Prologue: The Mistletrap
“Perfect,” Spike said, leaning back on the stepladder and admiring his handiwork. Sparkling strands of garland hung from the walls all around the grand hall of Twilight’s new castle. Multicolored lights lent their glow to the interior of the crystalline structure, and green wreaths and holly hung from every available surface on the ceiling, announcing to all who entered that Hearth's Warming had truly arrived.
But the pièce de résistance hung directly over the golden gate which lead into the heart of the castle: a single sprig of mistletoe, tied with a ribbon, its white berries glistening dully over the door.
“Heh, when Rarity walks in, won’t she be surprised,” Spike said as he began to climb down the ladder. He hopped off the last few steps, landing on the floor with a quiet thump before he folded the ladder back against the wall.
“Spike! Have you finished hanging up all the decorations?”
“Yup! I just put up the last one.”
Twilight trotted out of the kitchen. She slowly turned around, her head tilted up towards the ceiling as she surveyed the room. “Oh, wow, it looks great. Good job, Spike.”
“Well, you know, you can always count on me.”
“I know.” Twilight beamed at the little dragon, before her expression slipped for a moment. “Hey, do you know where that book Princess Celestia sent me went?”
Spike blinked. “Do you mean that copy of the list of royal holdings that she sent you? I thought you finished reading that.”
“No, the other book. The Primary Principles of Pony Politics!”
“Oh, that.” Spike shrugged. “You left it out on the table when we were setting up; I put it up in your room so you wouldn’t lose track of it.”
“Would you mind bringing it down to me?” Twilight tilted her head.
“Uh, why? Your friends are going to be here any minute.”
“Exactly! I told Princess Celestia that I would be done with it by tonight and I’m not even halfway done!”
Spike sighed. “You do realize she said she doesn’t need it back until next week, right?”
“Every minute counts, Spike!”
“Really?” Spike crossed his arms. “You’re going to spend all night with your nose stuck in a book while we party?”
“Of course not!” Twilight stomped her hoof. “That’s why I need it now, so I can get another chapter out of the way before they get here.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll go get it,” Spike grumbled, walking slowly towards the stairs, looking back over his shoulder at the dwindling shape of the doorway with the mistletoe perched on top.
Twilight shook her head as she turned away from the baby dragon, trotting over to the table they had set up earlier and flattening out the tablecloth with her magic. Turning her head, she pulled out her list and counted the items perched on top, mentally checking off each item as her eyes flashed between the scroll and the cards and candies spread out over the table.
A firm knock on the door brought Twilight’s ears up to full attention. Turning her head, she set the list down on the table before spreading her wings, floating over towards the door. Her horn lighting up as she landed, Twilight smiled as the golden doors parted to reveal the face of her friend. “Rarity! You’re here early.”
Rarity laughed. “I would have been here earlier still if Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom hadn’t had to say goodbye to Scootaloo. I thought you might appreciate some help with the decorations.” The unicorn smiled radiantly, turning her head to the side, before her smile slipped a little. “Unfortunately, Scootaloo’s parents decided that she would not be spending the evening with her friends.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.” Twilight tipped her head. “Where are Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, then?” She leaned to the side, trying to peer past Rarity down the street.
“They’re still saying goodbye and exchanging their gifts. I thought I might give them a moment to themselves.”
“Well, that was nice of you.” Twilight smiled a bit too broadly before she realized what she was doing. “Sorry,” she said reflexively.
“Oh, there’s nothing to be sorry about. Perhaps with just the two of them your castle might be standing in the morning.” Rarity blinked as Twilight shifted from hoof to hoof. “Nervous about something, darling?”
“It’s nothing,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “Just, this is the first time I’ve done a Hearth’s Warming Eve party of my own. Before, I was always in Canterlot. I even did that play with you last year.”
“Ah, I understand. Well, there’s nothing to worry about. Your castle is looking quite festive, even if it still is a bit…” Rarity lifted her hoof, rolling it through the air.
“Yeah, yeah,” Twilight grumbled. “Everyone in town has told me.”
“Well, it certainly looks better with all these ribbons on it.” Rarity glanced up, her eyes focusing on the little green leaves hanging over the doorway, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Well, well, someone is eager for a kiss. Is that stallion of yours coming?”
Twilight’s ears drooped. “Flash? Nah. We broke up.” She shuffled her hoof against the floor. “Not like we were ever really together in the first place.”
“What?” Rarity’s voice rose an octave as she stepped forward. “But I thought he liked you?”
“He did,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “But he kind of freaked out when I took him to Equestria the first time. He said I looked… freaky.”
“Freaky?” Rarity screeched. “Freaky? You?”
Twilight winced. “Yeah. He said it was kind of creepy dating a horse.” She lifted her hoof to rub at the back of her mane.
“Well I never! The nerve.” Rarity rushed forward to give Twilight a hug. “When did this happen?”
Twilight tensed as she was suddenly wrapped in white hooves. “Oh, it was a few weeks ago. I mean, I thought, since we kissed, I might as well take him to Equestria for a date.” Twilight laughed nervously.
“That’s terrible, darling!”
“Oh, it’s alright. I’m fine.”
“But I thought you liked him!”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “It’s not like it was true love. He was just kind of nice, that’s all.”
“Yes, well, I’m certain your opinion of him has changed now.”
“Heh, I guess a little.” Twilight’s shoulders fell. “It’s alright, though, I’m over it.”
“You are? But…” Rarity trailed off, her eyes flicking upwards once more before she smiled. “Of course you are!” The unicorn squeezed her friend all the more tightly. “So, who is it?”
“Who is who?”
“Your new crush!”
Twilight jerked back, pulling herself out of Rarity’s grasp. “My what?”
“Oh come now. There’s no need to hide it from me. This is so wonderful!” Rarity trotted in place.
“I’m not hiding anything! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Of course, of course.” Rarity stilled herself and took a deep breath. “So who did you invite? Is it Big Mac? Thunderlane? Ooh, is it—”
“What?” Twilight stared. “I didn’t invite anyone but you girls. And the Crusaders; Spike really could use some friends his age.”
“But…” Rarity glanced up again, before her eyes narrowed. “Oh, I see,” she said sultrily.
“You see what?”
“We just have to talk!”
“Rarity…”
The two ponies slowly walked into the center of the great hall as Twilight’s horn lit up, swinging the great doors shut with a loud thump behind them. They made their way across the room, Twilight shaking her head as Rarity laughed loudly, nudging Twilight with her shoulder.
Upstairs, Spike ran out onto the staircase, taking the steps two at a time as he bounded down. “Hey, Twilight, I found your book!” he called, waving the item in question before stopping short at the sight of Rarity. “Aw, nuts.”
“Oh, thank you, Spike! But Rarity came right after you went upstairs.” Twilight nodded to the pony standing beside her. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright,” Spike muttered, scuffing his foot against the smooth floor as he walked over towards the pair.
“Why so down in the dumps?” Twilight asked, stepping forward.
“Oh, no reason.” Spike looked down at the floor before leaning forward, speaking in a low voice. “Did you give Rarity her card yet?”
“I was just getting to that.” There was another knock on the door. “Would you mind getting it, Spike?”
“Sure,” Spike said unenthusiastically, shaking his head as he trudged across the floor to the doors. Standing up on his tip-toes, he leaned forward, pushing them open. “Oh, hey, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom.”
“Howdy, Spike,” Apple Bloom said. “Applejack said before I left that she was gonna be late; somethin’ about clearin’ the snow from the trees in the east orchard ‘fore their branches break.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I’ll let Twilight know.”
“Is Rarity here yet?” Sweetie Belle leaned to the side, trying to look past the dragon.
“Yeah.” Spike pointed his thumb back over his shoulder. “She’s talking with Twilight about something. You two want to come inside?” He took a step back.
“Why, certainly,” Sweetie Belle said, before Apple Bloom stuck a hoof out in front of her chest.
“Nope. Look up.”
Sweetie Belle stopped in her tracks, tilting her head back to peer up. Her cheeks flushed.
“Ya see it?”
“Yup.” Sweetie Belle looked to over to Apple Bloom, who had adopted a predatory grin.
“See what?” Spike asked, peering up over the doorway before he realized, too late, what it was that she had seen. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw Sweetie Belle move forward, and felt something soft and warm press against his cheek. The young dragon staggered backwards, falling back onto his tail as Sweetie Belle giggled before trotting past him into the castle.
“Woah,” Spike said, raising a claw to touch his cheek. “I should take that down before somebody gets hurt.”
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Oh dear, this is going to go so horribly wrong. I can't wait.
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It will go wrong... but in all the right ways
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WELL YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT.
But not too long, fortunately.
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Hopefully so! Gotta have a smile for Hearth Warming, after all.
Rarity will never let Twilight live this down.
Well, I'm intrigued. I look forward to seeing where you go with this.
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Of course not. She's Rarity.
Not that she would ever say such a thing. It just won't happen.
5421168
Hopefully I don't disappoint!
Heh, that hits mildly close to home considering I'm sitting in my mother's living room reading this while her and my oldest brother talk around me.
Of course, it hits close to home because it makes perfect sense!
This looks like it'll be fun.
5421209
I think we all know that feel.
Well, the SpikeBelle got me here, and the good writing and fun dialogue kept me. Is this also a RariTwi story, or some other Mane Six ship?
5421399
I'm glad that you liked the dialogue, though; I really like dialogue in my stories. Sometimes almost too much...
I'll be honest. I found that the part about Flash Sentry bloated the fic up quite a bit, without adding any actual content. There just doesn't seem to be any reason for that to be there at all, unless I'm missing something[1].
As for the fic in general, the conceit sure sounds pretty cool, but there's way too little of it so far for me to actually have any expectations.
[1] Did they hook up in Rainbow Rocks, perhaps?
That's what you get from trying to sneak a kiss from me Spike.
Now I got to read
5421472 Never read a Spike x Sweetie Belle fic before, but i have a feeling I'm going to love this. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Well Spike, that's what you get for trying to be sneaky. How's this gonna work out for you now?
Poor Spikey. . .Raritys devils out to play. . .
Spikes got to suffer before she rewards the brave knight
CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS DRAGON PLAYERS ! YAY !
Ten seconds later, as Spike was running to find a ladder:
"Salutations, Twilight Sparkle!" Luna called from the doorway. "We had heard of your Hearth's Warming Eve party, and while we did not receive an invitation, we had hoped you might be amenable to our attendance."
"For once," Celestia said, her head popping around the edge of the door frame, "she's not using the royal We."
They paused for a moment.
"What is everypony staring ..." Luna said as she glanced up. "... Oh."
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Well, on the upside, at least he's not related to her.
On the downside, his excuses for dragging over the stepladder for Princess Luna are going to be pretty lame.
Plus, hey, he'll grow into it!
...in a hundred years or so.
5421399
Naw. What we have here is Spike inadvertently making a mess. By the end of this story, prolly a flaming, catastrophic mess.
With shipping overtones. Sure. Maybe.
I'm very certain it will involve fire. Lots of it.
Yes... let the misunderstandings flow through you! Suffer in embarrassment for our enjoyment!
But not too much embarrassment, otherwise I'll start feeling embarrassed, too...
5422318
Ah yes, the narrow line between schadenfreude and empathy - a dangerous line to walk.
But a fun one.
5421933
Well, there will be at least one fire.
In the fireplace.
Any others would be telling.
Though, lighting crystal on fire is remarkably difficult, depending on the crystal...
Can't wait for more!
5422724
Thanks! The next chapter will be out tomm... er, today, now, I suppose, probably roughly 12ish hours from now. Merry
ChristmasHearth Warming!Lol! Too much amazing chaos in just around 1.000 words!!! I love it
5423018
I'm glad you liked it! More shall be coming later.
Nice!
5423034
Thank you.
Your story description is way too long. Why not keep it simple?
"Spike puts up a mistletoe hoping to get a kiss from Rarity. Things do not go according to plan." or something like that.
Pretty good so far. Maybe it could have been a few thousand word one shot, but oh well.
If I had to make one criticism, that whole Flash Sentry part came out of nowhere and added nothing.
Anyway, I've barely read Spikebelle, so I'll be keeping an eye on this.
5421209
Heh. Nice. Sounds like a Hearths Warming or Christmas family gathering plenty of us can relate to!!
That bit between her and Spike was very much in character and made me smile.
Merry Christmas or Happy Hearths Warming.... pick the one you like!
Adorable premise.
Ah, the famous SweetieSpike vs Sparity premise, mixed with some mistletoe-kiss plot...
Everything good for an adorable shipfic for christmas
But I can feel the sh*tstorm coming from here...
HAHAAHAAHAHAHA this is hilarious you have to work on the next chapter immediately
Oh, poor Spike. (Funniest backfire I've ever read) I can imagine how this is going to play out. It's a great story so far, so keep it up!
5422827 YAY!!!
Heh. Looking forward to the next one.
Awe! <3 that was actually really cute! XD can't wait for the next chapter!
Aw that was cute. I wonder where they go from here?
My shipping senses tell me this contains SpikeBelle... Sorry, but whenever I see a SpikeBelle and mention ButtonBelle, everyone flips out... I'm going to read, but no guaranteed likes, follows, or favs.
Take it down, spike! Save the shipping! I will fav for now, I'm interested.
5425424
If you don't like it, ignore it.
No one is forcing you to. 
Also, you don't even have to comment. Just keep your ships to yourself and don't mention your ships if you don't want to cause any shipping wars. Whenever I mention SpikeBelle, ButtonBelle people get angry and shove it down my thoart and get mad at me. I, personally, like both SpikeBelle and ButtonBelle. (PipBelle, on the other hand or hoof, just no...)
But seriously, don't worry about your ships and don't even mention it if you want to prevent any shipping wars.
Besides, Shipping wars are plain old stupid, we should ship what we want5425528
Well, the way I figure it, the story's the thing. While I do prefer some ships to others, as far as I'm concerned, the most important thing is that the story is good and interesting, and has a sense of verisimilitude to it. As such, I'm always happy to read a good story, even if I don't "ship it", because a good story will convince me of what I'm reading in the context of the piece.
A lot of my favorite romance stories aren't of couples that I actively ship, and even some of my romance stories aren't of ships that I actively pull for. But that isn't what is important to me; what is important is that it works in the story and in character.
So, well, hopefully this story is interesting to folks and, in the context of the story, the actions of all the characters are or will be believable.
The next chapter has been taking a bit longer to hash out than I thought it would yesterday, as I had some trouble writing one of the important narrative bridges in the dialogue. Still, it is nearing completion, and it should be up either later tonight or when I get up tomorrow, depending on whether or not I run into any more snags. It is significantly longer than the prologue, and consequently, is taking more time to get right; I may end up breaking it up into two shorter chapters, depending on what my prereaders think, but in either case it will all be up ASAP.
She squeak kiss him?!? (laughing)
5425927
Squeaky kisses are the best kind of kisses!
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Your wish is my command; the much-anticipated next chapter is up.
SpikeBelle, YAY!!!
I honestly don't understand ppl who ship Spike and Rarity. Putting aside the age difference, it'd still be an asymmetrical relationship. There is no challenge in it for Rarity, and this is one mare who is in it for the game.
5426231
You write words, and they are syntactically-correct, but they make zero sense. Love is not about "symmetry"or "challenge," and I don't think Rarity is playing games.
Am I the only one waiting for Spike to be anti dramatic and give sweetie a quick peck on the cheek and put the mitsle toe down?
oh, I am the only one
EDIT: nevermind, didn't read the last paragraph, I have a habit of skimming those and missing things like that