//------------------------------// // Silliness and Dinner // Story: They Never Knew // by SilverEyedWolf //------------------------------// “I’m nervous,” said Twilight, messing with the hair she had let Rarity doctor into waves. Out of her usual ponytail, her hair seemed to become alive; it shone in the light, and floated gently with the breeze before falling back into the place it had rested before. “Of course you are,” Ditzy chirped happily. “It’s your first date, and you look wonderful, and I do too, and Spike will when he changes, and we’re going to have a wonderful time!” Rarity had insisted on doing the ladies’ hair long before the date, to Twilight’s unrelenting displeasure. I talked her out of complaining too much though; I knew that Rarity had her own preparations to see to. It had taken a week or so to get everyone’s schedule set straight; making sure that the four of us all had nothing going on. Ditzy and I were there to make sure nothing went wrong, and to have our own little date. Twilight had wrinkled her nose at the idea of a double-date, but had spoken no objections. Ditzy had received a small makeover, a simple hair treatment and a bun. Rarity had almost started on me, but once I knew she was trying it was easy to keep away from her. I kept my usual spikes, for now. Rarity had also left us with clothes; elegant evening gowns for the ladies and a suit for me. The dresses teased and hinted at hidden curves, and I had lost myself whenever I put my hand on Ditzy’s waist or back. I’d even found myself trailing my hand from her hip around her side, and almost started up over her stomach before she tapped my hand sharply. Blushing, I walked over to my own finery. Holding it up, I stared critically over the jacket and pants that made up the suit, along with a… bow tie? I looked over at Ditzy, and it was her turn to grin. Handing me a white shirt, she pushed me towards the bathroom and flapped her hands. Dejected, I walked in and start changing. The suit was more comfortable than I expected, but I still felt stifled in the jacket. Twilight smiled and walked over, reaching up and undoing the tie with a quick tug and remaking it. Pressing gently on it to flatten it to my shirt, she stepped back and both girls eyed me, making me squirm a little. Apparently they liked what they saw; Ditzy smiled widely, and Twilight blushed and smiled as well, though much more shyly than Ditzy. “Ready for your date, Twilight? She’s very lovely. If I were single I might be jealous,” I told her, winking at Ditzy. She didn’t know yet who were meeting, so she’d likely be just as surprised as Twilight to see Rarity again. Twilight kept her blush, but now it was directed at the floor. She started tugging gently on a wisp from one of her bangs. Ditzy squished her own face, pushing her cheeks together and moving her hands up and down slightly. “Twi-i-i-lie,” she almost moaned, pulling the I’s until the name lasted for moments instead of the single second it normally took. “You’re much too cute like that!” Her hands lifted from her own cheeks and gravitated towards Twilight’s, pinching threateningly. “Stop it now, or I’ll mush your cheeks up good!” Twilight eyed Ditzy’s fingers and stepped back, forcing her hand to drop away from her hair. It bobbed, curled into shape from Twilight’s worrying. It seemed strangely content to be there, for a lock of stray hair. Instead of the promised pinching, Ditzy soothed back the hair, placing it back behind Twilight’s ear the way Rarity had it. Twilight blushed and glanced over at me. I grinned and held up six fingers, causing her to frown and shake her head in confusion. “I’ll explain it to you later,” I told her, keeping my quiet laughter to myself. Frowning, she glanced up at the clock. “What time are we supposed to be there?” she asked again. “You know it’s six. If you’re ready we can head out, and just be there ahead of her.” I shrugged at her, trying to convey my apathy. While I was as excited as she was about this date, I wasn’t nearly as anxious as she was. “… Yeah, I think I’ll go crazy if I sit here too much longer. It’s fifteen minutes away, right?” She looked nervously down at her shoes; small thick platforms that made her look like she was going to a meeting. “Yes, but I’m not going to make you wear your shoes until we get there,” I assured her. The ones Rarity had picked out worked great with Twilight’s turquoise gown, but they weren’t made for walking, even over the most level of paths. I’d had her snag a purse that matched reasonably well, and told her she could hide her current shoes when we got near to the train. We had agreed that Ponyville, while very picturesque and warm, was simply not a great place for eating out. While it could boast fresh foods, no one had taken advantage of that fact quite yet. A small diner and the Cake’s bakery were the most one could hope for, and with Pinkie squealing pretty much incessantly whenever she saw Twilight and the diner closed on weekends, Canterlot was our backup. I’d sent a message ahead, a reservation request, and been nervous until I got the confirmation the day before. About thirty minutes after the train ride, to get to the eatery. Plenty of time to find the place, which I remembered being close to the station. And hopefully, the train ride would be enough to let Twilight and Rarity get over their inevitable awkwardness. Rarity would probably be okay, but Twilight was definitely going to be… intense. I sighed, walking to the door. “Come on then, she might be there already anyway. I think she’s looking forward to this as much as you are…” Twilight looked at me skeptically as she walked past me. “I don’t know who could be that anxious to date me, I think I’m pretty approachable.” “I just bet,” I muttered, locking the door before closing it. ……………………………………………….. We were first to the station, which surprised me. Twilight had changed into her other heels early in case her date was actually there, and had teetered and tottered the rest of the way to the station. Ditzy was unusually light on her feet in her heels, only ever tripping once. Twilight had never hit the ground, with the both of us supporting her, but had gotten very close to tipping the lot of us on our bottoms. We reached the platform with five minutes to spare; five minutes to wait on Rarity and let the awkwardness begin. We sat on a bench to wait for the fourth in our group. Looking over at Twilight, I discovered her to be as fidgety as I’d expected, looking from her shoes to the clock on the wall to the bracelet Rarity had placed on a slender wrist. Ditzy was fidgety herself, although her wide smile betrayed feelings as excitement rather than anxiety. “Ever been to Canterlot, outside of Post Office business?” I asked, slipping my fingers between hers. “Only once, to buy Dinky a wand. I wanted to find one that wouldn’t break easily, but Elm Branch doesn’t have a lot to work with here.” She tensed her hand, gently locking our fingers together. “I went to see a man named Carbon, whose father was a blacksmith that forged indescribable wands, in many different forms. He was also known for his blades, until he disappeared from his store. No one’s really sure where he went, and his son won’t say anything except that he’s alive, and doing fine.” Twilight shared a look with me, and I put a hand to the pendant I wore on my wrist. Nodding, we didn’t say anything. I hadn’t known Graphite was in hiding… “Anyway, it had been said that he’d taught his son some of his trade, and that he had a shop of his own in Canterlot, hidden away in some corner.” Ditzy giggled and shook her head. “He was ‘hidden’ near the train station, in a lovely square surrounded by bookshops and scribe suppliers. I wouldn’t have even known he was a smith, if not for the heat from his forge coming through his open door. “Some people just love the drama of a story. He was very nice too, made a good wand from some Ironwood he had around. A little pricey, but I think it was very worth it.” “That was a very lovely story dear, but I think we may be late for our train.” Twilight and Ditzy jumped and turned, Rarity finally speaking up. She’d gotten here a few minutes ago, about halfway through Ditzy describing our favorite blacksmith. She’d sat down, and I winked at her to let her know I’d seen her. Twilight had been so wrapped up in Ditzy’s story that she hadn’t noticed the elegant woman sat behind her, and Ditzy had been staring into space as she told her story, a habit left over from recalling addresses she’d forgotten. Rarity had gone a little more daring with her dress than the others, letting it dip into her cleavage as much as she could while remaining tasteful. Her hair was down around her shoulders, loose curls bouncing and bobbing with her movements. She had some sort of jeweled chain in her hair, holding her hair away from her face and eyes. On her ears small silver pendants sparkled in the light, and she had a matching necklace of what looked to be silver lace. She was wearing gloves that shined with a dull light, and matching heels that looked vaguely like Twilight’s. Confused and sputtering, Twilight stared at Rarity. “H-hi Rar-Rarity, what are you…?” Taking in her dress, Twilight blushed and hid her mouth with a hand. “Oh, are y-y-you…?” Blushing, Rarity smiled shyly and nodded. I sighed and put a hand on hyperventilating Twilight’s head. “Twi, calm down. Breathe in… and out.” Twilight swatted at my hand, frowning furiously and mumbling something at me. Frowning myself, I stepped between Twilight and Rarity. “Twilight, what on earth is going on? What is wrong?” I whispered under my breath. “Oh Spike, it’s Rarity,” she moaned miserably, “and I can’t go with her, not her…” Frowning deeply, I glanced over my shoulder at a bewildered Rarity and Ditzy. “Go snag a seat, we’ll be right there,” I assured them, snagging Twilight by her elbow and pulling her away. I stopped suddenly, whirling towards Twilight. “Twilight,” I almost hissed, lowly enough to not be heard by the others, “what do you mean you can’t go on a date with her? What’s wrong with Rarity?” “Nothing!” she almost shouted, freezing me in place with my confusion. “Nothing is wrong with her Spike,” she almost sobbed. “She’s the most beautiful person I know, and I’m…” She sobbed, pressing into me. “I’m… a librarian. A shut-in, a bookworm…” I sighed and wrapped my arms around her thin shoulders. Pulling some cloth from my pocket, I gently pulled away from Twilight and lifted her tear-stained face. When she looked at me, confused, I plopped the tissue on her face. She stopped sobbing almost immediately. Wiping at her eyes, I pulled the cloth from her face. “Spike,” she said, once more in command of her breathing and tears. I’d never seen a less telling face than hers in that moment. “Why did you cover my head like that?” “I thought it would help you feel better,” I said, shrugging. “I didn’t really think it through. Did it work?” She slowly nodded, as though anything from the past few minutes had made sense. Sniffling one last time, she took the cloth back from my hands and blew her nose, quietly. Looking back towards Rarity, her mouth quivered again. I touched her chin and pulled her back into my eyes. “Hey,” I said softly. “Wanna know something?” “What’s that?” she asked, whispering along with me. “Rarity was terrified that you wouldn’t be attracted to her,” I told her, smiling. “She swore to me that you’d turn her away.” Confused, she peeked over my shoulder at her date. “But Spike… how could anyone turn her away? She’s… gorgeous, in every way…” “And she said much the same about you,” I told her, straightening from the posture I’d affected to whisper to Twilight. “Now, stop being so defeatist and talk to the woman, she’s as nervous as you are and probably thinks you’ve rejected her.” Twilight whirled around me and strode back to the bench, where Rarity was sitting quietly, tears in her eyes. Gently tugging on Rarity’s shoulder, Twilight looked down into Rarity’s eyes and whispered something. I’m told by Twilight she only said sorry, but it made Rarity sob even more. I did hear the next part for myself. “I was so scared of the thought of you… I had no idea that you could be nervous too. Rarity, I’m sorry I didn’t ask you myself… Would you… go to dinner with us tonight?” Rarity’s sobs ceased for a moment, then two. Her face loosened, and anyone other than Rarity would have looked slack-jawed. I gently pulled Rarity to her feet. Walking the women a few feet down the bench, I sat the both of them there. Twilight met Rarity’s gaze, blushing. Rarity simply stared blankly at the librarian. Slapping my forehead, I let my hand drag down over my face, intentionally distorting my features for a few seconds. “Rarity.” She broke her gaze with Twilight, blankly looking into my eyes. Leaning over, I whispered into her ear, “If you don’t snap out of it, I’ll make up the dirtiest fantasy I can think of and tell Twilight it’s yours.” It didn’t work. Rarity just pulled her face away and frowned at me, confused. Still more than I had before… “Rarity, Twilight likes you,” I said, slowly. That seemed to get through; her face could have lit a thousand caves. “She knows you like her. We’re late for our train, and maybe our dinner reservation. Twilight would like you to come with us on a date.” Rubbing her eyes, she sighed and glanced over at Twilight before grabbing the collar of my shirt and pulling me down. “Spike, I’ve made a terrible fool of myself.” Her voice quivered, watery from her sobs. She sounded almost in tears again. I grabbed her shoulders in both of my hands, pushing her away far enough to look into her face. “Rarity,” I said, “what do you think love is?” Blushing, she looked over at Twilight… and giggled. “Twilight, I’m afraid I haven’t been very... ladylike for the past two minutes,” she apologized. “I would love to go to dinner with you.” …………………………………………….. After an apology sent to the restaurant we were never to arrive at, a ticket purchase, and a two letters, one to Dinky letting her know we were going to make a weekend out of our date instead of only a night, we were finally on a train. “I hope Applejack doesn’t have too much trouble with the Crusaders,” Ditzy had said when I’d sent the letter through to Dinky’s wand. She was at a sleepover, joining Applebloom’s friends at Applejack’s house. “I still don’t know what possessed you to tell my little sister and her friends that story,” Rarity groused at me from across the space that separated our seats. The plush benches faced each other, much like restaurant booths without a table, so Ditzy and I sat across from Twilight and Rarity. Twilight’s hand twitched, almost manically. It had been ever since she noticed that I’d taken Ditzy’s in my own. I had to assume that she couldn’t find a comfortable way to reach over and take one of Rarity’s, who had both hands folded in her lap. “Twilight, can you see if the food cart is coming?” I asked her, glancing down the hallway over her shoulder. She turned in her seat and I lifted Ditzy’s hand in mine, staring at Rarity. She looked surprised and looked at her own, then back to me. I rolled my eyes and glanced pointedly at Twilight’s. Her blush told me I’d gotten through to her, and I dropped my hand just as Twilight returned to her original position. “No one’s coming, Spike. Would you like me to call her?” “Oh, no no. I just thought I heard her wheels, is all.” The trolley had already passed once, and had a broken wheel that squeaked with every motion. Twilight nodded, then frowned. “Don’t change the topic, Spike. Why did you tell those three about the tattoos?” “Well, mostly because it’s fascinating,” I told her, frowning back. “I had no idea they’d become so captivated by the idea of ornaments. And besides, they asked me.” \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Scootaloo had found an ancient picture of the princesses, hands crossed with the backs showing. There had been a sun emblazoned on the back of Celestia’s hand, and a moon on the back of Luna’s. Bringing it to me, she had asked, “Celestia doesn’t really have a hand tattoo, does she?” “She covers it with makeup,” I’d told her, not thinking. “Luna still displays her Cuathie Mark, though.” “Her what?” she had asked, wrinkling her nose. “Oh, uhm, that’s an ancient marking used by the Cuathiens. It was kind of distinguishing mark, a defense against Changelings, who couldn’t match the mark for some reason.” She stared at me blankly for a minute before asking, “Used by who?” Laughing, I had fetched an old book from the library’s shelves. Flipping to the chapter I’d been looking for, I showed her a picture of what appeared to be half man, half horse. “Cuathiens were an ancient equine race. Some called them centaurs, but the Cuath were what they called themselves.” I put a finger to a point in the book. “This describes the ritual they used to find their marks, the Cuathien Mark.” Looking closely at the word, she seemed to mouth it silently. “Cutie mark?” she asked finally. I burst out laughing, shaking my head. “No honey, Qu-Auth-Ee-En. Cuathien.” “But… Cutie Mark is much better,” Scootaloo said, grinning. “Thanks Mr. Spike!” She ran out the door, still holding the book. I’d shaken my head at the time, but I’d known something was going to go wrong as soon as the group had announced themselves as the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’. They had come to me once before, demanding that I use my “Super Powered Dragon Magic” to give them these marks. I’d explained to them how the symbol was permanent, and that if the symbol did not describe them completely that it could eat the skin off of the hand. That had put them off for a few days, until they came back and demanded a spell that would show them their perfect mark. Sighing, I’d taken out the book and my wand. Finding the spell I was looking for, I picked up my wand and lifted the rug that covered the library floor. They all had gasped at the intricate runes doodled on the hardwood, leftovers from an experiment I’d forgotten about. I pointed my wand at the far end and flicked my arm to the side, waving my wand over the floor. All the chalk had lifted into a small ball, levitating in place as I examined the floor for any leftover marks. Satisfied, I’d started on another circle, using the same chalk. It had taken me a while, but I finally produced the spell described in the book. Pointing to the middle, I showed the girls a linked trio of circles. “Stand in these, with your backs to each other.” They had hurried to comply, except for Scootaloo. “I dunno, Mr. Spike… Is it dangerous?” Creasing my forehead, I frowned at her. “Do you care? You’ve already come to me twice, demanding magics you know little of. What more risk could there be?” Shivering, she’d walked slowly to her two friends, joining them in the middle. Looking over the runes and circles, I nodded approvingly and stepped between the three, standing in the gap made by their circles. “Never turn your head,” I had told them. “Look straight at me, and ignore everything you see, but never close your eyes. I want you to know what it is you ask for.” Pointing my wand, I started the rune’s magics. The three had gasped and trembled as all light left our circles. “Manse me teryn ahl, Draconia.” The voice came from all sides, and I grinned as the three girls shivered. “Hello to you as well, Deep One,” I greeted, in its own language. “I apologize for the intrusion, but this bunch was looking too deeply into your arts.” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gaped at the voice. Applebloom burst into tears, sobbing as she stared at part of the scaly, twisted creature. “That’s enough,” I said quickly. I hadn’t thought that they’d been near so susceptible, and I certainly didn’t want to break one of them. “A flash and a sound, if you please, and we’ll leave you be.” With a flash of lightning and a roar that turned my bones to jelly, the library reappeared. I allowed myself to sink to my knees, dropping my wand, and looked around myself at the three laying around me. Applebloom’s body still shook with sobs, curled into a ball. The other two seemed to just stare into space, looking at where the apparition had been. Walking in a small circle, I picked up the two catatonic girls and set them by Applebloom. I let them gaze into space, remembering the sight of the other, before softly tapping their cheeks. The two shrank from me, pulled out of whatever living nightmare they were stuck in. Pulling Applebloom upright, I wiped away her tears and some chalk from her cheek. “Now, I want you all to remember the cost of deep magic. Swear to me you will never use it,” I asked of them, gently. Instead of answering, Applebloom had started sobbing harder, and Sweetie Belle had turned her head to throw up. “Good enough,” I had said. “Now, give me the backs of your hands.” They stretched out their arms, and I picked up my wand from where I’d dropped it earlier. Placing their left hands together, I tapped each hand and placed the true spell. There was a bright glow, then nothing but smooth skin. “I thought…” Scootaloo had to take another shaky breath. “I thought the mark was supposed to stay? We didn’t even get to see what it was…” “And nor will you,” I said, standing up. “We had to leave too quickly, we didn’t have enough time. To have the marks now, we’d have to go back…” “No!” the three of them almost screamed. “Well, we were there long enough that it imprinted on your skin. When you discover what your mark should be, it’ll appear there. Long enough for me to imprint there permanently, should you wish.” I held my hands out, helping pull the three girls to their feet. Motioning towards the kitchen, I helped them to the table and three chairs. Walking over to the icebox, I pulled out some baked treats Pinkie had made and left for Twilight. Filling three glasses with chocolate and milk, I put the treats in front of the Crusaders. “Eat, the sugar will help.” Moving through dimensions always left me famished, and I figured sugar would help them forget about the turmoil I’d put them through. Hopefully they wouldn’t come back to magic for their marks… With some gentle urging I had them eating and talking excitedly about their marks, babbling about what they wanted their marks to be. Satisfied that I’d left them with no lingering damage, I pulled some meat from the icebox, and started on replenishing my own energy. “Uhm, Spike?” I turned to Sweetie Belle, making sure to wipe my face first. “Thank you,” she said, blushing at the table. “I’m sure that spell wasn’t easy, and you didn’t really have to help any of us… And I know you’d never let us get hurt…” I held up a hand, stopping her. “Where are you going with this, Sweetie?” “Uhm… Mostly just thank you, and…” She shivered. “What was that place?” I sighed, lies running through my mind. “Somewhere I never should have let you even glimpse,” was what I said, as truthfully as I could. “It was no place for thirteen year olds.” “I’m fourteen,” Scootaloo quipped, biting into her third cookie. She looked away when I met her gaze. “Regardless of your age, I shouldn’t have taken you there.” I bowed my head to the table. “I apologize, and I swear to you I’ll never take you back there. As to where…” I shrugged. “I don’t think anyone really knows.” Nodding, they finished their drink and food in silence. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Twilight had heard the story before, but Rarity and Ditzy followed along well enough as I explained myself. Skimming the potentially scarring details, of course. “I should charge you for all of the materials that they use, then,” Rarity complained, grinning at me. “They seem to make a different set of clothes for every ‘test’ they go through. A surprising amount of harnesses get made…” “I would pay for it, if I thought you’d let me,” I bounced back. She laughed lightly and, playing it off as smoothly as possible, slipped her hand along the seat and snagged Twilight’s hand lightly. Twilight stiffened, blush creeping along steadily. I pretended not to notice any of it, and Twilight started breathing regularly again when she realized it wasn’t a big deal to us. Smiling, she gripped Rarity’s hand a little tighter. “I dunno,” Ditzy said, frowning. “I mean, I understand you didn’t want them messing around with…” She paused, tilting her head a bit. “What do you call the runes you use?” “I just say runic magic, it seems easiest to remember,” Twilight told her. Ditzy nodded. “I understand you didn’t want them messing around with runic magic, but why scare them like that? Are the runes so terrible?” “Well, it’s more like the lack of runes is dangerous. Without them they couldn’t call to the Deep Ones,” I explained, trying to deconstruct the process in my head, “but without them they would also be defenseless against the Deep Ones…” Ditzy frowned at me, so I laughed and kissed her forehead. “It’s complicated. Which is another reason I didn’t want them messing with runes.” She nodded, sighing lightly as she laid her head on my shoulder. “Okay. As long as you don’t think they’ll try and get their marks in arcane magic or sacrificing animals or anything.” Laughing, I shook my head. “They’ll be fine. As long as they don’t attempt going back to the Deep realm, they’ll be fine.” “Speaking of going places,” Rarity chimed, seeming relieved for the change of topic, “you never really told us where we’re going. You’ve only said that we’ll see when we get there.” “And so you will,” I said, chuckling. “I want it to be a surprise. I’ve already sent off a letter for our lodging, and the… caretakers have more than agreed to house us for a weekend. They’re thrilled to know we’re coming, promise.” “Do they know all of us?” Rarity asked, surprised. “In a way,” I dodged, truthfully lying. Twilight gave me a look, and I admitted, “Yes, they know all of us. But no more, I really want this to be a surprise. It’s still an hour from Ponyville, so we’ll be the same distance as before. Just, for a longer time.” The two legal guardians nodded. “And Applejack was okay with housing the three for the extra day or so?” Ditzy asked, looking up at me. “I asked Dinky to send us back a letter if there was a problem, and she hasn’t yet. Either there’s no problem, or they’re already asleep and it’ll wait until tomorrow morning.” Nodding, she laid back against my chest. Twilight eyed us, than looked over at Rarity. I caught her eye and shook my head. I knew that I had been quick with Ditzy, but I doubted Rarity would appreciate Twilight trying to nuzzle up on her chest. Disappointed, she huffed quietly and stared out the window. “Are we going to get to the restaurant before it closes, or are we eating with our hosts?” “We’ll be eating at a place near where we’re staying, with at least one of our hosts.” The other one may well be asleep, I thought. Smiling, I leaned back against the bench and let the conversation get away from me as my mind wandered. …………………………………………………………………………………………….. We arrived without further incident, and Twilight had a confused expression as she glanced around. “I don’t understand, Spike?” “I thought we were going somewhere else?” Ditzy finished for her, looking around at the familiar views of Canterlot. Even at night the streets were busy, people walking and talking among themselves as they hurried from place to place. “I said we were going to eat somewhere else, not that we weren’t going to Canterlot,” I said, a little smugly. I earned three whacks, one quite vicious. “Oow, Twilight… that one kind of tickled…” I danced away from her second one, laughing as I led the group towards an eatery I’d heard of, one that supposedly stayed open all night. “Any idea where you’re going, scale-face?” Twilight called down the road she was following me down. “Only the vaguest of ideas, Twilie!” I called back, laughing. It felt good to have everyone getting along this well, and I was looking forward to the dinner we were late for. The place was called The Cellar Door, and lived up to its name. I’d heard tell of it for years through the rest of the Darklighters, but this was only the second time I’d seen it. Five stone steps led down into the bottom of a stone building, a very abrupt door blocking the way into the place. “Spike, are you sure this is the place?” Ditzy asked, holding onto my arm. We weren’t in the friendliest of places, this particular establishment down a few alleys and well from the main road. Pointing to the door, I pulled her attention to a small golden dot in the wood, with a sun emblazoned in the middle. “Yeah, I’m sure. Dawnbreak was the one who pointed me this way. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t tell me that I had to bring you here and have it be some kind of prank.” She nodded, and I raised my fist to knock gently in the very center of the door. The dot pulled away to reveal a golden iris, staring at me. I held my wand up, and the eye disappeared from the door. The golden circle reclaimed the peephole and the door opened, revealing a thin man, wearing red and white finery. He stood aside and motioned us inside, closing the door behind us. Out of the alleyway, we now stood in a hallway of white tile and red curtains. Between the decorative hangings were paintings, all landscapes. “Sir?” I said quietly to the doorman, scratching at my shoulder. “This is our first time here. We are sent by…” He held up a hand, smiling. Turning to his side, he made a ‘follow me’ gesture with his hands, then strode down the hallway. Still scratching at my shoulder, I nodded to the girls. We hurried to follow him, though he didn’t walk too fast for Twilight, still new in her heels. Passing over several closed doors, we walked until we came across one marked VIP. Knocking gently, he opened the door and made room for us to filter in. This room was decorated in much the same way as the rest of the hallway, although gold filaments played through the tiles and in the curtains. Two paintings mastered this room, both of the same landscape. A woman with long hair smiled out from them, near what appeared to be on the edge of a cliff. A tree grew near the edge, seeming to lean out over the abyss. In one picture the woman was golden-haired, standing under the spring tree in the noon sun. In the opposite she had deep blue hair, standing under an autumn tree in the light of a full moon. Both pictures captured her beautiful smile perfectly, though the rest of her features seemed blurry. “Hello again, friends,” called a quiet, resonant voice from a deeply brown, oaken table with six sides. “You cannot know how good it is to see my friends again,” called another voice, lighter pitched and slightly louder. The three ladies gasped and two bowed, while I dipped my head quickly, grin wide on my face. “My ladies, you have no idea how much we’ve missed you,” I told Celestia and Luna, the two elegantly dressed princesses smiling widely at us from their seats. They quickly left their seats and rushed over to us, Celestia nearly picking up Twilight in her hug while Luna enclosed me in a warmer, more reserved hug. The princesses switched, and it was my turn for Celestia to test my ribs. Ditzy and Rarity looked nervously at one another, unsure of how to greet the princesses. When Luna and Celestia turned to them, Rarity offered a hand, mimed by Ditzy. “My ladies, it really is…” Celestia interrupted Rarity with her own hug, bypassing her hand completely. Luna mimicked her sister, wrapping her arms around Ditzy’s head and pushing the poor woman’s head between her… err, into her chest. Rarity emerged from her marshmallow hell looking frazzled, Ditzy with a blush and a grin. Switching, the sister princesses attacked the women again. Rarity seemed ready this time, trying to push her arms above Luna’s and gain the upper ground. Luna outmaneuvered her easily, and Rarity was buried once again. Ditzy may as well dived in, for all the fight she put up. Done with their little dance the sisters pulled back to examine their handiwork; Rarity was red and flustered, trying to stammer out a greeting. Ditzy was redder, but she was smiling widely, and only said, “Hello Luna, Celestia.” Celestia and Luna burst out laughing, once again hugging the woman, chastely this time. “Well, Ditzy won this one,” Celestia told her sister, smiling. “Three times I’d wager,” Luna said, feigning dryness but grinning as widely as her sister. Twilight looked flabbergasted, but I was losing a battle with my laughter. “When on earth did the Divine Sisters turn into…” I couldn’t hold back the laughter anymore, and sat heavily in the nearest chair as I filled the room with sound. The laughter proved to be infectious, and eventually everyone joined in but Rarity, who was too busy looking vaguely scandalized. “Probably when Luna came back down,” Luna said. “It was ever so boring up on the moon…” She affected a melancholy look and gazed at us, until Celestia affectionately shoved her into the wall, both of them giggling madly. “What exactly were you going to name us, before you interrupted yourself?” Celestia giggled, breathing quick, light breathes. Motioning her over, I whispered into her ear. She pulled back, looking shocked; then burst into laughter as I had. She wobbled over to her sister and whispered into her ear, and then shared Luna’s renewed laughter. The doorman entered, holding to his own, slightly secretive smile. Walking to his six guests, he handed out six pieces of thick paper, the color of heavily creamed coffee. The princesses returned to their seats, still chuckling, and we four sat with them. Twilight and Rarity sat opposite us with Celestia on Twilight’s other side, facing the twilit picture. Ditzy and I sat with Luna, staring at the dawn picture. “I feel as though we need to apologize for our behavior,” Luna addressed the table. “We’ve been here awhile, and may have started without you,” she told us, moving her finger around the rim of her glass, making it sing quietly. “I’m afraid that we’re both what many call ‘Lightweights’, and I find myself giggly.” “Speak for yourself, sister,” Celestia rebuffed. “I am not even half through a glass, I’m merely happy to be with you and my best of friends. And,” she said, arching an eyebrow and leaning on the table, “their dates.” I saw Rarity’s blush, and assumed Ditzy’s. Twilight buried her head behind the menu, which turned out to be a drinks list. The doorman either had a twin brother, or ran the entire restaurant by himself, because he was back before I had decided on my drink. The princesses ordered more of what they had, Twilight and Ditzy ordered Celestia’s fruity cocktail, Rarity ordered her own glass of wine, and I ended up ordering something the menu only called Honeyfire. Switching our current menus with larger, folded ones, the waiter bowed and left, without scribbling a note on the pad he now had in his belt. Looking to Celestia, I asked, “Does he ever speak? Or even have a name?” She smiled and made a locking motion over her lips, serving only to intrigue me more. “So, have you been dating long?” Luna asked, across the table. “Only in their heads,” I remarked before they could answer, earning my Twilight’s wrathful glare. “Only for… oh, I suppose it’s been three hours now,” Rarity said, looking at her watch and blushing. Luna and Celestia both looked at each other, startled. “Oh, uhm…” Luna started. “We had, err, assumed that it had been quite a bit longer than that,” Celestia finished. “You’ll be wanting more than two rooms, then?” Had either of them had a drink, I believe it would have been spit across the table or fallen to the floor. In lieu of such theatrics, Rarity blushed and stammered while Twilight’s eyes lost their focus and turned to the painting that couldn’t have been any less interesting to anyone at that moment. “They can share a room,” I said, earning five surprised looks. “Never said a bed, just a room,” I said, soothingly. “I know for a fact Twilight’s room has an extremely comfy sofa in it.” Rarity and Twilight both lost some of their blush, and shared a look that rekindled it. “Uh, I’m certainly not opposed to the idea…” Twilight managed to stammer out, and Rarity agreed with a nod of her head, grinning slightly. “Well then, no need to change plans,” Celestia said softly, making Twilight jump a bit as she reminded Twilight that she was still beside her. “I trust you two have no problems sharing a room?” she asked us, glancing across the table. “Uh, not anymore,” I admitted, blush spreading across my face and Ditzy’s as our gaze crossed. Arching her eyebrow, Celestia had the tact not to say any more. “You two have lots of fun your first time?” Luna asked, gazing curiously at Ditzy. Red, she slowly slipped from her chair to hide under the table. I was half tempted to join her, until Celestia gently hit her sister on the arm, giving her a surprised look. “What, is the Princess of the Night not allowed to be curious about what may or may not go on beneath her moon?” Luna asked, rubbing her forearm absentmindedly as I gently pulled Ditzy back from her hiding place. “No princess should ask,” Celestia said flatly, then grinned and said softly, “Not in polite company, anyhow.” All five of us heard her, and three stared redly at her, while Luna huffed and I kept my gaze away. I had a very sinking feeling that Ditzy and I should get ready for either some awkward questions, or some awkward dreams. Depending on how drunk the princesses got, of course. “Luna, may I ask which glass you’re on?” I asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible. “Why? Are you trying to liquor me up? Your lady already as well as molested me, are you looking to as well?” she asked, rapid firing her questions at me. “Just curious, no, and I could do that with you sober,” I said, just as quickly. She gasped lightly, blushing, than laughed once more. “I’m on my third, nosey.” Nodding, I leaned over to Ditzy. “I’m so sorry, I would’ve warned you if I knew they we like this. It must be because of Luna, Celestia hasn’t’ ever acted like this…” She wrapped her hand around mine, kissing my cheek. “It’s okay,” she whispered back. “I’m having fun, and I’m glad they are too.” Smiling, I turned my head and kissed her back, our lips meeting and parting quickly, but not quickly enough to get past the Night Princess. “Hey, that’s hardly fair,” she said, affecting a pout. “Why is it no one tries to smooch on us, Celestia?” “Because the last one who tried ended up in a drunk tank for a couple of days,” I said, chuckling. “And in her personal guard, as well.” Celestia had the presence of mind to blush at that. “He deserved it. Not only drinking on duty, but trying something on me while smelling so much of beer? It was good fortune he did not receive further punishment.” Luna looked startled, and then turned to stare at her sister. “So you’re the reason I have had no offers? I demand you apologize at once. I’m tired of being lonely… and beer doesn’t smell so bad…” Celestia and I started laughing, and soon enough Luna and Ditzy joined in. Twilight was looking at Celestia and Luna with wonder in her eyes, and Rarity, smiling, looked confused. “Enough of making fun of Luna and me,” I declared, as the drinks arrived on a platter. The itch returned to my shoulder, spreading along my arm. “Rarity, what exactly are your plans for Twilight tonight?” The confusion left her face, swapping for a blush and stammered phrase. “Yes, Rarity. What are you plans for my student, tonight?” Celestia asked, leaning over Twilight. Rarity actually gaped at Celestia, her face panicked. Blushing, Twilight put an arm protectively around Rarity. “No m-more than what I w-w-want for,” she told her teacher, meeting the princess’s eyes fiercely. Celestia actually drew back a little, in shock, before she lost herself in giggles. “I’m sorry, dear Sparkles,” she said between them. “I only meant for laughter, not defense.” Nodding, Twilight kept her arm around a blushing Rarity. When Twilight turned to look into Rarity’s face, she leaned forward and kissed Twilight gently. “Thank you, Twi,” she said, sounding breathless. This only served to fluster Twilight further, causing her to stammer slowly into silence. “Really though,” Luna said unhappily. “When does Luna get some kisses?” Even Rarity laughed this time, soothed by Twilight into at least a bit of comfort. She seemed to be admiring the princesses’ dresses, Celestia wearing a dark blue that accented her skin and hair, while Luna was robbed in a deep, almost reddish gold. Both were sleeveless, like the other three’s, but only Rarity’s deep neck came close to the princesses’ own, both of which came nearer to the bottoms of their busts than the top. “You know Celestia, I think I remember you being modest,” I joked with her, eyeing her dress pointedly. She blushed a tiny bit and tipped her glass towards Luna. “I can’t very well let my sister beat me, can I?” she teased. Sighing, she looked back down into her cleavage. “Really though, it’s a bit disconcerting, all this… flesh. I miss my neckline, but not the infernal sleeves that went along with it.” She stretched her arms to her sides, as fully as she could. “Bare arms feel… magical, almost.” “You’ve very pretty arms, princess,” Ditzy said, startling Celestia out of her train of thought. “The both of you are very lovely.” “Thank you, Ditzy,” Luna said warmly, for the first time completely serious. “All of you are looking lovely as well; I would compliment the dressmaker were they here.” Grinning, I pointed to the young woman sitting across from my own date. “She’s here, and not only the dressmaker but the make-up artist and accessory guide. Our Twilight’s dating a fashion expert.” Rarity blushed and smiled demurely. Luna leaned across the table and, smiling, said, “Then, will you do one favor for me?” Nodding, Rarity leaned to the table and tilted her head, looking excited and inquisitive. “Next time you do Twilight’s dress, can we have more cleavage?” she whispered, pretending we couldn’t hear her. “About the same as yours would be nice, but if you think she would go for more…?” Twilight’s face was glowing, but Rarity said, in the same stage whisper, “I think I could talk her down to her bellybutton, but it’ll take me a few dresses.” Luna nodded solemnly. Leaning back into her chair, she seemed to drift off into space, her eyes losing focus rapidly. “Excuse our Luna,” Celestia said dryly, smiling. “Not only the Queen of dreams, she is also Lady of Daydreams.” “Don’t call me that,” Luna muttered, well under her breath. Celestia and I laughed lightly, then turned to the door as it opened and food came streaming in. “I hope no one minds, but I took the liberty of ordering for us all,” Celestia explained, as the plates found places in front of us. “I know Twilight and Spike well enough, but I had to guess for Rarity and Ditzy.” Looking down at the food, I heard my stomach, not growl, but roar. I realized that I’d been hungry since well before noon, but had been too nervous to know until now. Looking around the table, I saw that everyone besides Luna apparently had shared my anxiety. Luna was still off on whatever tangent her mind had come up with. Without many more words, we prepared our cutlery and set our napkins up so that food would not stain our good clothes. Reaching over, I gently tapped Luna on a forearm. She frowned at me for a moment, before her nose and eyes caught up and she spied her food. “Ah, thank you Spike.” She hastily set up her own napkin, then joined her hands as we all thanked those who had toiled to bring the food to our table. There was little talk while we ate, mostly thanking the short man as he came and left our table. Honeyfire, as it turned out, was pretty much as it sounded; someone had fermented honey, then bottled it. Very sweet and slightly sharp, I enjoyed the flavor and had another glass with the meal. When everyone was finished, the waiter/doorman/server came and took everyone’s plates. Twilight yawned loudly, staring sleepily at where her plate had been. Rarity smiled and placed a hand on top of her date’s. “This was very nice Twilight, thank you,” I heard her whisper. Twilight smiled happily, then, shyly, placed a hand on Rarity’s cheek to pull her head to Twilight’s. After their short kiss, Twilight sighed happily and leaned back into her chair, blushing and holding loosely onto Rarity’s hand. “Do they have beds here as well, or am I expected to walk to the castle like this?” she asked Celestia. The doorman walked in, smiling wryly. “We’ll be sleeping at the castle dear,” Celestia said, laughing lightly. The mood was lower, but still happy after dinner. The food had seemed to calm both the princesses’ heads, and everyone was much more comfortable around the quieter rulers. Allowing the doorman to help them from their chairs, the princesses stretched, Celestia straight to the ceiling, and Luna out to her sides. I followed suit, and Ditzy and the rest of our party followed. “Don’t look so put out Twilight,” Luna said. “We’ve a carriage, so you’ll only need to walk to the door. And then to your room, unless you’d sleep on our steps.” She laughed lightly, echoed by her sister and I. Leaving the dining room, I was shocked to see several copies of the doorman, lined up on the wall. I noticed the one who had a notebook in his belt, and the one without a jacket who had served us our food off of a cart. Every other one looked exactly the same, and as though on a cue they all bowed to us, smiling their little secretive smile. The itching feeling returned to my shoulders, spreading across my back. Celestia and Luna giggled, bowing back. Twilight, Rarity and I followed suit. Ditzy took a few seconds longer, gazing at the rows of well-dressed servers before copying us. We all rose at the same time, and walked down the slightly full hall. Twilight and I walked to the front almost unconsciously, walking shoulder to shoulder in front of the princesses. We looked at each other, surprised. “Why did we…?” Twilight started to ask. “Instinct,” I said, shrugging. “Princesses and loved ones in the back.” Looking over our hosts, I spotted one whose eyes wouldn’t meet mine. Walking over, I stared at him until his eyes turned up into mine. They were a blue-green, with black flecks sprinkled throughout. Surprised, I pulled back and dropped my hand to the wand dangling from my belt. A soft hand grabbed my forearm, and the smell of lilacs drifted over me. “Hold, Spike,” Luna said, softly. “We know, Celestia has known since the establishment was opened.” “They’re Changelings,” I whispered, hoping I was quiet enough to not let Rarity and Ditzy hear. “And they’re only here to make people happy. You know Changelings feed on emotion, and happiness feeds very well. They do no harm to anyone, and they’re not going to. Now, are you going to put your scales away or not?” Looking down at my arms, I realized what the itch had been. My wrists, peeking out of my sleeves, were covered in my scales, green veined with purple lines. Sighing, I concentrated on pulling up my human flesh. After I was finished I looked back at the green-eyed man, who was looking very nervous at our proximity. “Sorry,” I muttered, walking back over to the group. “What’s going on?” Ditzy asked, worriedly. She took my hand, squeezing gently. Smiling, I kissed her on the cheek and shook my head. There was no reason to have her worry about the Changelings, not right now anyhow. We traversed the hallway without any problems, the front door opened by another of the Changelings. A carriage awaited us, no noticeable driver attached. The door opened itself, revealing a round area with no seats. We piled in, confused. Celestia was the last one in, and reopened the door as soon as she closed it. We walked into the courtyard of the castle, off to the side of a very surprised group of couriers. Several of them walked up to the princesses, handing each of them most of the letters they had. Tipping and bowing courteously, the princesses waited until everyone else dispersed, then shoved the pieces of paper roughly into the small clutches they had. Ditzy took my arm as we walked up the steps, holding herself close to my side as we navigated the hallways. I’d assumed that we were heading off to our bedrooms, but we found ourselves in a small kitchen. “Luna needs to sober up,” Celestia told us as she grabbed a few cups from the cupboard. “And it wouldn’t hurt for me to have some coffee either. Anyone else?” I took a cup, and Twilight almost reached for one. Rarity tugged on her sleeve and whispered into her ear, causing a blush and a small stutter. “Uh-uh-uhm-uhm, I think we-we’re going up to my room actually. Goodnight Celestia, Luna…” Rarity tugged gently on her hand, and the two disappeared from the room. Luna was laughing into her coffee cup, while Celestia only smiled and readied her drink. “I wonder if she’ll relax now,” Ditzy said brightly, making Celestia spit air. While I was still laughing, Luna hadn’t quite started; she kept her mirth contained behind a hand as her shoulders shook. “I doubt it, but we can all hope,” I told her, after my giggles subsided. “We can hope.” “Yeah, hope that they have as good a first time as you did,” Ditzy said, elbowing me gently. Both of the princesses glanced at each other, Celestia raising her eyebrow at Luna. “Luna still hasn’t told me of what transpired that night,” Celestia said. “I assume Spike has told you what he dreamt of. Does it bother you so much?” “Not so very much, since I know it was a dream.” Ditzy sipped at my coffee, making a face at it and pushing the cup back to me. “It bothers me a bit to have been completely uninvolved, but I also think it would have bothered me to have been there without my permission?” Luna took a seat across from us, handing Celestia a cup full of caramel colored coffee. She sipped at her own drink, as unaltered as mine. “I can understand,” Luna said, “having been involved in… certain dreams without my explicit consent. Not me,” she said quickly, looking at our faces, “just a part of subconscious in my image.” “Would you have felt better if we had asked you and gotten you involved in the dream?” Celestia asked, stirring her drink slowly with a thin spoon. “I would’ve felt fine about just going over there in person,” Ditzy giggled. I’d had both hands on my coffee mug, but I let go with one and reached over to hers, taking her fingers between mine. “None of us wanted to push you, and we,” Celestia gestured to Luna and herself, “were just really unsure of how fast your and Spike’s relationship was progressing. Or of how far it had already progressed.” “Just some light petting until the next morning,” I said, blushing. “She came over as soon as she woke up she says, and… well, we recreated some of my dreams.” Celestia reddened, but Luna outshone her, actually being there in most of my dream. I felt a tugging on my sleeve, and looked over at Ditzy, who matched Luna in her blush. She leaned over and whispered in my ear, a short phrase. I looked at her, smooth faced. Not meeting my eye but staring in the region of my chin, she nodded forcefully. “Uhm, Luna?” I started, fixing my gaze upon her cup. When I glanced up she met my eyes, curious and a bit confused. “May we have a private word with you?”