//------------------------------//
// Day 3 
// Story: The Vacation 
// by Hope Caster 
//------------------------------//


Spike sat in his room, unable to focus on his Power Pony Comic. What did Celestia know about love? Last he checked, she was single. The joke about him and Sweetie Belle dating was doing nothing except annoying him. Maybe he should just stop seeing her. At least then, Celestia wouldn't be able say anything about them. He just needed to ditch her. Yet the mere thought of doing so made a pit in his stomach grow. It wasn't anything painful but it did make him feel a twinge of guilt.



“Dang it,” he muttered as he smacked his face with his comic. He couldn’t just ditch her. Teasing or not, Sweetie Belle was his friend, and from all of the letters he wrote for Twilight one thing was obvious, no matter what, real friends stick together. Besides, it didn't matter what Celestia said, Spike’s heart would always belong to Rarity. The pit in his stomach disappeared only to be filled with a new emptiness, hunger. He placed his comic on his bed and almost left the room. He stopped in his doorway and let out a groan. If he went to the kitchen, he’d probably be subjected to more teasing, and any god beside Celestia knew he was getting tired of that. Maybe he would just eat some gems and go to bed.




‘He wouldn’t want to see me show off… would he?’ Sweetie Belle kept on thinking about how Spike loved to see her sister model the dresses she made, but then again, that was her sister. Sweetie shook her head. It was a stupid idea, thanking a colt by showing off a dress. Was she that egotistical? She would just stick to her café plan. Speaking of plans, she could no longer ignore her friends. “So what do you need?” Sweetie finally asked Scootaloo.



“We told you,” Scootaloo sighed, “we need you to read over our escape plan.” In her hoof was a crudely drawn picture of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo running away from what looked like a grey blob.



“I-I don’t know what… Okay, what’s the plan?” Sweetie Belle asked.



“Ugh,” Scootaloo moaned, “I think Spike’s rubbing off on you. You see, this is me and Apple Bloom running away from the class after we set of some smoke grenades,"

"Where did you get smoke grenades?"

"Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo answered, "anyway, we then meet up here.” Scootaloo pulled out a map of Canterlot and pointed to a small circle. “It’s some fancy café; you’ll be waiting here with disguises for us when we escape.”



“Ya don’t have to worry ‘bout a thing; we sent a letter and made reservations for four since yer stuck with Spike again. All you need to do is wait at the table we reserved.”



Fancy café? Minus the escape plan that was obviously made in five minutes and would inevitably fail, it was answer to all her problems. “Don’t worry I’ll have you guys covered!” Sweetie Belle saluted.



“Wait, you do realize that we will most likely get caught the minute we step back into the hotel, right?" Scootaloo warned, "Spike can’t be punished, but Ms. Cheerilee will probably come down on us like a hammer.”



Worth it! At least, that’s what she wanted to say. In the countless situations that played out in her head, Sweetie Belle could see all of them ending the same way. She would have to say goodbye to Spike. For some reason the thought of actually saying goodbye to him was, not so much depressing or that much of a degree of sad, but it did seem to drain some of her previous happiness. Why was that? It’s not like she could pretend to not know why. After the time she spent with him, she could admire his kindness.



He didn’t have to do anything for her the first day and he could have said no to Cheerilee’s request that very same night, but instead, he did things that he probably wasn’t too thrilled doing and then the next day, he tried his hardest to show her around the castle just for the sake of making her day nice. Sure, he still talked about Rarity, but as her sister told her, boys will be boys.



She thought back to her thank you plan. Celestia as her witness, she would take him out to breakfast! “I understand and I accept!” Sweetie held her hoof high with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo doing the same.



“Cutie Mark Crusaders, Prison Breakers!” They forcefully whispered, quietly putting there hooves together. Sweetie Belle may have to say good-bye to Spike for the rest of the week plus a few days when she got back to Ponyville, but at least she could do so knowing she thanked him. The rest of the night consisted of the three friends laughing as they mocked Diamond Tiara and debated which Element of Harmony would win in a fight. It was one of the few times Scootaloo didn't punch somepony for saying Rainbow Dash would lose.




The next morning, Spike came a bit earlier than Sweetie Belle had anticipated. According to the plan, she and Spike had to be at the café by 8:45, when Scootaloo and Apple Bloom would arrive at the Star Swirl the Bearded museum. According to her friends, the café was about 15 minutes and 27 seconds away from the hotel and only a mere 3 minutes away from the museum. Apple Bloom managed to find this out by doing more math in ten minutes then she had done in her entire life. It was 7:36. If her friends’ plan was to be a success, she needed to keep Spike occupied for at least 30 minutes. But what topic could get him talking long enough to eat away 30 minutes?



She had to think, what was he obsessed with…? Rarity would know, Spike spent more time with her than… Oh right Rarity. “Hey Spike, what do you think of Rarity?” Sweetie asked innocently.




Apple Bloom smiled when she heard Spike go into Rarity mode, sure most of what he said would be a repeat of the same two traits, but it should eat up enough time for Sweetie Belle to get into position. She felt a tug on her tail, forcing her to turn around. She came face to face with a wicked witch and her flying monkey. “What do you want, Diamond Tiara?” Apple Bloom sighed.



“Whatever you and the other losers have planned for today, it better not hurt our chances with the fillies from Celestia’s school!” Diamond Tiara warned.



“And ah would care why?” Apple Bloom asked.



“Look, let me put this in as simple of terms as I can," Silver Spoon offered, coming out from behind her 'besty', "you don’t like us, we don’t like you. If Ms. Cheerilee sees Diamond Tiara and I getting along with fillies while we leave you alone in a good way, do you think she’ll be as likely to put us together in a group setting like she tried to do on the train ride here?” Silver Spoon adjusted her glasses as she flashed a smile. “Besides, knowing your club, the three of you probably put together an escape plan. Tell me I’m wrong.”



“…Okay, ya got me, we may have a small escape plan in the works….I would stay away from the entrance at 8:47, things might get a little smoggy fer y’all.”



Meanwhile Scootaloo grabbed some essential equipment from her room. Reaching into her saddlebag, she took out two smoke grenades that would be essential to their escape. She remembered when Rainbow Dash bought them for her as a birthday present; her mom called her irresponsible and a terrible role model, but her dad could have cared less, he actually supported it. All Scootaloo had to do was pull the pins and throw.




“And she’s bounteous and good-looking, gorgeous and giving, her hair is like a flowing river and she’s really charitable, and she’s a total knock-out and benevolent!” Spike had been saying different synonyms for beautiful and generous for the past 35 minutes. The fact that Sweetie Belle did not want to lobotomize herself was nothing short of a miracle. “Wow, look at the time!” Spike laughed, “Sorry, anyway. I know an awesome place we could go for breakfast. It’s this place down the street-”



Sweetie’s hoof silenced Spike completely. “That’s great, but I thought maybe we could go to this café I found.” She gave him a smile, “Wanna go?”



Spike mumbled something, but he was completely ignored.



“Great, let’s go!” Sweetie grabbed her saddlebag and Spike, and rushed to the café. They arrived in less than ten minutes. She took a deep breath and turned to Spike. “Well, we’re here,” she said, sounding just a little sad.



“I see that, but Sweetie, I should tell you-”



“Spike,” Sweetie interrupted, “I just want to say… thank you.”



“You’re welcome, but-”



“No, really, thank you,” Sweetie’s tone turned serious, something Spike never really saw before.  “Spike, the past two days have been some of the best days of my young life… second only to some of the days I spend with Rarity. To be truthful though, I really can’t name the last time I had this much fun. I just want you to know that you were really, really nice to me and made the trip so far the best I could’ve had.” Behind her words was just a small twinge of sadness, something Spike picked up on pretty fast.



“Why does this sound like a good-bye?” Spike asked. He quickly shook his head. “No, I’m getting off track. Sweetie, look I really need to tell you-” He was interrupted once again as Sweetie wrapped her front legs around him.



“Thank you,” She repeated. “Anyway, I already made reservations, so let’s enjoy this for… 35 minutes, ok?” She released him and walked up to the stallion. This was it, after this one moment, there was no turning back. At least she would give him a proper thank you thank you and good-bye.



She would enjoy the next half hour with him, even if it were her last for this week. However, the more she looked at it, the more she realized, they forged a friendship that could last longer than a four-day gap. Sweetie Belle would see him Sunday at the latest, and maybe then, they both could work with Rarity. The thought of her, Spike, and Rarity sharing the day together; for some reason, it put a smile on her face. “Excuse me, sir? I have a reservation here for four, under the name ScootaBloom.”



“Ah, I see,” The waiter said in a thick French accent. “Yes, now where are you parents?”



Spike knew he had to say something. There was one tiny detail he didn’t tell Sweetie Belle about the café he took her to Monday. However, before he could say it Sweetie Belle began to speak.



“Um… Parents? It’s just me and my friend. The dragon over there, see?” She pointed to Spike whom face palmed.



The face of the stallion fell. “Is this some type of joke?” he asked.



“J-joke?” Sweetie repeated. Her smile was nothing but a memory now. This was going to be her thank you breakfast for Spike, she made reservations via mail, how could this be going wrong!?  



“Yes, a joke, something that is supposed to be funny. This is a café worthy of Canterlot’s elite, we would not let children run around here unsupervised. That would drive away customers and ruin our business!”



“What?!” Sweetie Belle asked in disbelief. But Scootaloo and Apple Bloom made the reservations, how did they not allow children in!?



“Yeah Sweetie Belle, that’s what I was trying to tell you,” Spike admitted. “The only café in Canterlot that lets kids eat by themselves is the one Rarity brought up, and they only let kids eat alone on Monday, 12-1.”



Sweetie Belle stood in silence. So she couldn’t even hope to help her friends with their plan. She wouldn’t get in trouble for helping them because she couldn’t help them in the first place… meaning that she could still hang out with Spike! She felt a weight lift off her shoulders. Why was she so happy? Didn’t matter, now she could take Spike to a nice café without Scootaloo and Apple Bloom interrupting.



“Wait, no café will allow us in… without an adult.” Sweetie Belle smacked her forehead with her hoof. So much for showing Spike how grateful she was by paying for a supper fancy, Rarity styled breakfast. She let out a groan of frustration before falling on her haunches. Why could nothing she planned ever go right?



She felt a claw gently pat her back in an attempt to lift her spirits. “Hey, it’s okay,” Spike smiled, “If it makes you feel better, I know this one place I think you’d like.”




Sweetie Belle stood in front of the small shop. “Spike I don’t think Rarity would like me eating here for breakfast,” She gently explained.



“… I won’t tell if you don’t tell,” Spike grinned.


Pony Joe sat in a state of depression. His mortgage was due tomorrow, the tax collectors were breathing down his neck, and he had the most generic name in the world. Pony Joe, what parents name their child Pony Joe? Still, as bad as his name was, there were some names that were far worse. The worst name he had ever heard was Shadow Scythe. He actually had a 100 bit bet ridding on the chance that the kid turned to the dark side in two or three years. Joe snapped back to reality when he heard his door open. It was Spike with a filly. “Well, well, Spike the Dragon… I might be able to pay my mortgage now. So what can I get you?” He quickly handed them each a menu.

Sweetie took a seat with a dejected expression. "Two usuals, Joe,” Spike ordered. Two plates with three doughnuts each slid to a stop right in front of Sweetie Belle and Spike as did two cups of hot cocoa. Sweetie Belle reached for her bag, but as she did she heard Spike say, “Here you go, Joe!” as the sound of two gems hitting the counter broke her fighting spirit.



While Spike happily ate his food, he noticed one glaring problem; Sweetie was just sitting there staring at her doughnuts and cocoa. “Sweetie Belle, is everything okay?”



She didn't answer straight away, instead there was a long silence between them. “… I’m sorry,” she finally murmured.



“What?”



“I’m sorry,” Sweetie Belle repeated, “Rarity told me that if someone was kind to you, you should repay them with kindness.” Sweetie Belle slumped over her breakfast. “I wanted to do something for you today. You’ve been taking me all throughout Canterlot and taking me out to dinners and stuff while I… I don’t know, I just feel kinda bad.” She took a small nibble of a chocolate glazed doughnut. “You’re this amazing friend and I just… well... I just take advantage of you. I mean last night I had this great idea to show you Rarity’s dress and to take you out to breakfast, but both failed before they even began. What I’m trying to say is, I'm sorry I can’t really say thank you.”



Spike took a sharp breath. Seeing Sweetie Belle this sad made him feel… bad. She felt guilty over practically nothing, but still, he should, no, had do something to make her feel better. “Sweetie, you don’t need to feel obligated to say or even try to say thank you. Besides, that little speech outside that cafe made it pretty clear you were thankful. You’re my friend, if I do anything it’s because that’s what friends do. Believe me when I say you are not taking advantage me… in fact if I was going to be completely honest with you I’m not that great of a friend to start with.” Spike chuckled as he took another bite of his doughnut. “I mean, sure I took you out, showed you around the castle,” Spike held his breath for a short moment before continuing, “but let’s not pretend I’ve been a saint all my life.”



“Yeah, I know, but you have your greed under control most of the time.”



“Yeah, there’s that,” Spike murmured as he took a sip of his coco. “But this time it was more along the lines of me ditching you today….” Silence fell as Sweetie’s mouth dropped.



“Is it because the servants were making fun of you because I’m from Ponyville and you're technically Twilight's son?” Sweetie finally asked.



“Well, first off, Twilight's more my older sister than mom, secondly... in a way it was about you… but it was more of Celestia teasing me about you and me dating.” Spike quickly shoved the rest of his breakfast into his mouth.



Sweetie sat staring at the drake before she exploded. “You wanted to ditch me because the Princess teased you about hanging out with me!?” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. She didn’t know exactly how Rarity would react to this but Sweetie Belle knew that it would not be positive, that much was sure, and the nerve! A little teasing and he wanted to ditch her!? “This is just…. I don’t even have a word for this… Um… this is something that Rarity would call bad using one of those fancy words she knows! And to think I was more worried about saying thank you, than I was about helping my friends with their escape plan!”



“Helping your friends with their what?” Spike asked, forgetting the guilt he had once felt.



“W-well, they got reservations at the café so I could wait at a table to give them disguises. Since I was going to be there for breakfast, I thought why not invite you so I could cross off two things on my check list,” Sweetie Belle explained. “But at least I was thinking of you, Mr. Thinks-I’m-Not-Good-Enough-For-Him!”



“Hey I never said I didn’t like you!” Spike quickly bit his tongue. “No, wait, I mean, I like you, just as a friend though, not in the way Celestia talks about it! And I would like to point out that I still stuck with you, Mrs. Escape-Artist,” Spike accused.



“So? I only went along with the escape to say thank you for the past two days!” Sweetie Belle snapped, “I could have cared less how it went because I know that it would eventually blow up in our faces! I almost wanted tell you to forget it and to do something else!”



“Really?” Spike asked, taken aback by the statement. Usually Sweetie Belle was first in line to help here friends out of whatever mess they were in, putting everything else second.



“Yeah… but I would probably second guess that now too,” Sweetie Belle admitted with a grumble. Once again silence fell across the room. Sweetie rotated her stool so she face away from Spike, Spike doing the same. To think she actually wanted to thank him! She even gave him a good-bye/thank you speech before attempting to enter a café. She even hugged him! She never hugs colts! It was mostly because of Scootaloo’s third law, but still.



Spike glared at the bathroom, ticked off that Sweetie tried to use him as a piece in some poorly made escape plan. She probably faked that little speech of hers too. No, she couldn’t have; from that one play he saw her in, Spike knew that Sweetie Belle was no actor. The thank you speech was genuine, she really did feel grateful to him and now he felt guilty again! 'She just wanted to thank me.' He kept repeating that one thought repeatedly, allowing him to say, “I’m sorry; getting teased was a pretty lame reason to want to ditch you.” And just like it had appeared, the guilty pit in his stomach vanished.



Sweetie turned to argue with him again, “Oh yeah well-” Sweetie stopped mid-sentence when she processed what Spike had said. “Well… you….” She didn’t actually expect an apology so fast. It ruined her entire argument and gave her some pit like feeling in her stomach; why did he have to be the mature one here!? “Well… I guess,” She took a deep breath before gathering her thoughts. “It’s okay. I’m sorry for almost including you in an escape plan.” They both began to chuckle. “So when we go back home, does this mean we have to write in Twilight’s diary since we had a small fight?”



Spike shrugged, “What Twilight doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” The area seemed to settle down with an oddly comfortable silence. However, something still felt off. Sweetie Belle still seemed to carry just a small bag of uncertainty with her. “Hey Sweetie, you know, if you still want to thank me, I wouldn’t mind seeing the dress Rarity made you.”



“I don’t see that happening, Spike,” Sweetie admitted.



“Ah, let me guess, not allowed to?”



Sweetie Belle let out a soft moan, “No, I literally can’t. I left it back at Rarity's house.” Her chin rested on the counter as her cheeks inflated. “Thought she would've reminded me about it,” she murmured as if it was all Rarity’s fault.



It took Spike less than two seconds to think of a way to help her out. “Is that it?” He asked, “cause, if you want, I could probably get you one made at the castle.”



Sweetie Belle’s head shot up, “Really?”



“Yeah,” Spike chuckled, “I know this one seamstress at the castle, Honey Suckle, she'd probably be able to get it done for free. She did plenty of jobs for me when I lived here. One thing, she’s not Rarity good, but she’s still a pretty good dressmaker. I’ll just let her know and she’ll have a dress ready by the end of the day!”



Scootaloo’s advice from last night rang clear in Sweetie’s head. 'I stand corrected,' She thought to herself. As Spike led her out of the shop and to the castle, she couldn’t help but feel like she’d forgotten something super ultra-important.




The clock struck 8:45; it was time. Apple Bloom gave Scootaloo a quick nod, the code to put the plan in motion. All Scootaloo had to do was wait until the teacher from the School for Gifted Unicorns was close enough to Cheerilee so her grenades would blind both simultaneously. The professor took his time, explaining the history of the museum itself to the large group of children. Each step he took excited Scootaloo to no end. Just one more step and… “Now!” She cried as two grenades dropped from under her wings. With a quick rotation, the tip of her wings unpinned both grenades, sending them hurtling towards the teachers.



It happened to fast for the two of them to see who threw them, but both teachers knew there would be hell to pay when they found out who did. There was a defining bang as smoke began to pour from the containers. Eyes began to burn, foals began to cough as both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo made a run for the entrance.



“Who did this!?” The professor cried as he tried to shield his eyes whiles attempting to bring order to the foals.



With burning eyes, Cheerilee picked up one of the grenades to see a familiar stamp on it.





She crushed the container, before letting out a growl that would chill the soul of any beast lurking in Tartarus.




“Scootaloo, Apple Bloom!” The pair of fillies heard before hearing what sounded like a museum’s door being kicked open.



“Awe shoot, she’s coming!” Apple Bloom shouted as a pink mass slowly gained on them. If they could just make it to the café, Sweetie Belle would be there waiting to hand them their disguises. It would only prolong their eventual punishment, but anything was worth not having to learn.



“Apple Bloom, there it is!” Scootaloo exclaimed. The café was a mere few feet away, and so was Cheerilee. They skidded to a stop in front of a stallion. “We made reservations! It should be under ScootaBloom!” The Pegasus shouted.



The stallion merely scoffed “As I told that one filly and her dragonic boyfriend-”



“Whoa! I have a rule about that,” Scootaloo warned.



“Scoots, not now!” Apple Bloom screamed. She pulled the stallion down to her eye level “You. Table. Show us. Now!”



“As I told that one filly and her dragonic boyfriend,” The stallion repeated, yanking his tie out of Apple Bloom's hoof, “we do not seat children unless they are accompanied by a parent!”



“What!?” The fillies screamed in unison. They tried to think of some type of contingency, but it was too late, a shadow was cast across them. They turned to face a demon from Tartarus. Her eyes were dyed a light green as purple wisps of mist emitted from them. They didn’t dare run, there was no longer any point.



“Oh, there you are!" He gave Cheerilee a kind smile. "If you’re ready, I will show you to your seats!” The stallion happily sang.



“… No,” Cheerilee said in deep, calm voice that seemed frighten a passing Iron Will. The stallion, for some reason, felt fear for himself and for the fillies, but said nothing for  he would only call upon the wrath of the school teacher, “You two, museum, now.” The two fillies gulped, but did not fight their fate. 

Their teacher, who had since lost the glare in her eyes, dragged them back to the museum. “You two are in so much trouble,” Cheerilee hissed, leading them into the museum. A mare sat at the entrance desk, ready to hand Cheerilee a piece of paper. "2563 bits for collateral, is that enough for you?" The mare nodded and wrote the number on the ticket, erasing the original 2345 bit fine. Cheerilee took the ticket, giving Apple Bloom and Scootaloo an anger filled glance. "Is everypony else ok?” She asked in a more happy tone, regrouping with the two classes. The foals seemed to calm down, returning to their respective group of friends. All except one group, that is.



“Pipsqueak is still in a catatonic state!” Button Mash cried as Rumble tried everything to wake their friend up from what ever trance he was under.



“Don't worry, he’s been like that since last night,” Cheerilee admitted. To be truthful, the catatonic state coupled with the aura of a shattered perception of reality and the scent of smashed hopes and dreams seemed almost familiar. It was like the time Snails fell in love with her and she had to smash his heart as if it was a glass bottle. That wasn’t important though, at least she knew that there were still a few students that could stay out of trouble... even if they were in a  catatonic state.




“Wait here.” Spike said as Sweetie Belle stood in front of a decorated door. She nodded her head, but she didn’t actually hear the drake, she was too busy being bedazzled by the door. It must have cost a fortune, that or Rarity came and simply had to accessorize it. The frame was incrusted with gems of all types, mainly sapphires. The handle of the door seemed to be made to look like glass, but Sweetie assumed that it was actually a large diamond. The rest of the door was covered in a pattern that Rarity might fawn over: ruby, emerald, and a topaz, followed by a cobalt, amber and finally an amethyst, all in neat vertical rows.



Spike entered the room and saw a mare editing what looked like a suit for Prince Blueblood. “'It’s not good enough',” the mare mocked. “'It needs to show up any stallion that walks in the room, that suit can hardly show up my aunt! Do we just pay you to be lazy?' Ungrateful little prick.”



“Um, Honey?”



The mare turned and was shocked to see a familiar face. “Oh, wow, Spike, longtime no see! How’ve you been?”



“Um good, look can I ask you for a favor? You see there’s this filly and-”



“Ooo, Spike, a filly, you say? Do tell,” she purred. She wasn’t really that interested… well actually she was, but at the same time it was still a good excuse not to work on Prince Blue Prick’s suit.



“Well, um… you see, there’s this dance she’s going to on Friday and she kinda forgot her dress at home. Do you think you can make her one?”



“Wow, not even on your first date and you're already spoiling her!" 

"No, not you too! Look, I just need a dress made without the 'you're dating a cute filly' joke!" Spike yelled.

"Wow, so after talking to me like that, do you expect me to just drop my current project to go on this impossible mission to make this random filly a new dress?" She asked pretending to be offended. She was actually all the more giddy, she never mentioned the filly being cute. "It’s a good thing that you’re highly respected by three princesses, otherwise the answer would be no! Talk to Celestia, see if she has any old dresses she never tried on, bring it to me and I’ll give it a quick edit,” she smiled before she started pushing Spike out of the room with a list of instructions. “If you can’t find the Princess, then go to her room and follow that list step by step. It isn’t the first time I’ve been asked to make someone a new dress from one of her old ones. Just ask Twilight, half of her dresses were Celestia's at one point. Just send the filly in so I can have a general sense of dress size and color!” She said before forcing the confused dragon out of the room.



Spike found himself in front of Sweetie Belle, “Okay, Honey needs you to go in there, I’ll be doing something else,” he said, looking down at his list. Spike picked dashed down a hall leaving Sweetie Belle alone in front of the door.



Sweetie Belle causally rotated the diamond doorknob and silently swung the door open. The room looked like her sister and twelve other mares had torn through it. The only empty spaces was a small platform in front of a row of curved mirrors and mannequins that hosted several dresses and suits. In the center of it all was a single mare with a golden coat of fresh honey and a braided, burnt orange mane.



“Um… are you Honey...? What’s going on!?” Sweetie Belle was caught in the mare’s magic and placed on the pedestal in the center of the room,.



“Ooh, so you’re the filly,” The mare gasped. “Wow, Spike said cute, but that might be an understatement. I’m sorry; where are my manners? Honey Suckle, dressmaker extraordinaire.” She talked a million miles per second, editing a suit as she scrutinized the young filly before her. “So what’s your name? Cutie Pie? Sweet Pea? Come on, a cute filly needs to have a cute name.”



The statements made Sweetie Belle turn a light pink before she answered, “Sweetie Belle.”



“Wow, that is a cute name. So I hear you need a dress… let’s see what I’m working with here….” Measuring tapes wrapped themselves around every part of Sweetie Belle, only to unwind a few seconds later. “Hmm… I can only hope Spike gets a dress that works for you,” The mare said as she examined the filly. “Something in blue… maybe a mix of silver around the neck… that could work.” She giggled. “So, how did you come to meet Spike? Let me guess, laid some of his charm on you, right?”



Sweetie Belle blushed as she tried to keep her eyes glued to the floor. “Um… I’m not… He’s… We’re not….”



“Awe, no need to be shy, I think young love is adorable. Let me say; you know how to pick them. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Spike is that if he likes you, he’ll move mountains for you.”



“So… um… where is he now?”



“Oh, he’s just on a small errand,” The mare smiled. She wasn't hearing a denial!




Spike stood in the most forbidden doorway in all the land, the entrance to Celestia’s bedroom. He searched the castle high and low, but there was no sign of the Princess, it was as if she vanished into thin air. He took a deep breath before entering the chamber. He didn’t know why Celestia would have kept foal sized dresses, but questioning it would be more trouble than it’s worth. He looked at a list of instructions. “Step 1: Look for a wall with a few missing tiles.” He saw the wall on the opposite side of the room. He sat down in front of it, wondering what to do next. “Step two, slide the tiles across the wall.” He pushed on one of the tiles to see that it moved up, down, left and right. He moved the tiles in a random order until he heard a click.



A section of Celestia’s wall slid open. He was disappointed that all he found was a row of books, something that Twilight had an abundance of back at Golden Oaks. He moved a single tile and the wall slid shut. “Okay, let’s try this again.” He moved the tiles randomly, this time revealing a collection of photo albums. To his shock, Spike saw some of them said Spike Year 1, 2, 3-7, 8-9, Ponyville years. Reluctantly, he flipped through the pages of Spike Year 1. Most of them were just of him with Celestia or Twilight doing stuff, or him wearing embarrassing baby clothes. It was not until he reached the back section that he slammed the book shut. “This is getting weird,” he muttered as he put the book back. Spike began to move the tiles sporadically until he heard a third click. This time a pile of reports from Twilight spilled onto the floor. “OH COME ON!” He shouted.



“Looking for something?” A soft voice asked. Spike froze and then slowly turned around. “Hmm, if Twilight was caught snooping in my room, she would be groveling at my hooves by now,” Celestia playfully explained.



“Um… Let me explain,” Spike stuttered like a bandit caught in a bank vault.



“I’m all ears.”



“… Sweetie Belle forgot her dress in Ponyville, so I said that I could get one made here, but Honey Suckle said she need a pre-made dress to get it done by Friday; she then said that you probably still had one of your’s or Twilight’s old dresses, so I broke in here to find them, following directions I got from Honey," Spike quickly explained on a single breath. "Then I found a baby photo album and there was a section laybled Tickle Fight and that freaked me the heck out!”



Celestia stood in silence as her eyes darted around the room. "And what did you take away from that?” She asked as her eyes focused on Spike.



“You keep photos of me.”



“Okay… moving on. What do you need?”



“I need a dress in size… I don’t know… 10 year old filly?” Spike answered.



Without a second thought, Celestia gently moved Spike away from the wall, levitated the letters back into the wall and sealed the compartment. She quickly arranged the tiles so that a fourth section of the wall opened to reveal a pristine line of dresses. Celestia levitated a dress with three shades of blue out of the line and gave it to Spike. “Anything else?”



“Yeah, just one more thing,” Spike began. “Why do you have fifty secret compartments in your room?”



Celestia couldn’t help but think back to the day she planned her bedroom.



(Many centuries ago)

The filly hopped around as the builders asked the princess for her preferences. “I want a wall right there that has movable tiles that have like bazillion combinations, so that when you slide them in a certain order a wall opens up!”



“We can do that,” The head contractor nodded. “Can we just ask why?”



“Because it’ll be cool,” Celestia happily answered.




“…Because a princess must have her privacy. Now run along, I’m sure there is a certain filly waiting for you.” Spike ran off. Celestia moved tiles around until another compartment slid open. “He must never know.” Inside was a stock of cakes and a mini-fridge filled with milk. She took out a hearty piece of chocolate cake, looking around to make sure a certain Pegasus was not watching.



Spike brought the dress to the dressing room, finally allowing Honey get started on the hard labor and freeing Sweetie from a barrage of questions. The fitting process took about 3 hours, but Honey was far off from being done. She said something about making a dress so good, Sweetie would shine brighter than any star in the sky, including the sun that the Princess raised each morning. “It’ll take time, but I should have it done by tomorrow.” she smiled. Honey helped Sweetie out of her dress and hung it up, finally freeing the filly. Spike and Sweetie Belle left the room, thanking Honey for her kindness. When they were both outside and the door was closed, Honey turned to the suit Blueblood had given her. “How about we put you to good use?” she chuckled mischievously. Honey had one goal in mind: Make the perfect suit in case a drake lands himself a filly dressed in blue. “Oh, but what about Prince Blue Prick?” Honey asked herself. “Oh that’s right, I don’t care!” She laughed as she began to change the suit into something that someone would appreciate, even if they didn't show up their aunt. If worse came to worst, she'd just pander to Blueblood's ego; that's what everypony else did.




“Finally!” Sweetie said as she stretched, “I swear, everpony at school must have had a better day then me!” Spike led her into what looked like small break room. Sweetie Belle nearly jumped onto a couch that rested on the far wall that and sunk into the soft cushions. Spike sat next to her as she let out a groan forged from pure exhaustion.



“Come on it wasn’t that bad.”



She barely opened her eyes. “Have you ever stood in the same spot for three hours as someone tried to edit a dress you were in?”



“All the time; do you not see me at your sister’s house?”



“I do, but you only help her with a few major projects... or when she needs the trash taken out. Besides, she only lets you help because you’re so cute when you ask. It’s like trying to say no to one of Fluttershy’s baby pandas.”



“Oh, but that is where you’d be wrong,” Spike grinned. “You see Sweetie Belle, Rarity doesn’t allow me to help because I’m adorable, it’s because I’ve swayed her with my manly charms.” Spike smiled triumphantly, “It’s only a matter of time before we both confess our mutual feelings for each other.”



Sweetie Belle, as well as the rest of Ponyville, knew of Spike’s ‘secret’ crush, and like most of the town, she wanted to ask one question, “Spike… hypothetically, do you really think Rarity thinks of you like that? I mean don’t get me wrong, you’re a real gentlecolt... drake… it’s just, well, how would Apple Bloom put this? There’s an age gap wider than Ponyville Gorge.”



“Of course! Have you met me? I’m the picture of manliness!” Spike stood up and began to flex his arms. “Oh yeah, I'm looking good, looking real good!” The drake seemed to flex for what seemed like a good five minutes, giving himself complements every few seconds He finally stopped when he heard a small snigger. “What’s so funny?” He asked, falling back down into a sitting position.



Sweetie Belle stopped chuckling, “Nothing….” She said, trying to keep from laughing. “I just… You,” She buried her face in a nearby pillow. After a few minutes Sweetie Belle lifted her head with a smile stained on her face, “I’m sorry you flexing and talking to yourself is just… the funniest thing I have ever seen.”



“You sound too much like Twilight,” Spike sighed. “What do you think? I have a chance with Rarity, right?”



“… yeah… sure you do….” She closed her eyes and hoped Spike would take it at face value.



“Knew it!” He fist pumped. “I told Twilight!”



“Yeah… you did.” As the two made small talk, Sweetie’s eyelids slowly became heavy. It was odd; it was as if something just sucked the energy out of her. She felt too lazy to actually get a couch pillow, so she made do with what she had.



“Sweetie… what are you doing?” Spike asked, feeling her soft mane on his lap.



“I’m tired and your lap is really warm; it’s the perfect pillow,” she said with a smile. Sweetie turned so that she was facing Spike’s chest. She shifted her head in an attempt to find the perfect spot, causing him to become flustered. It was all in good taste though. Being a dragon, Spike's natural body heat was on par with the warmest blankets and pillows, whist her mane provided a softness that couldn't be beat.



“Um… Sweetie Belle… I kinda need you to maybe not lay on me.”



“But Spiiiike,” she whined, “If I, a gorgeous filly, don’t get my beauty sleep, I can’t be certain I would be able to ask the colt of my dreams to the dance.” Her head turned on his lap, “Even if I did, he would get one look at me and say he would rather date a rock. I would return home, heartbroken!” She threw her hoof over her head to add a dramatic effect. “And then I would do nothing but weep for the rest of my foalhood!” She opened one a single inch to see a small internal battle raging in Spike; all he needed was one little push. “And then Rarity would get involved! Oh, the thing’s she would ask! I would have no choice but to tell her everything.” Rarity, Spike’s greatest weakness, the mere mention of her could get him to do the impossible or cause him to bend to someone's will. “And I mean everything, Spike! Her face would twist in a fit of betrayal and disgust! She would forever hate the drake that not only caused my heartbreak, but the drake that seemed play with my heart for three whole days! Imagine it Spike, because you wouldn’t just let me use you like the comfy pillow you are, you destroy any chance you have with Rarity.”



“Let’s not get hasty!” Spike snapped, “my lap was practically made for sleeping on.”



Sweetie Belle turned her head so she faced the door, simply to hide her triumphant grin. She managed to break Spike with a simple scenario; maybe she could use him as a blanket as well. She hid her grin and then turned to face Spike again giving a soft whimper before closing her eyes.



After a long day with a snack break every hour and a half, Celestia proceeded to her workroom for some piece and quite, until something adorable caught her eye. "You are kidding me." She wished she had a camera. Celestia tried to fight the urge, but she finally let out an amused giggle. 

“Do not say a word,” Spike growled quietly, careful not to disturb the sleeping filly on his lap.



“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t,” Celestia whispered, walking away from the scene. Spike sat still, careful not to move a muscle. At least he avoided Celestia’s jokes this time. She probably got tired of teasing him about hanging out with a girl. After all, there were only so many jokes a pony could think of before the well went dry. And the fact Celestia returned with a cameria….



“No, wait!” Spike was silenced as a rapid succession of clicks sounded off.  Out of the camera developed 2 pictures, each of a smiling filly fast asleep on a blushing dragon’s lap… wait he was blushing?! “What are you going to do?” Spike mouthed as a sudden chill shot up his spine. This was bad. Worse than bad, this was horrible. Who knows what she would do with those pictures. Celestia merely trotted out of sight with the pictures in hoof, but not before she gave Spike a face that made him truly understand why Discord would sometimes call her Trollestia. He tried to move but stopped when he felt Sweetie Belle stir from her slumber. “I am really starting to hate today.”



Sweetie had been asleep for a good four hours, sometimes mumbling something about happiness and her cutie mark. Her eyes finally fluttered opened as she let out a yawn and stretched her legs. “That was a nice nap…. How long was I out?” She asked rubbing her tired eyes.



“Four hours,” Spike answered, “and I think Princess Celestia is going to black mail me.”



Sweetie Belle lifted her head off the drake’s lap and “Wow, I can only imagine how Scootaloo would react to this,” Sweetie Belle said as she hopped off the couch.



“What?”



“Oh yeah, you’re not part of our club. Scootaloo has these three major rules, first one is that no matter what, Rainbow Dash wins at everything and is right about everything, second is that everything a we do must be something Rainbow Dash would approve of otherwise known as 'What Would Rainbow Dash Do' rule, but the third and most important rule is the about the Crusaders and colts.”




“NONE OF US DATE!” Scootaloo shouted at a reluctant Feather Weight. Her and Apple Bloom were forced to sit on a bench for the remainder of the day. Leaving the bench without Cheerilee's permission would result in a call home to any and all parents, siblings, and idols that may exist. “So you can take that cute face of yours and jump off a cliff, because I am not going out with you, ever!”



“I just wanted to know if you’ve seen Shady Daze…”



“Go away!” Scootaloo interrupted, pointing to a different section of the museum.



Feather left with his head down and his tail between his legs.



“Don’t you think that was harsh?” Applebloom asked.



Scootaloo pulled her friend in. “Look, Bloom, I’m doing this for us. Remember the story? A few months ago, like the night of Hearts and Hooves Day, Rainbow Dash was ranting to me as she drank some water labeled Everfree Vodka….”




“And that is how you’ll lose your friends!” Rainbow wept as she drank more of the strange smelling concoction, “first the gorgeous one finds whoever ponies ship her with, and then the farm pony, your best friend, runs off with a Pegasus, a freaken Pegasus, because she thinks he’s cute and he likes her pies. But it won’t stop there, cause then you find that the colt you set your sites on was stolen by some egg headed bitch, and then you hear they got married at the bottom of a pit, and you know that not even a Sonic Rainboom could break that up…!” Rainbow bawled her eyes out in her stupor, stopping only to drink more of the strange water. “Then you see that you lost your friends to their relationships and you die alone. No friends at your side, nopony to give you love, just alone!” Rainbow Dash chugged more of the drink and wept before hugging her number one fan. “And that is why boyfriends suck!”




“To this day, I have not forgotten that wisdom. I refuse to let any colt break us apart before and after we get our Cutie Marks! I see you there, Button Mash! Sweetie Belle isn’t here, so you keep on walking! Apple Bloom, to keep our friendship alive, we must stay strong in the face of… Rumble I see you looking at her so turn your head!”




“So, this little nap will be kept between us?”


“I will not tell anypony, cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”



“Good. Hey, it’s getting late, mind escorting me back a  little early?"

"No problem," Spike smiled, his mind on the photos that Celestia had taken. It should have been a short walk back to the hotel, with Spike trying to get information about Rarity out of Sweetie Belle. However, the two seemed to be going a bit slower than usual. He didn't pry too much and only got Sweetie explain that Rarity saw her life as a romance novel. 

Rarity's life as romance novel. Spike could work with that. Two species forbidden to love by the laws of society, their friends and family trying to hinder their relationship… only nopony would actually care if a dragon and a unicorn got hitched. Hell, it would probably be seen as a Pegasus getting hitched to a griffin, and Celestia knew that barely anypony cared about that. Spike stopped when he came to the entrance of the hotel. “Here we are, safe and sound…. You’ll tell Rarity that I got you here safe and sound, right?”

"Yup!”

“Great!” Spike was about to go back to the castle when he remembered something important. “Oh, wait, Sweetie, tomorrow I won’t be able to hang out. Celestia needs a scribe for some summit and guess who’s lucky enough to be selected,” he sighed.

“Is he you?” Sweetie playfully answered.

Spike nodded. “Don’t worry though; I’ll make sure that you’ll be able to get inside the castle. I’m kind of a big shot with guards… probably heard about my deeds in the Crystal Empire.” He slyly bragged.

“Okay, but I’ll see you Friday though?”

“You can count on it! See you later!” Spike said as he walked away.

“Bye!” Sweetie called. Sweetie Belle went into the hotel and went straight to her room.


Later that night, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom finally returned to the room led by Miss Cheerilee. “Well, Scootaloo, I’m sure your parents will be thrilled to hear all about your misadventures this week and every insult you flung at Truffle!” She wanted to continue yelling, but only let out a sigh. “Just… both of you stay in your room for the rest of the day and be thankful that your little smoke grenade incident wasn’t mistaken for a terrorist attack!” Cheerilee slammed the door and went to her room.

“She’s got a point, Scoots,” Apple Bloom agreed as she removed her child leash. “Ah can’t believe you said that to Truffle.”

“It was for the best.” Scootaloo fell onto the floor and nearly passed out. “So, Sweetie Belle, how was your day?” She asked as she sat in a chair.

Sweetie Belle laid on the bed humming to herself. “It was good… I just spent the day with Spike.”

Scootaloo could feel that something was off. It was as if something felt lighter, more joyous. Jumping on the bed, she came face to face with Sweetie Belle. “Say Spike’s name again.”  

“Spike,” Sweetie Belle said. The second she said the dragon’s name, a slight smile began to spread across her face.

“No,” Scootaloo uttered as she backed up. “You didn't, you couldn't have, I wouldn't let it happen!” She hit the wall as reality dawned on her. Her friend fell for a colt… drake. “Damn you…” Scootaloo fell to her knees and looked skywards. “Damn you SPIIIIIIKE!”

 
“Damn you SPIIIIIIKE!” The second Cheerilee heard those words she rushed out of her room and smashed open the door to the CMC’s room.

“What happened!?” She cried, rushing to Scootaloo’s side, checking over her to see if she was burnt or scratched.

“He did it, that monster did it!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she pounded against the floor. “He destroyed this group!”


As Spike ate dinner, he heard a loud shout, “Damn you SPIIIIIIKE!”

Shrugging, he continued to eat his pile of gems. When he finished he made for his room like no tomorrow. Unfortunately, this meant that he had to pass Celestia’s workroom. “And how was your day today, you little stud?” She smirked.

Spike cringed at the joke. “Please, Princess, she was feeling tired, I let her sleep on me. I thought it would help me with my chances with Rarity."

“Understood," Celestia nodded, "if you can’t have Rarity, her little sister must be the next best thing.” Spike groaned as he faced palmed. “So when’s the wedding? Should I get another dress for Sweetie Belle from my room?” Spike let out a louder groan before continuing to his room. Celestia let out a chuckle and continued to review her work. “Goodnight,” She called.

"Goodnight!” Spike sarcastically shouted back. “Wait!” Spike rushed back and stood under the doorway. “What did you do with the pictures you took?”

"Oh, don’t worry, they’re… safe,” Celestia grinned. Spike tried to think what safe meant, only to see the photo album marked Spike: Ponyville years. So that's what safe meant... well as long as both photos were in there, who was he to complain?


Rarity let out a sequel of delight, one that took the hearing of every pony in the room. "Girls, get Princess Cadance and an Equestrian Postal Service cart, because we are going shipping!” She cried, holding a picture of Sweetie and Spike in her aura. She turned to see her friends writhing on the floor, each holding their bleeding ears. “Ugh, come on girls this must be the 9th time this week I shattered your eardrums, just shake it off!”