Rarity was awoken by the sound of a hoof knocking on the door.
“Miss Rarity, Miss Rarity.” a feminine voice called repetitively.
Rarity shifted then covered her face with the pillow. “Oh dear, coming!” she shouted while launching the pillow off her. She fumed towards the door, and calmed herself. “Hello.”
The black mare that had been knocking stood, frozen before speaking. “Sorry for the intrusion, Miss Rarity, but you requested the wake up call.”
“Oh yes, of course. Thank you.” she said calmly. The mare trotted away quietly leaving Rarity in the doorway. She looked around and closed the door.
“I really need to stop requesting wake up calls.” she trashed. “It isn't like I do anything during the day, everything happens after dark.”
She climbed back into bed. “Wait! What is today?”
She rushed to a calendar near the bathroom. “I forgot! I was supposed to be in Ponyville to help with the Summer Sun celebration!” she yelled while clutching some of her mane. She looked to a nearby clock. “Oh thank goodness.” she sighed, relieved. “The train should be here in a few hours.” she walked to a large mirror sitting on a dresser. “Still the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria.” she said while touching up her mane. “But what's the point of beauty if you can't share it with anypony?... Oh well, best not to worry myself about it now.”
Rarity stood at the train station impatiently waiting for it's arrival.
“When is this blasted train supposed to get here?” she pouted.
“I-I'm sure it'll be h-here soon!” a young white pegasus strained with a mountain of luggage teetering on his back.
“I know dear. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm in such a rush.” she stated with her head held high.
“No n-not really.” he groaned under his breath.
“Well, if you insist. I'm going home to Ponyville to assist in the Summer Sun Celebration. I hope that everything goes well this year. I was thinking of a theme set in The Crystal Empire and... ” she was cut off by the sound of a distant train whistle. “It's here, finally.”
“Thank the princesses!” he sighed in relief.
“What was that?” she turned quickly to him batting her eyes.
“Nothing, Miss. I'm just glad that your train is here.” he said with a large fake smile. The train hissed to a stop letting out passengers.
“Hey look, it's Rarity!” A light blue unicorn yelled.
“Oh no.”
Soon a crowd of clamoring ponies surrounded her begging for a word or an autograph.
“Rarity! I am your biggest fan! Do you have any beauty tips to share?” a yellow mare asked.
“Well I...”
“Rarity, do you think that pink is the color for me?” a brown pegasus interjected.
“I think that...”
“Can you sign my cutie mark?!” a grassy green stallion asked.
“Ponies, please!” Rarity shouted over the crowd. “Now that I have your attention, I am returning to Ponyville and am in no position to answer questions! If I may please be on my way.” she walked forward with her head held high.
“Excuse me.” the young unicorn groaned, nearly buckling under the luggages' weight.
Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie Pie stood at the train station awaiting Rarity's arrival. Twilight looked down at the tracks impatiently. “Wasn't she supposed to be here by now?” she asked Applejack.
“Calm down Twilight. She'll be here.” Applejack calmly answered.
“How can I be calm when I have important news for everyone, and the one I want to hear the news most is late!” Twilight sneered.
“She's not late.” Pinkie Pie countered with a hop.
“Yes, she is Pinkie.” Twilight stated sternly.
“No she isn't because she's here!”
A high pitched whistle sounded signaling the train's approach.
“How do ya know that's her train?” Applejack asked.
“Because... I dunno.”
With two long huffs and a low steamy hiss the train pulled up to the station. The doors flew open releasing a small crowd of ponies. Twilight scanned each one that went by.
“No,not you, oh where is that unicorn?”
“There she is.” Applejack said, pointing to a white figure backing out of a standard car.
“Rarity!”
She turned around to greet her friends not a moment before Pinkie Pie tackled her.
“You're home!”
“Yes Pinkie Pie I'm home now if you would please let me up.” Rarity gasped, caught in Pinkie's constricting grasp.
“Sorry,” Pinkie said, releasing her ivory friend.
“Thank you.” Rarity exhaled.
“Finally you're here.” Twilight huffed as she entered the car. “How was Canterlot?” she asked while hugging her friend.
“It was absolutely marvelous, but I needed to come back home to my friends.”
“That's great. Now, I have great news that I know all of you are going to love, but I had to wait for you to get here.” Twilight explained as they exited the train.
“News, what news?” Rarity asked.
“The best news ever. Whatever the news is.” Pinkie Pie responded gaily.
“It's a surprise that I want all of our friends to hear.”
Rarity looked on her with confusion.
“Trust me, she ain't gonna say nothin' till we're all together.” Applejack added.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat on a quilted blanket in the middle of a small grassy meadow. Fluttershy was conversing with some squirrels while Rainbow Dash laid back under the sun.
“When do you think they'll be back?” Rainbow Dash asked with a yawn.
“I'm sure they'll be here at any moment now.” Fluttershy responded.
“It's been an hour.” Rainbow Dash groaned impatiently.
“It's been longer than that. You were sleep for a while.”
“Hm, well they're still taking their sweet time to get here.” she sat up and stretched her wings and back. “What I'm wondering is, what's gotten Twilight so excited?”
“I don't know. She kept going on about some important news that she had to tell us.”
“Hopefully it's worth skipping out on my daily practice.” Rainbow Dash sighed, falling back onto the blanket. A few minutes later Fluttershy spotted Pinkie Pie bounding towards her with her usual cheery smile.
“Rainbow get up they're here.” she said while gently shaking her sky blue companion. After Pinkie came Twilight then Applejack ending finally with Rarity.
“Rarity, you're here!” Fluttershy squealed with delight.
“Hello Fluttershy.” Rarity answered with a bright smile. Rarity gave her a welcoming hug then turned her gaze to Rainbow Dash.
“Hello Rainbow Dash. Still looking as awesome as ever.”
“Like always.” Rainbow Dash replied smugly.
“I'm sure that you all have questions for Rarity, but I want to tell you all this exciting news.” Twilight stated.
“Yeah, tell us the news! Ooh, this is gonna be good.” Pinkie exclaimed while pulling a bag of popcorn seemingly out of thin air.
“Alright then, I'm sure that you all remember a certain friend of ours left a few years ago to get in touch with his heritage.” she explained. There were looks of confusion and deep thought spread around her audience. “I received a message from him two days ago. I read over it twice just to make sure that it was true.”
“Get to the point Twilight.” Rainbow Dash impatiently interrupted.
“I was just about to.” Twilight calmly shot back. “He was my assistant up until he left.” she stopped and listened to the collective murmurs weaving through her friends.
“Who's comin' back?” Applejack asked.
“You don't know?” Twilight asked in false surprise. “Girls, Spike is coming home!”
Rarity and Applejack looked at each other with aude eyes, while Fluttershy trembled at the thought of how big he must've gotten. Rainbow Dash looked confused and Pinkie Pie bounced round repeatedly cheering “yay”.
“When is he coming?” Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.
“Tomorrow!” Twilight exclaimed joyfully.
“Yes! If he has wings now I can teach him all of my moves.”
“After all these years.” Rarity started.
“Ah know. Ah bet he's a giant now.” Applejack added.
“It's only been eight years. How could he have grown that much in that little time?”
“Remember that time he grew because he got greedy, nd that only took a day.”
“I suppose you're right, but I doubt that he would grow into a ghastly beast, given he controls his mood.”
“Well, we'll see tomorra. Right now I'm starving. Did anypony bring some grub?”
“Sorry girls, I got caught up in the excitement.” Pinkie said, winding down a little. “I'll go get the stuff now. Come on Fluttershy.” Pinkie carried a fear frozen Fluttershy with her back to the bakery.
As the sun slowly fell to the horizon the six fiends began to say their goodbyes.
“Thank you all for being such marvelous friends.” Rarity said as she pulled everyone into a group hug.
“And tomorrow we'll all be back together.”Fluttershy added.
“Just like old times.” Rainbow Dash sighed.
“It was great seeing you again girls. Goodbye now.” Rarity said, beginning her trek home. “My little Spikey-Wikey is coming home tomorrow. After eight long years.” she thought with a smile. “I bet he hasn't changed a bit. He's probably still kind, and helpful, and selfless, running around on those stubby little legs. I wonder, does he still have feelings towards me?” she stopped with a hoof to her chin. “No, he's most likely grown out if that. It was just puppy love. A colt sees a pretty mare and he's hooked. They all grow out of it eventually.”
Deep down Rarity hoped that Spike hadn't lost his feelings towards her. She tried to dismiss it, but nothing can suppress your true feelings.
Our six technicolor made stood in front of Twilight's castle waiting for Spike's arrival.
“When do you think he'll get here?” Twilight asked impatiently.
“I don't know you're the one who told us he was coming.” Fluttershy answered. “Why are you do worried?”
“Because I haven't seen him in so long. It's just like when Princess Cadence and Shining Armor for married. I felt out of touch and forgotten.”
“Didn't he always send you letters?”
“Yeah, but they weren't consistent. Before he told me he was coming back the last letter he sent was Hearths Warming.”
“Wow,” Fluttershy simply answered. “I'm sure everything will be fine.”
Soon a large shadow engulfed the group. Twilight looked up while Fluttershy ran and hid behind Rainbow Dash. With two tremendous downbeats of his wings Spike landed in front of the dumbfounded group.
“Hey girls.”