cubes from the others' pile and feed it to them, causing giggles to spew. By the twenty-fourth cube, they were having a jolly good time arguing over whether it was the west wall of the library or the south wall that broke out into soprano. After much arguing, they agreed to a comprise that were it was both singing, deciding to do a barbershop quartet, but North Wall and East Wall just didn't feel like it today. “He-he!” Pinkie giggled, bouncing her chair. Twilight, equally buzzed, bounced her chair in response and also giggled. “Come here, you!” Pinkie raised her front legs and beckoned Twilight over for a kiss. But she lost her balance, and flailed her legs as she fell off her chair tipped and deposited her on the floor. “Piiiinkie!” Twilight wailed. It was just the chair tipping over, but in Twilight's buzz, it seemed as though Pinkie was plummeting to her doom after falling off the edge of a cliff. Twilight abandoned her chair, tipping it over as well in the process, and went to comfort her love. Twilight got on to her hind legs and scooped Pinkie up into her front legs. “Are you okay, my love?” “Uhhh . . . I don't know.” Pinkie dazedly murmured, her sugar buzz keeping her disoriented. “Say, maybe a little . . . ” Pinkie lashed her front leg around Twilight's neck and lifted her head up, bringing their lips closer together. “Tender loving care should fix me right up, cutie pie.” Twilight's mouth hung open in lust at Pinkie's teasing. She panted heavily, ready for Pinkie to take her. “Wait, wait . . .” Twilight turned her head towards the door, where her drunken vision was barely to make out three purple blurs standing adjacent to each other. Even in her stupor, Twilight was capable of recognizing her assistant when he was disobeying his bed time and defying her authority. “Uh . . .” “Spike!” Twilight screamed. “Get out of here! Go back to bed!” “Yeah, I just forgot something.” Spike held out a piece of papyrus Twilight hadn't noticed. “Your brother was going to come over sometime soon, but he was so busy he couldn't only come by late, so I thought I tell you, since it's almost when he said he'd be by.” “Uh-huh.” Twilight nodded as Pinkie fell from her grasp and dropped to the floor, not taking in the implications of Spike's words. “Good. Thank you, Spike. Now go back to bed!” Spike raised his arms in surrender, and dropped the scroll to the floor before leaving and heading back up the stairs. “Now, where were we?” Twilight asked, pinning Pinkie Pie beneath her hooves. “I don't remember . . . ” Pinkie answered, rolling her sugar-buzzed eyes. “I think I was giving you an excuse to kiss me?” “Oh. Since when do I need to excuse to get me a slice of my little Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked, pretending to be offended as she rubbed her hoof along Pinkie's marshmallow-soft chest. “I mean . . . ” Twilight lowered her head in close. “It is my Pie, after all, isn't it?” In something Twilight found most strange, Pinkie didn't answer, just staring blankly into oblivion without any regard for the mare atop her. Twilight became worried. “Isn't it? Isn't it, Pinkie? Pinkie, why won't you answer me!?” “I . . .” Pinkie raised her hoof, her blue eyes shimmering with pure innocence and dark unknowing. “I'm scared.” “Of whaaat?” Twilight whined. “Come on, sweetie. We're partners now.” Twilight cupped Pinkie's cheek and rubbed it reassuringly. “We need to be able to tell each other things.” “Well . . .” Pinkie clicked her tongue, but was spared from explaining by a sudden, unexpected knock on the door. “Oh, that must be my brother.” Twilight concluded. “Spike said he was coming by . . .” Twilight, though suffering much psychosomatic pain from it, willed herself up and away from Pinkie, wobbling on her hooves. As she stood, the impact of what was happening finally hit her hard, like a sock with brick inside had just been stuffed into a cannon and fired at her face. “Oh my gosh!” The realization of what was happening distressed Twilight to the point she was able to overcome her sugar buzz and snapped out of her reverie. “My brother is here! Shining Armor is here, visiting! Do you know what that means!?” Pinkie blinked, not nearly as sobered up as Twilight was. “There's a male pony named Shining Armor whose your brother is waiting outside the door, knocking to be let in?” “Yes! Do you know what that means?” “No?” Pinkie confusedly answered, climbing to her hooves. “It means my brother is here! Shining Armor doesn't know about us, Pinkie, and he can't! It's not even like Spike where he just can't know because- because . . . I don't know why, but Shining Armor REALLY can't know!” “Huh?” Pinkie said, rubbing her forehead, her sugar buzz keeping her from understanding such a complex concept as keeping a romantic relationship a secret from a distant family member. Twilight galloped to the door and frantically pulled it open, not thinking in her panic about keeping Shining Armor in the dark that maybe she could stop and calm down so she didn't panic and accidentally reveal to Shining Armor her relationship with Pinkie Pie. On the other side of the door, with bags under his eyes but a smile on his lips, was a stallion with a gleaming coat, and dark blue rock star hair for his mane and tail. He was wearing a red saddle with golden outline, a design Twilight recognized as being from a faraway foreign land. His Cutie Mark was a blue shield with a purple star embroidered into it and sparkles coming from the top of it. There was no mistaking it; this was Twilight's brother, Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor. “Twiley!” Shining Armor exclaimed, pulling Twilight into a tight hug. “It's been so long since I last saw you!” “Good to see you too, B.B.B.F.F.” Twilight answered to the stallion, patting him on the back. She sighed. “Yeah . . . it has been a while . . .” “Sorry, sis.” Shining apologized promptly. “It's just between the military, and going to meet all those foreign dignitaries, and my failing love life, I've haven’t had much time to write, so when I had the chance to come visit you in person for a few hours in the middle of the night, I jumped at the chance!” Twilight chuckled, though her mind was still on how Shining would react if he found she was dating- dating a pony of the same gender, no less. She knew that it was taboo to some, and even though she had accepted that she was 'different' herself, the taboo still held strong, which was she couldn't bring herself to tell Spike, let alone her brother, who was in the military, for crying out loud! “Twilight!” Pinkie called seductively from the kitchen, which brought embarrassing sensations of warmth to Twilight in her cheeks, chest, and other areas that she really didn't want Shining Armor to notice and ask questions. “Hey, are you all right?” Shining Armor asked, pulling away from his sister. He placed a hoof on her cheek. “You feel really warm.” The fact that Shining had noticed and asked a question – the very thing that Twilight did not wanting him doing- made Twilight blush furiously, making her cheek even warmer. “Really warm.” Shining Armor said, for the sake of clarity. “Who's calling your name?” “Eeh, a friend of mine.” Twilight answered, gently bringing his hoof off her cheek. “She's just staying the night.” “Twilight? Twilight Sparkly?” Pinkie called, lumbering her drunken hooves into the foyer. Twilight grimaced at Pinkie choosing the absolutely worst time to reveal a new nickname of her's, right where a family member Twilight held in such high esteem could hear it. “Is this your friend?” Shining Armor questioned, pointing a hoof at Pinkie and sounding worried. Him sounding worried made Twilight worry. “Yes?” Twilight answered. “I didn't realize your friend was an, ahem . . .” Shining cleared his throat. “A connoisseur.” Twilight took in a deep breath and glared sharply. Just because Pinkie was sugar-buzzed the first time Shining met her, that didn't mean she had a problem. Pinkie did have plenty of problems, but sugar wasn't one of them. If anything, with her unnatural digestive system, sugar was the one thing Pinkie would never have to worry about. “Yes.” Twilight answered, coming to Pinkie's defense. “Yes, she is a connoisseur. Is there a problem wit that?” “Well, no . . . ” Shining answered awkwardly, surprised by Twilight's sudden defensiveness. “It's just that . . . that kind of thing leads down dark roads, Twiley. I wouldn't want her to take you down the drain with her, you know?” Twilight took in a sharp breath and prepared to let loose on Shining, ready to rip him a new one for implying Pinkie Pie could be like that, but Pinkie wobbled over and got in between them. “C'mere, here, Sparkly! Give us some sugar!” Pinkie reached her front legs out, but she mistakenly threw them over Shining Armor instead, and kissed him on the nose. After a second or two, Pinkie realized her mistake and pulled away. “You're not Sparkly.” Pinkie said, bopping his nose like not being Twilight was a crime that he willingly committed. Pinkie turned her gaze over, and was delighted when she saw Twilight. “Ah!” Pinkie threw her legs over Twilight like she been intending to all along, causing Twilight to blush even more. “Twiley?” Shining asked. “You're not . . . dating this mare, are you?” “No! No!” Twilight lied, fighting to push Pinkie off before Pinkie's lips met hers and sapped her ability of conscious thought, which would prevent her from lying to Shining. “She's just buzzed, all right? Pinkie . . . get off.” Twilight growled warningly. “But I thought you-” Pinkie became distraught, but Twilight shoved a hoof into her mouth. “Pinkie Pie, I would like to talk with Shining Armor right now. Alone. We'll talk later, when you're not buzzed, okay?” Twilight patted Pinkie's cheek. “Oh . . . all right, I guess.” Pinkie Pie trotted with her head held low to the kitchen, presumably to eat more sugar cubes and get even more buzzed. “Eh-heh.” Twilight chuckled forcefully. “So! That was a little crazy! Why don't you come inside? It must be cold . . .” Twilight moved to let her brother inside. Shining Armor was giving her a quizzical look, likely wondering what the deal with Pinkie Pie had been all about. Thankfully, he didn't press the matter, and he and Twilight then had a good time in company with each other until Shining had to leave again so he could be back to his base before anypony noticed he was gone. Twilight and Shining Armor spent the night at the dinner table, whittling the late hours with tales of who messed up the mess hall at Shining's base or how Spike completely undid all of Twilight's hard work and organizing this week. Twilight was tickled by Shining's many and myriad stories of efforts to find love, only to be stood up, or made into a humilating position by circumstances beyond his control. “So, there was one time, with this cute Arabian mare . . .” Shining explained. “She was adorable. A dancer.” “Oh!” Twilight squealed, her tail hanging off the side of the chair. “Do tell!” She suddenly had an a brief fantasy of Pinkie in a Saddle Arabian dress, dancing for her, before dismissing it. Twilight's tastes ran more towards Roaman. “Yeah . . . ” Shining answered, before giving Twilight a suspicious eye. “You seem awfully interested . . . ” Twilight gritted her teeth. “Just want to know what my Big Brother's been up to!” “Right. Well, anyways, they still have a lot of old customs leftover there, so if I wanted to date her, I needed to get her father's permission. But, take one of my recruits, a farmer, an and overly curious chicken, and getting covered in chicken feed pretty much destroyed any chance I had of that.” Twilight chuckled at the idea of her big brother smothered in farming materials, holding up a chicken in his hooves over his head. Having rescued it from harm, but because of how ridiculous he looked at the time, the dancer's father didn't let him date the dancer . . . “What about you?” Shining asked her politely. “How are you doing on the romance scene?” If Twilight had been drinking something, she would have done a spit-take, but as her mouth was empty of anything except her tongue and natural fluids, she instead did a “PFFB-TBBH!” and covered her mouth. She choked on air and cleared her throat. “W-why would you ask that, Shining Armor?” “Well, you know . . .” Shining shrugged. “I just want to be sure you're socializing. Last I heard, you were being moved to Ponyville because you had trouble making friends. So, have you had trouble making any boyfriends, eh?” “No, no . . . I . . . haven't been trying to go out on dates, really.” Twilight laughed nervously. “You know, studies and all . . . ” “Twiley . . . ” Shining Armor said seriously. “You can't live your life all alone.” “I'm not alone!” Twilight protested, standing up suddenly. “I have Spike!” “Spike doesn't count.” “I also have plenty of other friends here in Ponyville! Like Pinkie Pie! Rarity . . . Rainbow Dash . . . !” Twilight exclaimed. Shining fiddled with his hooves nervously. “Well, if they're all like Pinkie Pie . . . ” Twilight's jaw dropped. “What did you just say?” “If all your friends have problems with sugar like Pinkie Pie, Twilight, then maybe you were better off-” Shining found his words cut off by the sudden squeak of a door's hinges being move. He looked over his shoulder to see the library door was being kept open by Twilight's magic. “I think it's time for you to leave.” Twilight warned him in a voice that made it quite clear that it wasn't a suggestion for him to go. Shining's mouth hung agape, unable to comprehend what he had said that offended Twilight to the point of kicking him out. He was only trying to warn her about the kinds of things sugar did to ponies. Was that so wrong? “What did I say?” “Pinkie Pie does not have a problem.” Twilight informed him, glaring daggers. “Nor do any of my friends have any problems that should keep me from being friends with them. If you cannot accept that maybe some ponies just like the occasional sugar binge, then you have no business in my home.” Shining whistled. “Ooh, wow . . . I . . . ” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I'm sorry, Twiley, I . . . should have known better. You're smarter than to hang out with anypony you shouldn't be. I-I . . . I'm sorry.” “Hmm . . . ” Twilight pursed her lips, mulling over whether she was going to forgive him right now. There was no question that she was, only, would it be right now, or later? “I forgive you.” Twilight said at last. He had put some serious work into being able to get out here in Ponyville at all to see her. It would be a terrible shame if that work was all for naught. The next morning, Twilight was overlooking the stove, stirring a pot of boiling oatmeal. Twilight levitated the wooden she was using into the air and blew some air on the spoon, cooling it before she sampled its taste. Deeming it done, Twilight put the spoon back in and turned the heat off. Right in the nick of time, as well, as she heard the unsteady, tromping lumber of somepony recovering from a sugar buzz. Twilight turned around to see Pinkie trotting into the room, her poofy mane thrown over the front of her face and covering her eyes, making her like some 80's diva. “Hello.” Twilight greeted with detachment. Pinkie made no effort to hide how bad she was feeling. There was no denying she had been in a serious stupor last night. She could only hope Twilight hadn't been as deeply affected, and that Twilight would have something to help through the morning before she to interact with anypony. “How bad was it?” “Not too bad.” Twilight answered, spooning up a bowl of oatmeal. “You did kiss my brother thinking he was me, though.” Pinkie's eyes widened. “You have a brother!?” Twilight stood silent for a minute before answering. “No.” There was no need for Pinkie to know about Shining Armor at this point. It was stressful enough adjusting Spike to Twilight's new partner, but at least Twilight held some authority over him. She had no such control over Shining Armor, so if he decided to be stubborn or Celestia forbid, unaccepted of Pinkie, there was little she could. No, no... one male at a time, please. “Do you have anything for me?” Pinkie asked, snail-crawling her way up the chair to the dining table. “Yes.” Twilight answered, serving the bowl to Pinkie. “That's what the oatmeal is for.” “Thanks.” Pinkie muttered, skewering her eyes shut as she tried to eat the oatmeal. “So . . . had any thoughts about what you want to do about Spike last night? “Mmh.” Twilight grunted and shifted uncomfortably. Up above in the stairs, over the wooden rails and through Twilight's bedroom, Spike was rolling around in his covers, trying to resist the natural urge to wake up. He didn't particularly feel like getting up today and dealing with more of Twilight's nonsense, flip-flopping her attitudes and tones depending on whether or not Pinkie Pie was in the room. Like a mood ring. Except a mood doesn't change somepony's mood, it changes color according to their mood, so perhaps a mood control ring? There were stranger things in the library's books. Spike hadn't read any of them, but they were in there. Somewhere. After flip-flopping his body back forth to the right and to the left for around the fifth time, Spike felt like something was wrong. Twilight hadn't come for him and forcefully dragged him away from the blissful slumber of dream land. Twilight had yet to knock on the door, asking for Spike to get up, brush his teeth, and make her breakfast, or spend another morning shuffling through the wake of one of her late-night study binges. Fearing for the very worst, Spike hopped out his basket like a spring and dashed towards the door, swinging it open with reckless abandon before making his way down the stairs, where he was both elated and confused to see Twilight tending to Pinkie, stroking her mane and feeding her oatmeal, as Pinkie's hooves became too shaky to hold any spoons by herself. It was jarring for a number of reasons. First was that the way things worked around the library, he made Twilight breakfast, not Twilight making everypony breakfast. Second was seeing the fact separated from the fiction, as Spike, like many other residents of Ponyville, figured Pinkie got all her energy by substituting a gallon-bag of sugar for breakfast, popping a hole in it and then simply pouring down her throat. “Good morning, Spike.” Twilight waved to him, sounding bored with life itself. “Pinkie had some 'adult' sugar last night, so she isn't feeling too well. I made some oatmeal to help her feel better. You can have some, if you want...” Twilight turned her attention back to Pinkie. “Um... all right.” Spike climbed back up the stairs, then climbed back down with some gems in claw. He poured himself a bowl of the oatmeal, then mixed the gems into it. He sat down at the table and started eating it merrily, though his joy was short-lived when he noticed the miserable state Pinkie Pie was in. Her poofy mane was all askew on her face – even by Pinkie standards, that is. Her face was drooping and practically grey. Spike continued eating, wondering if he should perhaps inquire more into Pinkie's condition and offer to help, or if that would just lead to Twilight snapping viciously at him again. Figuring better safe than sorry, Spike though about what he might have to do today that would involve leaving the library where Twilight couldn't get to him. The spoon of oatmeal that was half-way in his mouth became lodged when he remembered yesterday, and that he had never gotten a chance to talk with Rarity properly. He heard what Twilight said about it being adult mare business, but she was being so aggressive and snappy, his inner rebellious child felt compelled to come to the fore and keep asking until he knew what it was, just so he could know why she was being insane over the subject. “Spike?” Twilight asked when Spike didn't motion to chew the oatmeal in his mouth. “Are you okay?” “Hmmg? Mph!” Spike gulped down his food “I'm gonna go to Rarity's, if that's okay.” “All right...” Twilight mumbled to him, not at all suspicious of his motives. After all, Spike always liked going to visit Rarity. He did have a crush on her, and all that. “Have fun and don't get into any trouble.” “I will!” Spike assured her, before realizing he misspoke. “I mean, I won't! No, no, I mean . . . I will have fun and I won't get into trouble! Bye!” “Bye . . . come on, Pinkie.” “What?” Pinkie's gurgling voice spoke. “I'm going to hang you upside down while drinking water. It always works for me.” “Fine.” Pinkie groaned, slumping against her chair. Spike watched in confusion as Twilight used her magic to lift Pinkie up into the air, much against her protesting groans of nausea. Spike shrugged and shook his head. He vowed to himself he wouldn't be caught in a state like the one Pinkie was in, then headed out the door. Spike frowned when he stepped outside. The town had been rendered dark from the grey clouds gracing it with their unwelcome, somber presence. From the three-mare team of weatherponies he saw flying right underneath them, the weather team was fixing to make it rain today. Spike hated rainy days. Yes, the plants need the water to photosynthesize, and the animals needed the water to drop into the lake and raise their level, but none of that mean Spike had to like it. Briefly, Spike thought he heard the door open behind him, but when he turned to look, it was unmoved. Spike held his claw over his head and tried to make his way to Rarity's Boutique before the rain set in, but when his foot stepped in something squishy, he looked down to see the dirt under him had turned muddy, and realized he had no chance of making it if he didn't bail. Raindrops beginning to pour on his head in a manner most frustrating, Spike cursed the fact he didn't take his coat with him, despite that there was no way for him to have known it was going to rain if he wasn't already outside. Spike made a break for it, trying to get to the Boutique before the weather turned really hairy, and he banged mercilessly on the door, screaming to be let in. “Rarity! It's Spike! Let me inside! Please!? It's really pouring out here!” The door open, but when Spike looked inside, it was Sweetie Belle, not Rarity. Sweetie Belle looked at him conspicuously, like he was a member of an insane conspiracy that she had started before moving to let him inside. “Thanks.” Spike uttered as Sweetie closed the door behind him and handed him a towel to dry off with. Sweetie Belle trotted imperiously away from him while he had the towel wrapped around himself. “What's going on?” Spike asked when he noticed her leaving. Sweetie Belle pursed her lips, mulling over something indecisively, before grimacing and pointing her hoof at the kitchen. “Is something wrong with Rarity, or . . . your stove or something?” Spike inquired. Sweetie Belle shook her head. “It's not that, it's . . . well . . . ” Sweetie Belle gestured for him to enter the room, and Spike initially got the feeling that something nasty was waiting in there for him, before realizing Sweetie Belle was unlikely to go and purposefully send him to his doom. Purposefully, at least. She could very well be easily sending him to his doom completely on accident, unaware of the real danger of whatever was on the other side of the room. It would not be the first time that a member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders failed to realized the true danger of what they were dealing with. Spike tip-toed into the room, not sure what to expect, but certain it was going to be unpleasant. Upon grabbing the door frame and reaching his head over to peer in, he found it was worse than any of they myriad monsters in his imagination. The stove was not bursting into flames, nor was there a monstrous snake loose in the kitchen. There wasn't a dragon that had shoved its huge head in through the wall, or even a loose Parasprite bug or some other impish sort of cretinous creature. It was far worse than any of those things. Rarity was having a fit over something. “Honestly!” Rarity shrieked, applying more pressure than necessary to an unfortunate dish she was washing. “Of all the downtrodden, rag-tag, no-good . . .” Rarity directed her eye for detail onto the plate, spying an hitherto unseen speck of dirt on it. For a moment, she forgot her troubles and focused on scrubbing the plate to cleanliness, but as she soon as she put the now-clean dish on the counter, her ranting returned, unhampered. “Why, if I never have to see that brute again, it shall be too soon!” “Uh, Rarity?” Spike stuttered out, nervously twiddling his fingers. He scrunched his shoulders when he heard the sound of a cooking pot being abused by Rarity's magic. Overcoming his anxiety, Spike walked up besides her, still trying to get her to answer. “There are two ways you can tell a lady something!” Rarity continued like she didn't hear him, though she did give him a crazed look, more like she was looking through him than at him. “There is a polite way, and an impolite way, and that, my good sir, was an impolite way!” “Rarity . . . ” Spike said again, reaching out a claw to apply some calming pressure on Rarity's shoulder, but Rarity moved before he could make contact. “I do not toil away on your suit for hours on end, darling, constantly revising and revising my revising, just for you to show up and tell me you don't like it!” Rarity snarled at the air. “Honestly! Who does that?” “I don't know . . . ” Spike quipped under his breath. “Diamond Dogs?” Rarity turned her head towards him, noticing his presence at last. “Oh. Hello, Spike. I didn't see you there. Sorry for not being with you earlier, but I am terribly upset about something!” “No! Really?” Spike deadpanned. “Yes!” Rarity hissed at him, lowering her hooves and raising her tail through the air like a flagpole saying “Warning: Irritated Rarity Inbound!”. “I've been spending several late hours into this dress for a client, but when he came to pick it up, he said – I kid you not- he said 'I don't like it!'. Not only that, but he refused to reimburse me for the materials I wasted on him! The nerve!” “Yeah, yeah.” Spike nodded his mindlessly in agreement, taking a moment to admire Rarity's natural beauty. “The nerve! What a brute.” “Yes, indeed!” Rarity exclaimed, though she seemed just a tiny bit happier that she had someone agreeing with her every word. “Honestly, I mean, really, now, darling, if you don't like it, then that I means I made it for nothing! That I've sunk my funding into an investment that won't be repaid! Can you not see how that might put me a little on edge!? ARRG!” Rarity raised her front hooves to the air, then became aware of how badly her tantrum was escalating. Rarity placed her hooves back on the ground and took in a deep breath. “So sorry for taking up your time, Spike.” Rarity apologized as she trotted from end one of the kitchen to another, using her magic to enchant the dishes into washing themselves. “I feel much better now. That was so un-lady like of mean, was it not?” “No!” Spike insisted, eager to please Rarity by telling her whatever he though she might like to hear. “Not at all! It's perfectly all right for you to be angry at that jerk!” “Yes.” Rarity admitted, watching as the charmed, soapy washcloth rubbed circles around a filthy mixing bowl. “Yes, I do!” Rarity's anger began to return, but she caught herself in time and took in another deep breath. “Ah, but I cannot waste my life away steaming over flaky clients. That is no way to live.” Rarity at last turned her lovely visage to Spike, focusing on him fully. “What can I do for you, Spike?” “Well . . . ” Spike drawled the word out for a long time, stalling for how long it would take him to come up with best way to phrase his question without letting Rarity know he was asking about Twilight – or telling Rarity anything that Rarity might share with Twilight which would let Twilight know Spike had still been asking, despite her very implicit instructions. Then there was a knock on the door that deflated Spike of any hope he had of getting away with asking Rarity anything. “Come in, darling!” Rarity called. “The door's unlocked!” Spike took in a deep breath of his own, and was about to launch into a full-on recap of everything that had happened that would culminate in him asking Rarity what Twilight and Pinkie Pie were doing, when he heard a footstep, and then a voice. “Hi, Rarity!” Spike turned to see, to his chagrin, Twilight standing in the doorway, looking quite happy and perky. In a moment of deductive reasoning that was not normally his strong suit, he realized hearing the library door open behind him earlier was Twilight stepping out to follow him. Couldn't she trust him not to misbehave!? Well . . . he was doing the very exact thing Twilight had told him not to do, so perhaps it wasn't unjustified that she would follow him, but still! He had a right to his space! Didn't he? “Hello, Twilight.” Rarity said with bemusement. “What brings you here?” “Just checking up on my number one assistant!” Twilight answered, dragging Spike into her front leg and giving him an affectionate noogie. “Making sure he stays out of trouble . . . enjoys himself with his friends . . . doesn't ask anything he's not supposed to...” As she spoke, the gleaming smile Twilight gave never faltered, never left her face, but Spike caught the fading flash of a manic gleam in her that betrayed the true meaning in her words. Spike pushed her leg off his shoulders and moved away from her, all the while grumbling. “So, while you're both here, care for a drink?” Rarity politely offered, tending to her guests. “That would be lovely.” “No thanks.” Spike crossed his arms and huffed, much to Twilight's and Rarity's shock. Spike never turned down something Rarity offered, even if it was something as simple as a drink. “Spike?” Rarity cooed. “Are you feeling all right?” “No.” Spike answered briskly, exiting the room. He cast a cold glare at Twilight as he walked, his green eyes burning with irritation at his foster-mother for underestimating him over and over. “I'm not a child . . . ” “YES, YOU ARE!” Twilight gritted her teeth when Rarity, Spike, and a curiosity-piqued Sweetie Belle all gathered 'round and gave her confused glares. Twilight began hyperventilating, worrying about her mask of control slipping further. “I mean . . . ” Twilight mumbled, trying to salvage the situation. “You are, like it or not, still a baby dragon.” “Well, I don't like it!” Spike snapped before turning around and leaving, making sure to slam Rarity's door as hard as possible on his way out. “Darling, is everything all right?” Rarity asked Twilight. “You don't normally get so snappy with each other . . . ” “No.” Twilight admitted, dropping to her haunches, a vacancy in her eyes. “No, everything is not all right.” “Do you want to talk-” “Could we have those drinks now?” Rarity pursed her lips and frowned at Twilight's avoidance of talking about the situation. “Twilight, darling, you really can't just push something like this to the side and act like it didn't happen.” “Well, that's what I'm doing.” Twilight informed her with a huff, crossing her front legs and turning away. Rarity sighed and shook her head, but she recognized there was no getting through to Twilight on this matter. She left to get a glass for her guest while wondering how bad things were going to get before Twilight realized what she really needed to do to fix her's and Spike's relationship. Outside, Spike stomped through the unpaved Ponyville roads, anger boiling over and consuming him. It's not his fault Twilight didn't trust him. How much of an immature, juvenile dragon whelp did Twilight think he was, really!? Stomping his way through and casting dirty, crossed-eyed looks at anypony who so much as came within ten yards of him, Spike eventually realized that the downpour of rain had stopped. Looking up, he saw that skies had partially cleared, still cloudy, but not enough for it rain again anytime soon. While the sky may have been freed from the clouds' icy hold, the ground wasn't, as it was still a mucky mess barely fit for tromping through. That didn't deter him, though. In his anger, the nerves his feet totally ignored the mess of mud he was walking underneath. Noticing there appeared to be smoke literally coming out of his ears, probably a result of dragon biology, Spike figured it was time to go and get himself something to eat to calm himself down. A gem would hit the spot right quick. But in his current state, like heck he was just gonna walk to some random shopkeeper and pay them bits- his hard-earned bits, from all the hours and hours HE had to spend cleaning up Twilight's messes for a snack, so he decided to go straight to the source. He began walking out of town, passing Fluttershy on the way, who meekly asked if something was troubling, but he ignored her completely and continued on his way. He was heading to the cavernous land just outside the edge of Ponyville where Rarity had once been abducted by Diamond Dogs, barbaric creatures like a cross between a troll and a canine, with only a quarter of brainpower of a troll. Large enough to be intimidating to most ponies, they were dimwitted and had a fondness for gems. They weren't very reasonable and rather aggressive, but Spike didn't let a petty worry like that stop him. The reason they had been in the area was because they were so many gems there, ripe for the taking. As he got further away from his home, though, Spike had second thoughts, realizing he was getting far away from the ponies he cared about without telling them where he was going . . . but a brief flashback to the fake smile on Twilight's face and suddenly his doubts went away. He continued on his way, stomping towards the proxy mines with anger in his eyes and hunger in his stomach, as well as apathy in his spleen. He wasn't quite sure how that last one worked, but he didn't question it. Having made his way to the dirt plains, Spike parked his bottom on the floor and began scanning for signs. Odd bumps or conspicuously-placed rocks that to a trained jewel-hunting like himself, signaled the presence of rare, valuable, and most importantly, tasty gems. A problem being a gem-eating dragon in a pony community, the rarer a gem was, the more ponies and dragons valued it. Slight problem in that a dragon valued for tasting better than more common gems. He saw a particularly suspicious looking little lump in the ground, a few feet away from where he sat. Getting up to his knees, Spike prepared to sprint towards it and start digging. As his little feet carried him over, he couldn't but wonder, speculate, and fantasize over what it might be. A garnet? A rare sapphire offshoot? Amethyst? Oooh . . . maybe even a pure diamond! His claws went to work on the ground, scooping handfuls of dirt and gravel, tearing them away from him and his goal. When he was done, he saw an emerald poking out of the ground. Not quite the highest rarity of gems, but it looked well-aged, which was just as good as being. Spike wiggled his fingers in anticipation, a little speck of drool already forming around his mouth. He reached in and plucked the emerald from the ground, and was about to plop it into his mouth when he heard a disturbing noise from behind him. He turned around, and his eyes bugged out of his head at the sight of a Diamond Dog, leering its yellow eyes at him. From the expression on its face, it had been surprised to see him here, but that would subside quickly, and very soon, the trollish canine would attack its stone claws. “Easy . . . ” Spike said, backing away. “I don't want any trouble, Mister Diamond Dog.” Spike noticed the Dog's eyes trailing elsewhere, and remembered the green emerald he had in his claw. “You want this?” Spike offered the emerald up to the Diamond Dog, thinking missing out on an scout was worth not getting captured and abducted by the Dog itself to serve as a gem-hunting . . . well, dog. “Grrr. Our hunting grounds now!” The Diamond Dog growled as it advanced on him, raising his lumbering claws. Spike figured out what that meant. The Diamond Dogs, or at least this one, had claimed the area as its own personal hunting grounds. Whether that was for gems, prey, or both, Spike had no way of telling, but he could tell that simply offering the Dog his emerald wasn't going to work at all. Spike raised his arms to shield himself from the coming blow, sure whatever the Diamond Dog's intent, it would no problem knocking him with the help of its rocky hide. “Eeeh . . .” Spike whimpered in fear. “GRR!” growled the Diamond Dog, claws raised to deliver the blow. “Hey!” Spike was just as surprised as the Diamond Dog to see Twilight Sparkle, standing defiantly some distance away. “Leave him alone.” Twilight demanded. “Hmm . . . ” The Diamond Dog narrowed its eyes, wondering where this little pony got off trying to give him an order. In his simple mind, he was bigger than her, and ergo, that meant he had more authority than she did. “Make me!” The Dog mocked her. “You don't want me to do that.” Twilight warned him. “Trust me, you really don't, because I will.” “Hmph!” The Diamond Dog ignored her, unwisely not taking her threats seriously. Spike yelped and raised his arms again, while Twilight's horn lit with magical power. Spike was ready to get sent flying backwards from the force of the Diamond Dog's strike and closed his eyes, but when nothing happened for minutes, he opened them to see the Diamond Dog was stuck, a pile of rocks burying its hind leg and keeping it from moving. Spike took a moment to silently regard the sight of the Dog futilely trying to pry his leg of the pile. “Come on! That won't hold him forever!” Twilight demanded of Spike. She removed his ability to decide whether or not he was going to obey by telekinetically levitating him up into the and lowering him onto her back. Twilight turned around and galloped towards town. Then it started raining again, soaking them. “Oh come on.” Twilight sighed in exasperation as her wet mane was swung forward in front of her face. “Really? Right now?” “Well . . . ” Spike clicked his tongue. “At least it can't get any w-” “Do not finish that sentence.” “Okay . . . ” Now that they were far enough from the Diamond Dog that the beast couldn't have hunted them down by the it got free of the rocks, Twilight quit galloped and relaxed her legs, slowing her pace to a trot while Spike clung uncomfortably to her neck. There was a question brought to mind, one that would be far from easy for him to ask her. He took in a deep breath, shelving his pride. He had left because he felt bitter about her recent treatment of him, but she had rescued him from a terrible fate. “Twilight? Why did you come rescue me?” Twilight stopped in her tracks, dead as a ghost. “What do you mean? You're still my assistant, and even if we are on . . . tense terms right now, that doesn't mean I can just let you go and get foalnapped by Diamond Dogs when everypony tells me no pony's seen you around town!” “Hmm.” Spike turned silently, figuring perhaps that Twilight was right about that. As irritating as it was having Twilight keep up all this secrecy and obfuscation of the truth, that didn't mean she could just forsake her morals and leave him to Diamond Dogs... or whatever even worse fate that cruel nature might have seen fit to lay upon him. “Hey . . . ” Spike trailed his claws soothingly across her neck, “does this mean you'll tell me what's going on between you and Pinkie now?” Twilight closed her eyes, and Spike could tell she was on the verge of crying. “N-no.” Twilight choked out. “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Spike. You're going to know. You have to know. She- Pinkie- My Pinkie . . . she's part of my life now, and that means she'll be part of yours, too, but I . . . I just can't tell you. I-I'm not ready, Spike . . . ” Twilight, overwhelmed by the strain of emotions running loose around inside like the torrential aftermath of a dam being broken, fell to her knees and began to cry softly into the ground. Spike didn't understand half of what she said, but he stroked her mane as softly and reassuringly as he could nonetheless, wishing silently to himself that everything would just be better . . .