Growing Pains

by Sixes_And_Sevens

Saturday Night

Starlight slammed the castle door behind her as she stormed into the main hall. Twilight poked her head out of the kitchen door, smiling broadly. “Starlight!”

“I know, I know,” Starlight snapped. “Congratulations to me.”

Twilight’s smile faltered. “What? I was only going to ask you how the errands were. Where's Spike?”

Starlight took a deep breath and sat down heavily in the middle of the hall. “In reverse order, taking a nap at Rarity’s, lousy, and ugh.”

Twilight trotted out of the doorway to sit at her student’s side. “Going to need some clarification on that last one, Starlight.”

“Everywhere I went. Every rutting stop. Everypony smiled at me and said ‘congratulations’. Everypony. Well, almost everypony, Mrs. Cake just gave me an extra cupcake and wished me good luck but it was the same general meaning!”

Starlight flopped onto her stomach. Twilight rubbed her softly behind the ears. “Starlight, do you think you might be overreacting? Just a little?”

“No!” Starlight replied, muffled. Twilight continued to rub her head. “...maybe,” Starlight conceded. “I just wish they'd tell me what I'm supposed to have done.”

Twilight hummed. “Well, what have you done recently that the whole town would know about?”

“Perfected the invisible aura spell Sunburst sent me… uh, built up Spike’s self-worth? Um…” she shook her head. “I’ve got nothing.”

Twilight considered this carefully. Then, she shrugged. “Well, I don't suppose it matters much right now. If it helps, tomorrow I can ask around and see what's going on. Now, what's this about Spike staying with Rarity?”

***

Spike cracked open an eye, crusty though it was with sleep. He rubbed a claw over his lids to brush away the sandy gunk, then looked around the room.

This was not his bedroom. This wasn't the basket he had insisted Twilight replace, though she felt sure he was ready for a real bed. No shelves of comic books stood on the wall; no lovingly if inexpertly rendered poster of Garbunkle the Wizard adorned the door; no scrolls of parchment filled the desk.

Instead, he sat on a canopied four-poster bed. The dim evening light reflected off a vanity mirror. The walls held no posters, but some very impressive-looking paintings hung alongside childish drawings. The table in the corner was covered in sketches of dresses and suits. He was in Rarity’s room. Why was he in Rarity’s room?

Right. Napping. Spike glanced out the window. “Huh,” he rasped. “Guess I’ve been out for awhile.”

He coughed, and a gout of green flame spurted out. He pulled himself out of bed, grunting as his feet hit the floor. His shoulders sagged. He felt sluggish and heavy, but well-rested. Despite his grogginess, Spike felt as though he could lift a house! He pushed open the door. The wood splintered and broke at his touch. Stepping through the hole he had made, Spike took out the rest of the door and a good section of the wall besides.

He walked down the hall. The walls seemed narrower than usual today, and Spike’s shoulders knocked paintings from their nail while his tail whipped tables into kindling. The air was rank with the scent of smoke. Had Sweetie Belle been cooking again?

“I do believe our guest is awake,” he heard Rarity say. “Sweetie, be a dear and set a third place for Spikey-Wikey.”

He grinned and sped up slightly. The stairs cracked under his feet, and his swinging tail gouged long trails in the walls. He eventually came to the ground floor and poked his head around the corner. “Hi, girls,” he said, but then stopped. His voice was no longer thin from sleep, but low and gravelly enough to wear diamonds smooth.

“Hello, Spike, darling,” Rarity replied, turning around to look at him. “How was your na-heh-AAAAAAAHHH!”

“Rarity? What's wrong?” Spike tried to ask. It came out sounding more like “RRRRRAAARRRRRGH!”

“Sweetie Belle! Run, I'll hold him off,” Rarity ordered, brandishing a polished skillet. Spike could see his reflection in it, but not his face. The reflection was gnarled and hideous, all scales and spines, horns that would make a minotaur blush and teeth like golden daggers. In no aspect of it could he see himself, least of all in those cold, reflected gimlet eyes that met his.

He opened his mouth to scream, but all that came out was flame. And not the teleportation sort.

***

Spike jolted awake once more, gasping for air. He glanced down at himself, checking his arms, legs and tail. Yes. Still the same pudgy baby dragon as ever.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he looked around the room. Still Rarity’s. Still coming on to evening. He rolled over, and his feet hit the ground with a quiet thump. He padded over to the vanity and examined himself in the mirror. Same baby-face, same head-fins, same spines, same eyes.

“Ahhhh,” he said, his tongue flicking over his teeth one by one. He snapped his jaw shut and nodded once. Then he quickly waddled to the door and made his way downstairs, being very careful not to bump into any walls along the way.

As he hopped down the last flight of steps, he heard Rarity’s voice echo up the stairwell. “I do believe our guest is awake. Sweetie, be a dear and set a third place for Spikey-Wikey.”

He poked his head into the kitchen. “Hi girls. What’s up?”

Rarity turned to look at him and smiled. “We were just sitting down for supper, darling. Would you care to join us for some roast carrots and baked potatoes?”

Spike shifted on the balls of his feet. “Uh, thanks for the offer, Rarity, but if I’ve been asleep for as long as I think I’ve been, I should really get back to the castle before Twilight starts worrying about me.”

Rarity’s lower lip pooched out, but she nodded her agreement. “Will you at least take a carrot for the road, then?” she asked, levitating a baking sheet in front of him. “Growing colt-- drakes need their food, after all.”

He grinned. “Yeah, I guess I could do with a bite,” he admitted, taking one of the smaller carrots from the tray. “Thanks, Rarity.”

Then he glanced at Sweetie Belle. “Good day crusading?” he asked, taking a big bite out of the carrot.

She shrugged. “I guess,” she said. “We didn’t get very far today. We only surveyed two ponies before Apple Bloom insisted we needed to rethink our strategy.”

“Survey?” Spike repeated. “What kind of survey?”

Sweetie froze, her jaw snapping like a briefcase. She couldn’t just tell the object of their investigation that he was being investigated! “Cutie marks,” she said at last. “We’re, um, finding out how everypony got theirs, and at what age.”

“Oh, cool,” Spike said, nodding. “Good luck with that.”

“Thanks!” Sweetie squeaked, not meeting his eyes.

“Well, I should be going,” Spike said. “Thanks for the carrot, Rarity. And the bed.”

“You’re welcome, darling. Have a good evening!”

“G’night, Spike!”

The dragon waved back as he stepped out into the late summer evening and closed the door behind him. He made his way to the street and turned towards home.

“Hey. Spike.”

Spike turned. Noteworthy, Rarity’s neighbor nodded at him from his stoop. “Congratulations.”

He flushed, glancing back at the Boutique door. “Oh, uh, I don’t-- didn’t--”

But Noteworthy had already stepped inside.

Red-faced, Spike took another bite from the carrot and hurried home.

***

Big Macintosh set down a tray of soyburgers on the table. Granny took a deep whiff and nodded approvingly. “Smells jes’ like yer daddy use ta make,” she said.

Mac blushed, though nopony could tell. “Thanks,” he replied. “Ya want any cheese, there, Granny?”

She waved a hoof imperiously. “Lay on, Macintosh!”

“Will th’ fries be done soon?” Bloom asked hopefully.

“No fries tonight,” Applejack reported as she set down a soup-pot. “Have some peas.”

“Aw… alright.”

Mac and Applejack took their seats as Granny began to dish out the vegetables. “So, youngun,” she said, looking at Bloom. “What-all did you do today?”

Bloom grabbed a burger off the tray. “Not much,” she said, taking off the bun and reaching for a catsup bottle. “We tried ta go t’ th’ market, but there weren't hardly nopony there.”

Applejack looked away, recalling how she herself had gotten towed away from her stand by the stampede. “Well, that's a real shame,” she said, scratching her ear. “What-all were ya tryin’ ta do?”

Bloom’s eyes flicked to her sister for a mere moment. “Don't much matter now. We're gonna try summat different tomorrow.”

Mac took a bite of his burger and chewed thoughtfully. “So. Ya hear tell ‘bout Starlight?”

“Macintosh! You know how Ah feel ‘bout gossip in this house,” Applejack said sharply.

“An’ you know how Ah feel about it,” Granny said gleefully, leaning forwards in her seat. “Tell ol’ Granny about it, Mac.”

Mac’s glanced at Applejack, who huffed and glowered back. She opened her mouth, but was cut off. “Is it about Spike?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Oh, you heard it too,” Mac said.

Applejack closed her mouth with a snap and gave a thoughtful scowl. “She was actin’ a bit close with him earlier,” she allowed. “Fine. Go on.”

“Well, it ain't much,” Mac said. Apple Bloom stared at her sister, searching for a reaction. “They're steppin’ out, so Ah hear.”

Applejack shot up ramrod-straight. “They whut?”

Bloom smiled grimly. So Applejack didn't know, after all. That lowlife lizard…

“Does Twi know yet?” Applejack asked, leaning forwards. “An’-- an’ ain't he too young?”

“He’s nineteen in September.”

Applejack blinked. “Well. Ah’ll be.” She grinned. “Still. Good for them! Hope they get on well together.”

But Apple Bloom could see what Applejack was really feeling. Don't worry, sis. Ah’ll teach that cheater a lesson he won't soon forget.

***

Fluttershy stared blankly at her bed. Half a dozen dresses stared back. She picked up one for the space of a moment, then dismissed it just as quickly. Nothing seemed to be right for tomorrow’s impending… event. Yes, event was the word for it; exactly the right term to avoid sending her into a nervous tizzy like the one she’d had when she’d returned from tea. If she thought of it as a d-- thought of it as the word Rarity had used, she’d wind up a panicked pile of feathers.

It was almost enough to make her wish that she hadn’t sent away Discord. They might have been somewhat insensitive, but they made her that much stronger just by being around.

She quashed those feelings. No. That wasn’t who she was. She wouldn’t be strong if it meant that others would be hurt. She’d learned that lesson the hard way.

She turned back to the piles of cloth on the bed, inspecting each in turn; five were Rarity’s work, three Gala dresses, one coronation gown, and one Hearth’s Warming gift. The last one, a sundress, Fluttershy had made herself. She considered that one for a long moment, but shook her head.

The trouble was, she didn’t know this Eris from Private Pansy. She ought to have asked Rarity for her impression, at least, but it was too late to go back and enquire now. Was the doe formal? Grounded? Silly? Intelligent? Artistic? Any combination of the above?

“Oh,” Fluttershy sighed. “It’s hopeless. I can’t even plan a date with somepony I don’t know, let alone try to love them. All I know about her is that she likes suits, apparently.”

That rung a bell. Fluttershy stood up and trotted back to the closet. It took a moment of rummaging, but she produced a dark-grey suit from the back-- she had meant it for Zephyr, but he had never worn it. It apparently ‘cramped his style’.

She considered it for a long moment. It seemed unlikely that he would ever wear it. And the color would suit her, as well. She nodded firmly, and went to return the other dresses to the closet. Sleep could wait. She needed to make some adjustments.

***

Twilight cast another look towards the large double doors behind her seat at the dining table.

Starlight sighed. “Twilight, he’s fine. He probably just stayed for dinner with Rarity, that’s all.”

The princess sighed and returned to picking at her ravioli. “You’re probably right,” she admitted. “Still, I can’t help worrying about him.”

Starlight rubbed her forehead. “Twilight. This is Ponyville we’re talking about. I don’t think it’s physically possible to have a safer town.”

“Starlight, we live on the edge of the Everfree. Every month, the town is virtually razed. If that’s your definition of safe, I’m afraid to ask what kinds of places you think are dangerous.”

“Point taken. Still, Twilight. Spike is a baby dragon. You’re focusing on the ‘baby’ when you should be thinking about the ‘dragon’. He can swim in lava, chew through rock, and breathe actual magical fire.”

Twilight scrunched up her muzzle and Starlight sighed. “Look. You said yourself that you think Spike is being stifled. Well, how is he going to get free if you keep fussing over him like this?”

“I know! I know. You’re right,” Twilight said, dropping her fork and her head. “But… I raised him, Starlight. I’m his ‘big sister’ or whatever, but most of the time I’ve been his mother as much as my mom was. Heck, as much as Princess Celestia was. I’ve always needed to protect him from bullies, or from nobles, or from himself.” She looked up, eyes wide and sorrowful. “How do I stop?”

Starlight wanted to answer, but she couldn’t. She merely shook her head and shrugged. Twilight slumped back in her chair, defeated.

There was the sound of a door slamming, and both mares jumped. “Spike?”

“Yeah. Hi!” The soft pat-pat-pat of feet on crystal grew steadily louder until Spike pushed open the door. He glanced at the duo. “Do either of you know why everypony I passed today kept congratulating me?”

***

Lotus stared up at the ceiling of her room, alive with questions that lacked any type of coherent answer. For instance, was it the done thing to meet Rarity at the Boutique or at the restaurant? Should she get her flowers? Chocolates? Wine? Not jewelry; that was too much commitment for a first date, and she couldn’t afford it anyway.

She sat up, hugging her pillow tightly. Would Rarity even accept her invitation? She was, after all, a famous fashion designer, and Lotus was merely the mare who gave her a hooficure every week. Not to mention, she was in love with Fluttershy. Dear Luna, what if Rarity laughed in her face? What if she stopped coming to the spa altogether?

At some point, she realized, she had gotten out of bed and started pacing. Well, she wasn’t about to stop now. Worse still, what if Rarity decided to choose her over Fluttershy? The poor pegasus would be heartbroken, devastated! Assuming, that is, she knew how Rarity felt about her, which was not guaranteed. But then, to put such pressure on Rarity, choosing one mare or the other, it would be a nightmare! She silently cursed her sister for placing all that pressure on each and every one of them.

Meanwhile, in her own room Aloe slept like a rock, dreaming of dates and wedding bells.

Comments

[ColtKit Productions]

Ooooooh I can't wait for all this to blow up. And it's cool to see why Spike is a baby, he's scared of becoming a monster, probably his major reason why he insists on helping everyone