//------------------------------//
// Hypothesizing 
// Story: If I Could Catch Fuzz In a Bottle 
// by shortskirtsandexplosions 
//------------------------------//

	When morning came and filled the library with its warm golden rays, Spike walked down the steps to the bottom floor.  He rubbed a scaled fist against one eyelid, then the other, yawning tiredly.  By the time he reached the last few steps, he became aware of a staccato tapping sound issuing from the far end of the lobby.

He squinted across the room, shuffling past tall towers composed of dusty tomes and opened textbooks.  "Uhhhh..."  The dragon cocked his head aside.  "...Twilight?"

"Good morning, Spike," Twilight murmured.  The equation she had started last night had consumed the entire chalkboard and spread to two more.  The unicorn levitated four separate sticks of chalk as she sketched out an elaborate postulation in real-time, all the while glancing into the occasional book that floated past her eyes via purple beams of magic.  "Sleep well?"

"Uhhh..."  Spike teetered tiredly in place.  He had to flinch in order to duck a book or two floating over his head.  "I could ask the same of you."  He shuffled forward.  "How'd the movie go?"

"It was horribly violent and full of disgusting gore," Twilight droned.  Her chalk tap-tap-tapp'd against the dusty boards.  "I enjoyed it thoroughly."

"Oh."  Spike blinked.  "Well then..."  He blinked again.  "Uhhhhh... what are you up to now?"

"Science."

"Well, duh, you're always up to science, Twilight."  He bore a fanged smile.  "But what kind of science is it this time?  Butterfly wing conjuration?  Teleportation?  Mustache summoning?"  He crossed two claws.  "Please let it be the last one..."

"No, Spike, this is something new," Twilight droned in mid-chalking.  Her violet eyes remained plastered to the board as she drafted line after line of mathematical computation.  "Something important."

"Important, eh?"  Spike planted his hands on his hips.  "Well, fear not!  Your number one assistant is here to lend a hand!"

"I'm afraid you can't help with this one, Spike," Twilight murmured.

"Oh?"  The dragon leaned his head aside.  "Why?  Because it's dangerous?"

"No," she droned.  "Because you have scales."

He blinked.  "...huh.  Uh... okay..."

"But I don't mind the company," Twilight muttered.  "In fact, I welcome it whole-heartedly."

"Yeah, because you're so very... chatty right now."  Spike cleared his throat.  "Well, how about I... and my scales go fetch you some breakfast?"

"That would be wonderful, Spike," she said in a dull tone, squinting through her floating array of books.  "I appreciate it."

"Well, th-that's all that matters!  Eheheheh!"  He shuffled off into the kitchen, looking over his shoulder at her.  After a prolonged stare, he sighed and walked out of sight of her.  "Mrmmfff... what'd she watch last night, a Christopher Neighlan movie?"