> Blonde Moments
>  by FamousLastWords
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Light in the Cave
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike’s nostrils were filled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. He yawned and slowly pushed the covers off of himself, shaking his head to try and clear his head of the usual post-sleep fogginess. “I really need to remember to thank Starlight again for that auto-brew timed coffee maker she gave me”, he mumbled aloud, creeping over to the corner of his room where said coffee maker sat.
 
Spike poured himself a cup, added his usual two creamers and took a sip. Twilight may have god-like magical abilities, but Spike had his coffee and that was all he needed. He stretched out his arms, loosening up his scales and made his way out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen.
 
He rummaged through the cabinets until he found his desired breakfast consisting of peanut butter on wheat. Nothing fancy, but it did the job. He took a few bites then glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall.
 
“Six fifity-nine. Right on time.” Spike took one more bite of his sandwich and turned towards the stairs. “Three, two, one…”
 
“Oh, I’m late, I’m late, I’m so late!” On cue, Twilight scurried down the stairs toward the kitchen. “Morning, Spike! Has Starlight come down yet?”
 
“Not yet,” Spike said, taking a sip of his coffee. 
 
“Ugh, she was supposed to be ready by 6:56, and now it’s already 7!” Twilight huffed and turned back toward the stairs. “Starlight, hurry up! We’re going to be late! It's time to jump into emergency speed!”

At a much slower pace, that of which a tortoise may even find itself accustomed to, Starlight calmly strode down the steps toward the kitchen. “Good morning, Spike. Morning, Twilight.”
 
“Morning,” Spike said with a quick wave.
 
“Starlight! We have no time for pleasantries! We’re already behind schedule.” Twilight struck her hoof out toward the clock hanging on the wall. “If we don’t meet with Princess Cadance at town hall about those new trade routes, our entire town commerce could be doomed! And we have to meet with her and the mayor in thirty minutes!”
 
Starlight shook her head and sighed. “Two things. Number one, Twilight, calm down. It’s a ten minute walk at most. Number two-”
 
“But what if we hit traffic? Or what if there’s a wild flock of geese that block our path along the way? We have to plan for every variable!” Twilight, chest heaving, was running in circles in desperation.
 
Spike and Starlight glanced at each other and rolled their eyes.
 
“Oh, yeah, Celestia forbid we run into one of the other three ponies out on the streets at this hour,” Starlight said with a chuckle. “Anywho, number two. Spike, I hope you don’t mind, but I got some coffee from your room on the way down. I figured Twilight forgot to make some given the circumstances this morning, and as it usually turns out, I was right.”
 
“It’s all good,” Spike replied. “You’re probably going to need it. Especially if you know who is in one of her moods all morning.”
 
Twilight groaned. “Okay, fine, I’m getting over anxious. But still, I want to be there early to show our professionalism. This will be one of your first major business meetings, Starlight, and I want it to go over well. You only get one chance at a perfect first impression.”
 
“I understand, Twilight,” Starlight said, nodding her head. “And I’m ready to leave whenever you are.”
 
“Perfect!” Twilight cheered, before turning to Spike. “Spike, how do we look? Every detail is important.”
 
“Hmm,” Spike said, looking up and down at the two. “Starlight, you look fine, if not in need of another second or two of tail brushing, but Twilight, your mane is doing something funky in the front.” Spike walked over to her and pushed her mane back into place. “There you go. I knew those beauty lessons from Rarity would be useful for something.”
 
“Thanks, Spike,” she said, rushing toward the door with Starlight on her heels.
 
“I assume you two will be back tonight, considering it’s just a local meeting this time?” Spike asked.
 
Twilight turned around. “Sorry, Spike. After we’re done with initial negotiations, we have to go to Canterlot and formally present them to Celestia for approval. We’ll be staying the night there, possibly even tomorrow night depending on how our schedules end up. I can’t really say for sure right now.”
 
Spike waved them off. “No biggie. I’ll hold down the fort here, check the mail and turn away the news reporters. Besides, I’ve got a to-do list of my own for the next couple days. Have a great trip, guys!”
 
“Bye and thank you, Spike! I’ll see you soon,” Twilight shouted, heading out the door.
 
Starlight waved to him. “Later, Spike And just between you and me,” she said, moving closer, out of Twilight’s earshot, “this would be the ideal time to throw a party or have some of the local mares over, if you catch my drift.” She gave him a quick wink and ran out the door, leaving Spike behind.
 
Spike waved goodbye to them once more before moving on with his morning duties. He finished up his coffee and breakfast and went back up to his room. He’d gotten used to silence in the castle, what with Twilight and Starlight’s constant business trips and various duties keeping them occupied. He was pretty lonely at first, but eventually found ways to occupy himself and keep busy in the community. And one of his favorite things was scheduled for today.
 
Spike rummaged through his drawers until he found his daily schedule. “Aha! There you are, you little troublemaker.” 
 
Despite how annoying her constant checklists and organization had always been, one thing Spike appreciated about growing up with Twilight was the knowledge of knowing how to create a functional schedule. It was actually useful, especially as he grew into an adult. He didn’t appreciate back in the day, of course, but it was useful more and more as he gained more responsibilities.
 
“Let’s see here. Have coffee? Check. Listen to Twilight’s panicked tirade? Check. Collaborate with Starlight to make witty comments and end said tirade? Check. “ Spike’s eyes scanned down the rest of the schedule. “Take a shower, alright,drop off Starlight’s summer clothing purchase order to Rarity, that’s easy, and visit the colts and fillies at the hospital for an hour of story time, definitely looking forward to that. Then, last but not least, come back home and take an abnormally lengthy nap followed by doing whatever. Alright, this will be a good day.”
 
Spike threw the schedule back into the mess he called a drawer and made his way to the shower to officially begin his day. After a quick scrub down and scale polish, he was ready to go and face the brutal outdoors for the first time of the day. He grabbed the purchase order Starlight left for him and headed out the door.
 
“Okay, so first stop: Rarity’s house.” Spike beamed a bright smile. He wasn’t the same love obsessed dragon he was when he was younger, but always loved spending time with Rarity, nonetheless. She was his best friend, after all, so he definitely appreciated every opportunity he had to go spend time with her.
 
He jaunted his way across town, waving at the occasional passerby, until he arrived at the Carousel Boutique. A few quick knocks later and he heard the the quick scurrying of hooves and Rarity’s melodic voice.
 
“Just a moment! I apologize, we’re not quite open for the day, yet.” The door swung open, revealing the white mare, hair pinned up with hair curlers of various sizes. “Oh, Spike, darling! Why didn’t you say it was you? Come in!”
 
She stepped back from the door, allowing Spike entry. He strode in and set the papers down on the nearest counter. “Hey, Rarity. I’ve just got Starlight’s purchase order for the summer line of clothes you’re coming out with. You know, if she wasn’t so intent on learning from Twilight all the time, you could totally use her as a store manager. She must be pretty knowledgable on the industry given how many order forms I’ve had to bring you, recently.”
 
“Heh, I’ve thought the same thing myself,” she replied with a snicker. “On the note of fashion, I apologize for my appearance, Spike. If I would have known you were coming, I’d at least have put a little effort into looking company appropriate.”
 
“Don’t worry about it,” Spike said, waving his claw. “I’ve seen you in much worse states than this, anyway. Besides, I should probably get going soon. I’ve gotta get to Ponyville General Hospital in the next hour or so.”
 
“Aww, Spike, Twilight’s mentioned how you’ve been taking the time go read stories for the children there. It’s ever so sweet.” Rarity placed a hoof on Spike’s shoulder.
 
Spike could feel his face begin to heat up. “Uh, yeah, well… I’ve got a lot of free time, nowadays, and I figured I should at least try to do something good between all the laziness that occupies most of my life. As much as I do love a good nap, I needed to do something else so I can at least go to bed at night with some kind of personal accomplishment.”
 
“Oh, Spike, don’t be modest,” Rarity said, shaking her hoof at him. “Anyone who spends as much time around Twilight as you do could hardly consider themselves lazy. It’s a chore just trying to keep up with her in conversation.” Rarity brought her hoof up to her chin. “Speaking of which, how is Twilight? I feel as though I haven’t seen her in ages. It’s quite sad, to be honest.”
 
“Busy, as usual,” Spike replied with a shrug. “She left with Starlight to Town Hall this morning and is heading off to Canterlot afterwards. She probably won’t be back for a couple days, if that. I’m expecting she’ll be back later rather than sooner, if the past few trips are any indication.”
 
“Oh, that’s unfortunate,” Rarity said, her face slipping into a frown. “I was wanting to arrange a dinner date with you two, like old times. She does seem to travel a lot these days, so it seems our schedules rarely allow any free time.”
 
“I know, right,” Spike said, shaking his head. “But even when she’s at the castle, her and Starlight have so much to do I hardly see them. Unless, of course, there’s a planned family activity.” Spike chuckled. “You should see our family games of Marenopoly play out. One of us always ends up sticking up the bank and Twilight usually ignites the board on fire in frustration. It’s a lot like real world economics.”
 
“That sounds… enjoyable?”
 
“Oh yeah, it’s a lot of fun. But, of course, it’s also the reason we’re no longer allowed to play Risk within town borders. The Mayor issued an official request and everything.”
 
Rarity laughed aloud. “Well, remind me to steer clear whenever your next game night is scheduled. But, to get back on the original point, the work of a Princess is never done, I suppose.” Rarity shook her head and smiled back at Spike. “Either way, it was lovely seeing you this morning, Spikey. Have a great time cheering up the fillies and colts, and please, don’t be a stranger. I’d love to actually have time to chat with you, soon. Okay?”
 
“Sounds good, Rarity,” said Spike, turning around and heading for the door. “By the way, do you have an ETA on when you’ll get Starlight’s order done? She was asking me about it the other day.”
 
Rarity glanced over the order. “Well, this a large order… Does she really need twenty-two floral print bandanas?”
 
“I have no idea, but it’s what she ordered. And all of them are different colors and patterns, too. Good luck.”
 
“Well, I know she’s wanting to be unique these days, but maybe she should have kept a bit of her old ‘everypony is the same’ attitude she used to have. I’ll have to get back to you on that one, Spike. But I’ll let you know as soon as I figure out a timetable.”
 
Spike nodded and  gave Rarity a quick hug goodbye before leaving off for the hospital.
 



 
Spike shuffled down the hospital hallways, which were cold and clean as always. When he got up to the front desk, an older mare with steel-grey fur and a black mane greeted him with a bright smile.
 
“Hey there, Spike. It’s great seeing you, again,” she said.
 
“Hey, Magnolia, I’m just here to pick up my visitor’s badge for the children’s wing. I should have an hour timeslot set up for today.”
 
“Oh, dear me, has it been a week, already? I know all of those fillies and colts are gonna be excited to see you, bless their hearts.”
 
“Well, I guess that means I’m doing my job,” Spike said with a smile. He grabbed the lanyard with the badge attached to it and strung it around his neck. “Thanks again. I’ll make sure to bring this back before I leave. Unless I forget, of course.”
 
“No problem, hun. Any time.” The older mare smiled and waved Spike off before returning to her paperwork.
 
Spike wandered off down the halls until he reached his designated location. A giant, colorful sign that read “Recess Area” was displayed on the door in front of him. It was here that, once a week, Spike would visit with any children who wanted to and read them a quick story. It wasn’t much, but he enjoyed brightening their day the best he could.
 
Spike walked up to the large chair at the front of the room and took his seat. He opened up the small satchel he brought with him and produced a copy of the book scheduled for today’s reading session.
 
“The Adventures of Poptart and Notepad. They’re gonna love this, as always!”
 
Spike flipped through the various colored pages of the book until he found the right chapter hidden within. The volume contained many fun and exciting adventures between the two titular heroes and the kids always loved it. Good guys solving mysteries, helping towns and saving the day… It was the best kind of medicine he could provide to them.
 
He looked at the clock on the wall. As per the time, it would be just five minutes before the young patients arrived and got to hear their story.
 
A nurse with white fur and a pink mane walked into the room and waved at Spike. “Oh, hello, Spike! So good to see you, again.”
 
“Good to see you, too, Nurse Redheart,” Spike responded. “Are the kids ready yet? Or am I gonna need to come back later. I know things aren’t always according to schedule here.”
 
“Actually, I was just coming in to ask if you were ready, yet,” the nurse said with a giggle “They all got super excited when they found out you’d be here today. ‘We want Poptart, we want Spike’... All morning long they wouldn’t stop asking about it.”
 
“I’m glad to hear it,” Spike said. “Honestly though, the sooner they get out of here and don’t have to listen to stories, the better.”
 
“I hear you loud and clear,” she agreed.
 
“So,” Spike said, trying to get the negativity out of his mind, “will it be the usual suspects today?”
 
“All except for one, this time,” Nurse Redheart replied. “Dinky hasn’t been feeling too well the past day or so so we’re keeping her in bed for the time being. She was disappointed to be sure, but it’s for the best.”
 
Spike tried to place a face to the name. “She’s the little gray one, right? With the blonde mane?”
 
“Yes, sir,” she replied. “But, with any luck, she’ll hopefully be good by next week, the poor dear.”
 
“Well, I hope for the best, there,” Spike said, scratching the back of his head. “But, you know what, next week won’t even by necessary. Assuming nothing crazy happens, could you let me go back to her room after I’m done with the kids out here? I could probably spend some time reading to her on my own time if you’ll allow it.”
 
Nurse Redheart rubbed her chin as a smile crept onto her face. “You know, I think I can arrange that. I know she’d love it.”
 
“Awesome!” Spike smiled and gave her a thumbs up. “Just come get me after the recess time is over and lead the way, alright?”
 
“Sounds like a plan!” 
 
A group of hoofsteps growing in volume began approaching the room the two were in. High-pitched cheers and giggles could be heard through the halls.
 
“For now, though, it would appear you're about to have your claws full with these ones,” Redheart said. “I’ll leave you guys to it. Let me know if there’s an emergency, alright?”
 
“Can do,” Spike said with a large smile toward the approaching gaggle of fillies and colts. “So, everypony, who’s ready for another adventure of Poptart and Notepad?”
 
Spike was met with an uproarious cheer from his crowd of adoring fans, all of which immediately found their way to a chair or laid down on the rug in front of him.
 
“Sounds like you’re all ready,” Spike said with a chuckle. “Today’s adventure is called ‘Poptart and Notepad vs. The Giant Bed Bug Monster’. Exciting, right?”
 
The air was filled with the oohs and aahs of all the kids present, some hiding behind their favorite stuffed animal or pillow.
 
“Are bed bug monsters real?” a voice spoke up.
 
“Of course they’re not real,” another responded. “And besides, even if they were, Poptart and Notepad would save us. Right, Spike?”
 
Spike crossed his arms. “Hmm, that’s a good question. So, how about we read the story and find out. That sound okay, guys?”
 
All the children nodded in unison.
 
“Okay, ahem,” Spike cleared his throat.
 
 “Once upon a time, when all the ponies were fast asleep, a giant monster crawled out from the dark forest…”
> A Little's Enough
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“...and if he ever comes back, we’ll just scare him away again! Everypony, you’re safe from the bed bug monster!
 
Notepad and Poptart waved to all the townsponies and walked off into the sunrise, heroes once again.”
 
Spike closed the book and was immediately met with claps and cheers from all the children present.
 
“Hooray!” a small, black-furred colt yelled out. “I knew they could do it!”
 
“Yeah, they always win against the bad guys,” another, a small golden filly, piped up.
 
“Can’t we have just one more story?” another said aloud, rising to his hooves and giving Spike the biggest puppy eyes he could. “Please?”
 
Spike chuckled but shook his head. “Sorry, you’ll all just have to wait until I come back next week for another story.”
 
“Aww!” they all shouted in unison.
 
“But,” Spike interjected with a claw in the air, “I promise, I’ll pick out an extra good one for next week just because I like you guys. Alright?”
 
He was met with a series of enthusiastic nods and smiles.
 
“But, I’ll only come back if you promise to be extra good for all the doctors and Nurse Redheart, okay?” Spike winked at the white mare in question who was standing at the back of the room. “Make sure you all take your medicine and do what they say. Do we have a deal?”
 
“Yes sir!” they all said, some even throwing their hooves into a salute.
 
Spike stood up and nodded to Redheart. “Alrighty then, I’ll see you next week, guys!”
 
The nurse smiled at him and approached all the children. “Alright you all, time to go back to your rooms. Hurry up now.”
 
Not wanting to break their promise to Spike already, they all jumped into a single file line and marched back down the hall to their rooms, smiles plastered to their faces.
 
Nurse Redheart watched them head off with another nurse, eyes wide, before trotting over to Spike. “Wow, you sure do have a way with them. Normally, it takes us a good five minutes to round them up. We should keep you around here full-time.”
 
Spike let out a laugh. “Sorry, but my services are needed at the castle just a little too much. Who else would keep our local Princess of Friendship in check?”
 
“Fair point,” Redheart agreed, eliciting a laugh of her own. “In other news, though, were you still able to go visit Dinky? I didn’t tell her anything just in case something came up with your schedule.”
 
“Absolutely!” Spike said. “Do you think she’d be up for a visit, though? If she needs to rest, I could try and come back at a different time.”
 
“Oh, trust me, she’s up,” the nurse said. “She was very upset she had to miss your visit today, and I could barely keep her in bed. She’s a hoof full to be sure.”
 
“Well, that settles it, then,” Spike said. “But, just in case, I think I’ll pick a bit shorter story for her. That way she can get a bit more rest.”
 
“I appreciate that, Spike.” 
 
Nurse Redheart led Spike out of the room and down the hall through a large pair of double wooden doors. Spike had never been to this part of the hospital before. If it was possible, this area seemed even colder than the rest of the hospital. If it wasn’t for his internal warmth, Spike would’ve needed a jacket. The area’s cold climate was masked quite well however by colorful pictures and drawings obviously from other children lining the walls. There was even a giant, sparkled banner hanging from the ceiling that just read ‘SMILE!’
 
“What area is this?” Spike asked aloud.
 
“This is the special care recovery room,” the nurse replied. “Here is where we keep our younger patients who may still need immediate treatment. We have an extra doctor who works here just in case.” 
 
Spike’s face began to droop into a frown. “That doesn’t sound like too much fun.”
 
“It’s not,” she replied. “But don’t be too alarmed, Spike. We’re actually about to move Dinky back to her room in the children’s wing. With any luck, most of the children you talked to today can be going home soon.”
 
“That’s some welcome news. Saying goodbye is my favorite part of all this,” Spike said, face curling into a smile once more.
 
He followed her a bit further to a room with a large closed door. It had a few pictures of smiley faces taped to it.
 
“Alright, Spike, before you go in, make sure you wash your claws,” the nurse said, pointing to the sink right next to her door. “I’m not trying to say you’re dirty, but policies and such.”
 
Spike followed her direction and washed up. “Who did all the drawings on the door?’
 
“The other children did,” Redheart replied. “Dinky is one of the favorites here, so when she moved out they all drew pictures for her, bless their hearts.”
 
“That’s sweet.” Spike dried off his hands and picked up his book and satchel he had set down. “Well, I’m ready if you are.”
 
“Awesome. Let’s go.”
 
The nurse took Spike over to the door and knocked a few times before entering. “Hello, Dinky? It’s Nurse Redheart.”
 
“Oh no,” Spike heard a voice say from inside. “Do I have to take more medicine?”
 
“Not yet,” Redheart replied. “But, I do have something for you. It’s a visitor.”
 
“A visitor? For me?”
 
She motioned with her hoof for Spike to come in after her. Spike followed her call and walked in the room. The walls were a cold eggshell white and lined with posters of various pony anatomy diagrams. There was a large machine rolled off in the corner that Spike couldn’t name if he tried, but it was well hidden by a small bed in the center of the room with a wide-eyed unicorn  filly.
 
“Spike!” Dinky cried out, smiling ear to ear. 
 
Nurse Redheart smiled brightly and stood off to the side, allowing Spike to fully enter the room. “Hey there, Dinky!”
 
The little filly squeaked and wiggled her legs and arms. “I can’t believe it! I didn’t think I’d ever  get to see you again when they put me in this boring old room.” 
 
“Then you thought wrong,” Spike said, walking over to her. “You don’t honestly think I’d let one of my favorite fans go a whole week without hearing a story, did you?”
 
Dinky’s jaw dropped. “What? You’re gonna read me a story, too? Oh my gosh, I’m so happy!”
 
Spike chuckled and looked to Redheart who had her hoof to her mouth trying to stifle a laugh. He turned back to Dinky. “I take it it’s okay if I read one to you? Or are you too tired? I could always just come back another day.”
 
“No! No, no, no! Please, I’m totally awake!” Dinky sat her body up and wiggled her way from under the covers to an upright position. “You see? I’m super awake! Nurse, give him a chair, please. You gotta hurry so he’ll read to me!”
 
“Yes, Dinky, I’ll get him a chair,” Redheart said, dragging one from the closet up to the side of the bed. “Here you go, Spike.”
 
“Thank you,” Spike said, taking a seat. “Alright, Dinky, you ready?”
 
The filly smiled and nodded her head vigorously. “I’m ready!”
 
Spike nodded and flipped the pages throughout the book until he found the desired passage. “Alrighty then, let’s get started. Today’s story is Poptart and Notepad and The Curious Cold Caper.”
 
Dinky clapped her hooves together. “A Poptart and Notepad story! They’re my favorites. I bet Poptart is really handsome. The book says so.”
 
Spike laughed. “I’m sure he is, Dinky. But, in this story, Poptart catches a cold and has to go the doctors. Notepad doesn’t know what’s wrong, so he searches all over town trying to figure out what made his best friend sick.”
 
Dinky threw her hooves over her mouth and gasped. “Oh no! Poptart is sick? What happens? Does he get better?”
 
“Well, I don’t know,” Spike said with a shrug. “But, I bet we’ll find out after we read the story. So let’s find out together, okay?”
 
Dinky nodded once more and snuggled into her covers. “Okay.”
 
Spike cleared his throat and began:
 
“It was a beautiful day in the town, but something was wrong. Poptart had been coughing all night and he didn’t know what to do…”
 




 
The story was nearing its end, and Dinky was quite literally on the edge of her seat, to the point she was practically falling off the bed. Her eyes were wide and unblinking as Spike was reading.
 
“...’Don’t you see what’s wrong, Poptart? You never got better because we spent all this time trying to find ways to cure you instead of just letting you rest and take your medicine.. I almost feel silly, now.’
.
‘Me too, Notepad. But, like the doctor said, if I just stay in bed and rest, I’ll be better in a few days and we can go on adventures again, then.’
 
‘Then let’s get home, shall we? You need to get better as quick as possible. The town needs the both of us.’
 
The two ponies went back home and got the rest they needed. Poptart got better and they both had many more adventures.
 
The End
 
Spike shut the book and looked up at Dinky who had a wide smile on her face.
 
“Yay!” the filly shouted out. “I knew he would be better. Remember? Remember when I said he would get better? You didn’t believe me but I knew!”
 
“Yes, Dinky, I remember,” Spike said with a chuckle. “You were right all along because you’re just that smart.”
 
Dinky nodded her approval and nestled back into her place in the bed. “A stupid little cold wouldn’t get Poptart down. He’s way too awesome for that.”
 
“I agree,” Spike replied. “And so are you. Just between you and me, I heard Nurse Redheart talking earlier, and rumor has it you might get to go back with the other kids pretty soon. Does that sound good, or what?”
 
She giggled and squirmed. “That’d be awesome! I’m tired of being alone over here. It gets so boring. Well, except for Derpy. She comes after work, but that’s about it.”
 
“Derpy?” Spike questioned. “The mailmare?”
 
“Yeah,” Dinky replied with a nod. “She’s my big sister.”
 
“Speaking of her,” Nurse Redheart said, glancing at the clock on the wall, “she should be here any time n—”
 
The nurse was interrupted by a loud crash coming from the hall outside the room, causing Spike to jump from his scales.
 
“And here she is.,” Redheart said with a shake of her head. “C’mon in, Derpy! We’re over here!”
 
After a few more bangs and crashes, the blonde-maned mare stumbled into the room, holding a small bouquet of flowers in her mouth. She took them out and set them on a nearby table so she could address the nurse.
 
“Sorry about the mess out there, nurse,” Derpy said. “I wasn’t paying attention and I ran into one of the medical carts. And then I backed into another one by accident. I helped pick it up the best I could, though.”
 
“That’s perfectly fine, hun,” Redheart replied waving her hoof. “You’ve had a long day, I imagine.”
 
Derpy shook her head before turning around. That was when her eyes noticed the dragon sitting by the bed. “Hmm, Spike?”
 
“Hey there, Derpy,” Spike said, getting up to greet her.
 
“It’s nice to see you,” she replied. “But, what are you doing back here, if you don’t mind me asking? I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
 
“He came to read me a story!” Dinky shouted from the bed. “Nurse Redheart was being a meanie and wouldn’t let me leave to go to recess again, so Spike came to me instead and brought recess with him!”
 
“Yeah,” Spike said. “Sorry, maybe I should’ve asked permission first from you.”
 
“Oh no, it’s perfectly okay,” Derpy replied with a smile. “Dinky told me before that someone came to read them stories every week and she really loved it. Thank you, actually.”
 
“It’s no problem,” Spike said. “I just didn’t want her to feel left out. Nobody likes that.”
 
Derpy gave him a smile. “That’s very sweet of you. Did you like the story, Dinky?”
 
Dinky giggled and nodded. “Yes, duh! Poptart was sick, but then he got better because he took his medicine and went to bed on time and stuff! I knew he’d be better but Spike and Nurse Redheart didn’t believe me.”
 
“Oh, did you now?” Derpy asked, walking over to her sister. She wrapped her up in a gentle hug. “Well, guess what, Dinky?”
 
“What?”
 
“I made a stop on my way over here and got you those flowers you say you like!” Derpy grabbed the bouquet and gave them to Dinky. “I remember you saying you liked the orange ones.”
 
Dinky snatched the flowers and gave them a big sniff. “I love them because they smell so good!”
 
Spike smiled and walked over to the nurse. “I guess this would be my cue to leave and give them some time together.”
 
Nurse Redheart nodded. “Yeah, I could use a coffee break myself.”
 
Spike turned back to the two sisters. “Alright, Dinky, I’ve gotta head home now.”
 
“Aww,” she said. “Do you have to leave?”
 
Spike nodded. “Yeah, but I’ll tell you what. You do me a favor and get better as quick as you can, and I’ll come see you again as soon as possible, alright?”
 
“Okay, but does that mean I have to take my medicine?”
 
“Yep,” Spike retorted. “You’ve gotta do whatever Nurse Redheart says. That way, just like Poptart, you’ll get better. You think you can do that for me?”
 
“Okay…” she said with a frown. “But only because Poptart did it and he’s always right.”
 
Derpy got up and waved a hoof to Spike. “Thanks again, Spike. I really appreciate it.”
 
“Not even a problem,” Spike said before walking out the door.
 
Dinky looked over to her older sister. “I like Spike. He’s really nice.” 
 
Derpy nodded in agreement. “Yeah he is, isn’t he?”
 
Meanwhile, in the hall, Nurse Redheart was leading Spike back to the recess area.
 
“Thanks so much, Spike,” the nurse said. “If you couldn’t tell, that completely made her day.”
 
“Oh yeah, I had no idea,” Spike said with a chuckle. “Well, I’m just glad I could help. She’s a firecracker, though.”
 
“You have no idea,” Redheart replied. “If she weren’t so cute, we’d probably have made a cage just to hold her in by now.”
 
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Spike said, turning to the nurse, “how often do her parents visit her? She mentioned Derpy coming when she could, but that was it. Is something wrong?”
 
“I… I can’t tell you that,” Redheart responded, rubbing the back of her neck. “But, all i can tell you is that Derpy is her legal guardian.”
 
“I see.” Spike paused for a moment before deciding it would be best to drop the subject. “Well, like I said, I’m glad I could help her out. Even if it’s not much.”
 
“Trust me, Spike. For a lot of these kids, even just a few minutes of someone coming to spend time with them is more than enough. Will you be able to come back next week?”
 
“Oh yeah,” Spike replied. “Nothing could keep me away.”
 
“Thanks a bunch,” she said. “For now, I’m going to grab some coffee. Have a great afternoon, okay?”
 
Spike bid farewell to the nurse and made his way down the hall. He couldn’t help but feel good about himself, but at the same time, he felt bad he couldn’t do more.
 
He shook off the thoughts before they festered any further, however. He was gonna go home and enjoy a nice long nap. He earned one.
> Rite of Spring
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

War. 
 
There was nothing good about it. Of course, it was unavoidable. And Twilight was, once again, experiencing it first hoof in what was normally the safe confines of her castle. The battle being waged between Spike and Starlight was only getting more aggressive as time went on.
 
Not even Celestia herself could predict the outcome of this fierce rivalry.
 
“Ha! Get wrecked, Spike!” Starlight threw a good in the dragon's direction. “You just landed on my space. That'll be seven hundred bits please.”
 
Spike jumped out of his chair to his feet. “What? No way!”
 
“Uh, yes way,” Starlight replied. “I own a hotel on that one. So pay up or face the dire consequences of refusal.”
 
“But you mortgaged that property for half value like two turns ago!” Spike pointed to Twilight, who was sitting in her seat, face buried in her hooves. “Tell her, Twi! She doesn’t own the rights to have a hotel there.”
 
“Every time…” Twilight muttered to herself. “Here’s my judgement. Yes, Starlight, you did mortgage that property. But, Spike, she paid off the mortgage to get the property back. However, you can’t own a hotel on it because both of you guys got so caught up in this game you skipped my last five turns!”
 
Twilight’s horn glowed and before they had a chance to react the board went flying off the table and burst into pieces mid-air. “There! That’s my judgement. Giant alicorn attacks and neither of you have insurance against it. Game over!”
 
Twilight stormed off, muttering words of a very colorful variety under her breath, leaving Spike and Starlight huddled together, cowering in the corner of the castle game room.
 
“She scares me, sometimes,” Starlight said, limbs rattling.
 
“Maybe we should ask her what she wants to play next time?” Spike asked, his body shaking in equal measure.
 
Once they were sure the coast was clear of the wrathful alicorn, the two released their fearful hold of each other, and got up. 
 
“So, another game night down, and there was even less total damage this time,” Spike said, brushing himself off. “I’d say we’ve made excellent progress.”
 
“Yeah, but I would like it if she didn’t keep destroying our board games,” Starlight replied. “It’s kind of a chore having to go down to Filthy Rich’s shop every other week.”
 
“I bet he loves the business, though.” Spike let out a sigh and turned to Starlight. “Well, changing the subject, we didn’t have much time to talk since you guys got back last night. How’d the whole political visit thing go in Canterlot?”
 
“Oh, it was just loads of fun,” Starlight said with a roll of her eyes.
 
“This sounds like it’s gonna be a good story,” Spike said, taking a seat and pointing Starlight to the one next to him. 
 
“Okay, so here’s how it went down.” Starlight took the seat next to Spike and propped her hooves up on the table. “We get to the Town Hall, right? Amazingly enough, we were actually late. But, mind you, it had nothing to do with me not being ready on time. On our way there, Twilight had to take a bathroom break out of nowhere and demanded we stop at the Pie’s house to do so. So, forty minutes later, she comes back and we get there.”
 
“Forty minutes? What was she doing?”
 
“Who knows? I sure didn’t. Anywho, she comes back, we get there and things are going according to plan. But guess what?” Starlight threw her hooves into the air. “Twilight forgot her favorite pen, and, Celestia have mercy, heaven forbid she sign the new agreement with anything but her favorite pen she practiced all week with. So, I had to spend an additional thirty minutes trying to convince her to stop freaking out and just sign the paper. After that whole debacle, we finally made it to Canterlot to present the plan to Celestia, but of course that couldn’t happen. That would be too simple!”
 
“Go on?”
 
“Celestia was recovering from some kind of cake-induced stomach ache, so we had to wait around for the better part of three hours for her to get out of the royal bathroom to meet with us and give the final signature on the paperwork.” Starlight shoved her face into her hoof.
 
“But?” Spike added. “That didn’t go right either?”
 
“Of course not!” Starlight yelled out. “Celestia was just about to sign it and wham! She blew half digested cake chunks all over the document mid-signature! So, considering it was a formal document, we have to go all the way back to Ponyville, draw up a new one, go back to Canterlot again and have her sign it.”
 
Spike crossed his arms and shook his head. “That sounds terrible, honestly.”
 
“But, you know what, Spike?” Starlight asked, bringing her eyes directly in line with his. “Do you know what the worst part of all this was?”
 
“What’s that? Lack of sleep?”
 
“That is true, but no, not the worst part. Ask me what the whole contract was actually about, Spike. Just ask.”
 
“What was the whole contract about, Starlight?”
 
Starlight chuckled and shook her head. “It proposed a half-bit increase on exported apple products. Half a bit! All that trouble for HALF OF ONE BIT!”
 
“Seriously?” Spike questioned. “Given the existing profit margins on apple products, according to Twilight, that won’t bring any real revenue in for another few years, at least.”
 
“You’re telling me,” Starlight said with a loud sigh. “I’ve never felt like I wasted so much of my life.”
 
“What about all those years leading a mass exile of ponies?”
 
“Fair point,” Starlight said, giving Spike a nudge. “On that note, how’d things go for you over the past few days? Throw any wild parties?”
 
“Ha, I wish,” he replied. “It was pretty boring, to be honest. Just, you know, the usual eat, sleep, sleep some more, repeat thing.”
 
Starlight shook her head. “C’mon, Spike, I’m so disappointed in you. Did you at least have any cute mares over? With Twilight here, you have a limited opportunity for these kinds of things.”
 
“Once again, that’d be a negative.” Spike shrugged and leaned back. “I don't have the best track record with these kinds of things.”
 
“Oh, c’mon, it should be easy,” Starlight said. “You’re part of the royal family, you have money obviously, you’re nice enough and, well, you look alright, all things considered.”
 
“Heh, I guess I have to take that as a compliment,” Spike said with a laugh.  “But, I’ll have you know I at least tried. Yesterday, to be exact. You know how I was talking about asking Minuette out the other day?”
 
“Yeah? Did you actually do it?”
 
“You better believe I did it!”
 
“And how did it go?”
 
“Not well…”
 




 
“Hey, Spike!” Minuette said, waving at him from behind the front counter of the the Dentistry Clinic. “Are you here for your monthly fang shining?”
 
“No, that’s next week,” Spike replied, shuffling in. “Actually, I’m here for a much more… personal reason.”
 
“Oh?” Minuette fluttered her eyes. “What’s up?” 
 
“Oh, you know, not much, but,” Spike leaned against the counter and shot her the best wink he could, “I’ve got a problem I’m hoping you could help me with.”
 
She stifled a giggle with her hoof. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
 
Spike shrugged. “Well, I have a whole cabinet full of wheat bread and crunchy peanut butter and nobody to share it with. So, girl, think you can help me out here? Obviously, this is a top priority issue.”
 
Minuette held her smile for a few seconds, a brow slowly arching it’s way onto her forehead. “I’d… love to, Spike, but I don’t get off of work until five tonight, and I already have plans with Lyra and Bonbon. We’re going bowling! I’m not entirely sure how Bon’s going to bowl without magic, but I’m sure she’ll figure it out!” She beamed. “I mean, worst case scenario she’ll push with her muzzle. Hopefully, she won’t chip a tooth, then I’d have to see her. Which isn’t a bad thing, mind you! Just, chipped teeth aren’t fun,” she finished, shaking her head. “But, yeah… I don’t think I’d be able to do anything tonight. I’m sorry.” 
 
Spike blinked a few times. He was losing her and the opportunity was slipping out the window. What was that one pickup line Starlight mentioned the other day? 
 
“Wait, before you completely say no…” Spike cleared his throat and locked eyes with her. “I know you’re really good with teeth, but how are you with tongues?”
 




 
“...And now I’m not allowed to go back there.” Spike slouched his head into his palm. “Thanks for that line, by the way. It was a real winner.”
 
Starlight erupted into a fit of laughter. “You took me seriously? That was just a joke when you told me you thought about asking her out!”
 
“You couldn’t have told me that before I made an idiot out of myself?”
 
“Oh, you didn’t need my help to do that,” Starlight said, her laughter slowing down ever so slightly. “But, in all seriousness, Spike, I’m sorry things didn’t work out with her.”
 
“It’s okay,” Spike muttered. “It happens.”
 
Starlight nodded. “Well, on a more hopefully positive note, how’d things go at the hospital?” 
 
“That went great,” Spike said. “All the kids love those stories. It’s pretty cool getting a chance to make them smile every week.”
 
“I imagine,” Starlight added. “They probably don’t have a lot of reasons to smile most of the time.”
 
“I know right? It’s honestly kind of depressing. But, I’ll tell you what, there was one filly, Dinky is her name, I felt so bad for her.”
 
“Why?”
 
“Apparently she wasn’t feeling well so she had to stay in a special area of the hospital under constant watch.” Spike shook his head. “She wasn’t even allowed to play with the rest of the kids. So, I asked the nurse if I could visit her and read her a story. I’ve never seen any creature that was so excited over a book, before.”
 
“Aww, you’re so sweet,” Starlight chuckled, playfully nudging Spike. “I can only imagine how excited she was, though. Thinking you’re gonna have to miss play time and then the fun comes to you. That’d be pretty special, especially if you’re stuck in a hospital bed all day.”
 
“Yeah, I guess,” Spike said. “But on the flip side, you know Derpy?”
 
“The mailmare, right? The goofy one?”
 
“Yeah, her. Apparently she’s Dinky’s sister and her legal guardian because the parents aren’t in the picture. That’s gotta be rough, not even having family to visit you.”
 
“What happened to them?” Starlight asked.
 
“I don’t know. I asked, but Nurse Redheart wasn’t allowed to tell me. Privacy policy and all that. But, either way, it’s not cool. I plan on checking back on her in a day or two to see if she’s doing better. She probably gets kinda lonely.”
 
“I’m sure she’d love that, Spike,” Starlight replied with a soft smile. “In all seriousness, Spike, you bring quite a bit to the table. Now, if only your pickup game was a bit more on point.”
 
"Oh, shut up,” Spike said back, trying to stifle his own laugh. “Anyway, I’m probably gonna hit the sack now. I need my beauty sleep.”
 
Starlight let out a yawn. “Yeah, I’m thinking I’m gonna do the same. Have a good night, Spike. It’s my turn to get the coffee ready in the morning, by the way.”
 
“Good, don’t let me down, alright? Celestia knows I need it to function in the morning.”
 
“Don’t worry, I’m in the same boat,” Starlight said. “Anyway, I’ll see you in the morning.”
 
Spike gave her a quick wave as she left the room. He rose to his feet and parted ways, heading to his own room.
 
Spike crawled into his room and splayed his body out onto his bed. He was staring up at the ceiling, thinking about the conversation he and Starlight had. She was right. He may not have a way with words, but he did have a lot to offer. 
 
Maybe. Being lazy was still priority number one, and that meant going to bed.
> Another Mare, Another Planet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike tossed and turned in his bed, sleep finally starting to loosen its grasp on him. He twisted his body around and cracked open his eyes. Instead of being met with the usual sight of sunlight peeking through the window and casting its light upon his increasingly messy room, he saw a unicorn sitting on a chair, holding a cup of coffee and trying her best to hold in a laugh.
“Ugh, Starlight?” Spike said, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, Spike,” she said, “here I was, trying to be nice and bring you a fresh cup of coffee to leave on your bedstand, and then you started talking in your sleep.”
“Oh no…” Spike said, digging himself back into his covers. “What exactly was I saying?”
Spike’s mind jumped to all the dreams he had during the night. Given most of them were a tad on the more risquè side, this conversation could only end in his total embarrassment.
“Well, I’m setting the coffee down and trying to sneak out without waking you up, and wouldn’t you know it, I feel a claw reach out and grab my tail.” Starlight chuckled. “So, naturally, I turn around with my hoof in the air, ready to slap you for being intrusive, but then I noticed your eyes were closed.”
Spike dug deeper into the safety of his bed. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, but just wait. Trust me,  it gets better,” she continued.
“I don’t like the sound of this.”
“Anyway, so, I’m about to slap the living daylights out of you and watch you wake up in a panic, but guess what? You start speaking.”
Spike peeked out from under the covers. “What was I saying?”
Starlight cleared her throat. “Ahem, as I recall, it went something like this… ‘Oh, but Minuette! I couldn’t possibly run away with you. I have ponies that need me,here. But, I will always remember you. You and your fluffy tail. And those flanks, though.”
Unable to control herself any longer, Starlight blew up into a fit of laughter and collapsed to the floor, rolling around.
Spike groaned and let his head sink into his pillow. “You know, this is why my life is sad. Even my dreams become punching bag material.”
Starlight wiped a few tears from her eyes and sat up. “I’m sorry, Spike. It was just so funny. I had to wait around and tell you when you woke up. It almost felt like I was watching one of those romance plays at the local theater. Like, ‘As The Dragon Turns’ or something.”
“Yeah, thanks for that,” Spike said, rolling his eyes. He sat up in his bed and looked at Starlight. “By the way, I talked to Rarity about your summer clothing order. We’re both curious as to why you need all those floral bandanas.”
“I have my reasons,” Starlight said with a huff. “I’m trying a new style for my mane this summer.”
Spike chuckled. “Yeah, sure, whatever you say. Anyway, thanks for the coffee. For now, though, I’m gonna head downstairs and see if there’s anything going on in the kitchen. I need food.”
“You do that, Spike,” Starlight said. “I’m gonna go take a shower and whatnot. It’s my day off of sorts, so I’m going to try and hang out with Trixie, today.”
“That’ll be nice,” Spike said. “Someone needs to keep her out of trouble.”
“Oh yeah,” Starlight agreed. “She’s a hoof full.”
“Speaking of which, is she still hanging at the billiards den in Manehatten every weekend, trying to hustle the teenagers out of their allowances?”
“Unfortunately,” Starlight said, shaking her head. “But, to each their own, I suppose. Anywho, I’m heading off now. Enjoy your day, whatever it may consist of.”
Spike nodded as she left the room and exited behind her. With any luck, he could catch Twilight before she locked herself up in her study for the day.
He waddled down the halls and made his way to the kitchen. A quick look around showed him luck was on his side—at least for the morning.Twilight was sitting at the dining table, eyes glued to a book, as per the usual.
“Hey, Twilight,” Spike said while opening the fridge and grabbing the carton of milk located within. “Didn’t we have a talk about doing princess work at the table?”
“Hey, Spike,” Twilight responded, nose deep her reading material. “And, just so you know, I’m not doing ‘princess work’. I’m actually reading something on my own time. It’s a book about ancient civilizations and how it’s possible creatures from other lands may have helped form our most influential ancestors.”
“Funny, I didn’t ever think of you as the pseudoscience type, Twi.” Spike was about to a drink directly from the carton, but the milk was yanked from his grasp by a purple mist of magic before he could.
“Spike, if recall, we also had a talk about drinking straight from the carton.” Twilight used her magic to set it on the counter next to him. “And, honestly, I’m willing to read anything as long as it’s relatively interesting and well thought out.”
“Fair enough.” Spike grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat at the table across from Twilight. “So, in other news, what’s your schedule look like this week? I was talking’ with Rarity the other day and she really wants to have a dinner date with us two. Like old times.”
“Hmm,” Twilight said, looking up from her book. “That’d be nice. I’m just not sure I’ll have time this week. I’ve got a lot on my plate.”
Spike sighed and nodded. “I get that. But isn’t that why Celestia let you start training Starlight on these things? So she could help you out? Why not delegate a few tasks to her, just for a night?”
Twilight’s eye twitched a few times. “D-Delegate? My tasks? Spike, that’s far too risky! What if things didn’t go exactly according to the schedule I prepared? Or worse, what if they don’t get done at all? What would I do then? I’d be banished to the moon! Or I’d get the death penalty!”
“Twilight, Celestia abolished the death penalty when she came into power… like a thousand years ago.”
“This would giver her every justifiable reason to bring it back, then!” Twilight’s chest started heaving and her breaths came out in rapid succession.
“Okay, sorry I asked,” Spike said, taking a bit of cereal. “Just think about making some time, though. I think you could use some extra time for friends.”
Twilight once again resumed burying her nose in her book. “I’ll take that into consideration, Spike. But, for now, can you please do me a favor?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“I’m expecting a very important package in the mail today,” Twilight said. “It’s an encoded lock schedule planner for next year, so you can’t even imagine how critical it is that it makes it inside the house in one piece.”
“Oh yeah, I can imagine,” Spike said with a roll of his eyes. “But, hold on, it’s only just now summer? Why do you need an organizer for next year already?”
“Because, I already have this years schedule planned out already,” Twilight said.
“I should’ve guessed.”
“So, considering the mail should be coming in about ten minutes or so, can you go outside and wait for it.”
“Why is that necessary?” Spike asked.
“Because last time I had an important package come, the mailmare, Derpy I think, she accidentally ran into the mailbox with it and broke one of the pens inside.” Twilight shuddered upon the memory of such a tragedy returning to her. “I can’t afford for anything of that nature happening with a parcel as important as this. Can I trust you with that?”
Spike was very tempted to simply ignore her request and go back to his room, but on the other claw, it’d be a good chance to see how Dinky was doing if he got to chat with her older sister.
“Alright, fine, I can do it.” Spike forced down the last of his cereal and made his way outside.
It was a beautiful day outside. Just the right temperature, between warm and hot. He stretched his scales out and let the sun’s radiance get his blood moving. 
“Geez, I should really try this outdoors thing more often,” he said aloud. “If only it weren’t so far from my room.”
Spike shuffled slowly to the mailbox at the end of the short pathway from their front door. He scanned the horizon for any trace of the blonde pegasus. As clumsy as she was, she always seemed to deliver the mail right on time. That was a miracle in of itself.
After another minute of waiting and aimlessly staring into the distance, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of a pegasus gliding toward him.
“There she is.” Spike jumped up and waved his arms to get her attention. “Hi, Derpy!”
As she got closer, she seemed to notice him and waved back. Spike smiled and stepped to the side to allow her to land next to the mailbox. However, during her descent, she seemed to pick up speed as opposed to losing it. 
“Spike!” She yelled out. “Look out!”
Spike looked up and before he had a chance to react he was met with the mailmare crashing directly into him, sending the two of them tumbling to the ground in a heap of scales and fur.
“Oof,” was all Spike could manage to squeak out. He tried to get to his feet, but quickly realized there was still a pegasus in his way. “Umm, Derpy?”
The pegasus mare looked down and noticed the dragon beneath her. “Oh, hello, Spike!”
“Hi there,” he huffed out. “Would you mind getting off of me? I can’t breathe.”
“Oh!” In a flash, she hopped off him and reached out a hoof, which Spike gladly accepted to assist in getting back to his feet. “I’m sorry, Spike. I lost control a bit on the landing.”
“Yeah, I can tell,” Spike said with a chuckle. “I see why Twilight wanted me to come out here, now.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, nothing,” Spike replied. “I’m just out here to get a package for Twilight. Do you have it?”
“Hmm, let me check,” Derpy said, sifting through the mail in her bag. “Aha, I do have it!”
Derpy pulled out a small, wrapped package and and a clump of envelopes. 
“I also have this other mail for you guys,” Derpy said with a sweet smile. “You guys sure get a lot of advertisements from Filthy Rich.”
“Yeah, once you become ‘the rich family’, everyone tries to capitalize on it.” Spike took the mail from her and sifted through it. “Package, bill, bill, advertisement, advertisement and yeah, the rest are advertisements.”
“Twilight seems really popular,” Derpy said, watching Spike sort through all the mail. “I can’t remember the last time I got a letter. It’s funny.”
“Really?” Spike asked. “How so?”
“Yeah,” she said, wearing the same smile she had before. “You’d the think the mailmare would be someone who gets mail considering she delivers it all day. But, not so much.”
Spike shrugged. “Well, at least you don’t get bogged down with carriage and supermarket advertisements. Consider yourself lucky.”
Derpy nodded and let out a quick chuckle. “Well, there’s always a bright side, huh? Anyway, I’ve gotta get going so I’m not late to the next house. My boss wouldn’t like that very much. It was nice talking to you, though, Spike.”
“Oh, quick, before you go,” Spike said. “I was gonna ask how Dinky is doing. It’s been a few days since I’ve been by there and I was wondering if anything had gotten better.”
Derpy smiled. “Yeah! Actually, yesterday was the last day she had to spend by herself. She got moved back to the main area with the rest of the fillies and colts.”
“That’s good to hear,” Spike said, sporting his own smile now. “I was a bit worried about her. It’s not cool seeing a filly as sweet as her stuck in a room all day like that.”
“Yeah, she was really happy when she got the news,” Derpy said. “Actually, I’m gonna head over there right after I’m done delivering the mail. I didn’t get a chance to see her last night like I wanted to because she was already asleep.”
“I know she’ll love that,” Spike replied.
Derpy put her hoof to her chin. “You know, if you’re not really busy doing royal stuff, maybe you could come, too? After you left the other day, she wouldn’t stop talking about how happy she was that your read to her. I bet she’d really appreciate a visit. But you don’t have to if you don’t have the time, of course.”
Spike weighed the options in his mind. Making a filly’s day a bit brighter or getting to his scheduled afternoon nap on time. Hmm…
The fact that this decision was so difficult meant he needed to reevaluate his priorities as soon as he had a free minute.
“I’d love to,” he said. “What time should I be there?”
“You would! That’s great.” Derpy’s smile grew even brighter. “Hmm, I’ll be there around two this afternoon, so any time around there would be fine.”
“Two o’clock it is then,” Spike said. “Anyway, I won’t hold you up anymore. Don’t want you to get in too much trouble.”
“Yeah, that’s probably for the best,” she replied. “But, Spike? Thanks for asking about Dinky. I really appreciate it.”
“Of course.”
With a quick wave, Derpy flew away, stumbling a bit on takeoff. Spike cracked a smile and went inside with the mail.
“Twilight!” he called out. “Your package came.”
Within the blink of an eye, Twilight poofed in front of him and snatched the package. “Yes! I’m so excited! Spike, do you have any idea what I can accomplish with this?”
Spike smirked. “You can further increase your levels of OCD?”
“Hmph, no,” Twilight said. “I can start planning out the rest of next year ahead of schedule!”
“Of course you will, Twilight,” Spike said. “Anyway, I have a question you might be able to answer.”
“What’s that?”
“What do you know about Derpy’s parents, if anything?” Spike questioned. “I’m kinda curious, because Derpy is taking care of her sister and nobody can tell me.”
Twilight thought to herself for a moment. “Hmm, I’m not sure. I don’t really have access to personal information files.”
“Figures,” Spike said. “It’s gonna drive me nuts, though.”
“Have you just thought about asking Derpy yourself?” Twilight asked.
“I can’t do that!” Spike exclaimed. “What if it’s a sensitive subject? I could hurt her or Dinky’s feelings. And how would that look? I’d forever be known as the dragon who made a hospitalized filly cry.”
“Well, then, you’ll just have to wait for her to tell you or go without knowing. Anyway, I’m gonna move my new yearly planner up to my office.”
“You do that, Twilight,” Spike said. “Wouldn’t want anything to happen to it, would we?”
Spike laughed a bit to himself and made his way up the stairs to his room. He looked longingly at his bed but drew his attention away. There would be no time for naps today. He had a job to do. And that job was visiting Dinky.
He took a second to look in the mirror. If he was lucky, he wouldn’t have to shower beforehand. Of course, the immediately noticeable drool stain on his chin told him all he needed to know.
“Okay, shower first, then hospital.”
He had a plan.
> The Gift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike meandered down the stone walkways of the town, the sun casting down, evaporating the remaining droplets of water from his scales. So obsessed was he with not being late that he rushed out the castle before even properly drying. However, it was merely one in the afternoon so he had a full hour before his presence was needed at the hospital.
Given that fact, it was a perfect opportunity to visit his best friend once again this week.
Spike travelled down the winding road toward Rarity’s residence. He walked up to the Carousel Boutique and let himself in. It appeared to be a slower day given he was the only one in there. He looked around for just a minute before he spotted Rarity stitching and sewing in the back area of the room.
“Hey, Rares,” Spike said with a wave.
Rarity, hard at work sewing and stitching away at her newest creation, hadn't even noticed his arrival. “Hold on, I’ll be with you in one moment.”
“Oh, that’s a shame,” Spike said with a grin. “I guess i’ll just have to take my business elsewhere for now, then.”
Rarity shot her eyes up and saw the dragon before her. “Oh, Spike! Why didn’t you say it was you?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I just thought you would have taken the effort to address your arrivals. A lack of professionalism like that won’t get you repeat business.”
Rarity chuckled. “I apologize, Spike, but I simply don’t have the time to give attention to every pony or dragon that comes into my shop. I’m very much too busy for such nonsense.”
The two shared a laugh as Spike hopped onto the couch next to Rarity. “That’s fair, but how you can resist a ball of sexiness like me is beyond my comprehension.”
“Oh, I just don’t know how I do it,” she replied. “But, in all seriousness dear, what brings you here today?”
“Well, I’m heading over to the hospital to go see one of the fillies again, but I had some extra time and figured I’d come see you!” Spike smiled at her. “Is that a problem? Because I can totally leave if you want.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Of course not, Spike. I always have time for you. But, I am a bit busy today, if you couldn’t already tell.”
Spike took a moment to look at the rather large garment she was working on. He didn’t know how she managed to keep track of all that thread.“Speaking of which, how’re you doing on all those bandanas for Starlight?” 
Rarity groaned and face hoofed in the most dramatic of fashions. “I worked through about half of them before I felt like I was losing my mind. She better enjoy them, I can tell you that much.”
“Yeah, I asked her about why she possibly needed all those, and it had something to do with trying to new mane styles and setting a trend or something.” Spike shook his head. “I’ll never understand you females. Or half of Canterlot for that matter.”
“That’s okay, Spike,” Rarity said, patting him on the head. “We love you just the way you are, even if you’re not fashion-inclined. But, to return to your earlier statement, darling, you mentioned a particular filly you're visiting?”
“Yeah, I did.” Spike sat up to address her. “You know Derpy, the mail pony?”
“The blonde one?” Rarity said, rubbing her chin. “Yes, I do. She accidentally broke my mailbox a few weeks back whilst trying to fit a package in it. She’s an odd one, I know that much.”
“Yeah, her,” Spike continued. “It’s her younger sister, Dinky. She’s this adorable ball of energy, but for whatever reason she’s been having to stay under stricter care than the others recently. I gave her some solo reading time a few days ago, and her sister asked if I could come back today to see her again. She’s doing better, I guess.”
“Well that’s wonderful news!” Rarity said with a smile. “I absolutely hate the idea of children being locked up in hospitals under no fault of their own.”
“Me too,” Spike agreed. “Especially Dinky.. She’s a sweetheart. I’ve never seen a filly get so excited over reading before, and apparently she’s been talking about all the time since I’ve left.”
“Oh, well Spike, it sounds like you have your first superfan,” Rarity said, playfully nudging him. “What time are you going to go over there?”
“I said I’d be there around two, so I’ve got a few more minutes, at least. Honestly, I hate going there. Not because of the kids or anything, but it’s just so depressing, you know?” Spike shivered just thinking about the cold hallways and bright lights that are so prevalent. “I couldn’t imagine having to stay there for any length of time, much less weeks on end.”
Rarity put a hoof on his shoulder. “Well, Spike, that’s why it’s so special that you do what you do for them. Those poor children have to be there all day, so it must be wonderful getting to have a small break for fun every once in awhile. No less, they get a visitor that’s just there for them. Not a doctor or a nurse, but a friend of sorts.”
“A friend huh?” Spike thought for a moment. “I guess that makes sense. Gosh, I guess Twilight’s friendship lessons and whatnot rubbed off on me all these years. If I keep up this behavior, I’m gonna have to turn in my dragon card before too long.”
Rarity rolled her eyes and shoved him to the side. “Oh hush, we’ve had this discussion before. You’re perfect just the way you are, even if you hardly qualify as a dragon.”
“That’s comforting,” he joked. “As long as you don’t squeeze my cheeks again, we’ll be good.”
Rarity frowned. “Oh, please, dear, you never let me do any cutesy things with you. And they’re so adorable, still.”
Spike groaned. “Okay, fine, but just for a second. It stretches my scales out, and amazingly enough, that doesn’t feel too good.”
Rarity clapped and giggled as she reached out and squeezed his cheeks for old times sake. “Okay, there, it’s out of my system now. Besides, any day now you’ll hit your growth spurt and I probably won’t be able to reach your head even, much less squeeze your adorable face.”
“The sooner, the better,” Spike said with a frown. “But, on that note, I’m probably gonna get going. You’ve got work to do, and I’ve got my draconic pride to apparently shred to ruins.”
“Pfft, if you ask me,” Rarity said, “taking care of others is the most proud thing anyone can do.”
Rarity got up with Spike and wrapped him up in a soft hug. “Thanks for visiting, darling. My door is always open to you, any time, day or night.”
Spike returned the hug. “I’m trying to come around more often. I also talked to Twilight about it, so we’re trying to work something out.” Spike let go of his hug on Rarity and looked her in the eye. “Her locking herself in the castle all day is getting kind of sad. She needs time for fun again.”
“I appreciate it, Spike.” Rarity gave him a soft smile. “You tell Twilight that any time she can, I’ll make room for her, alright?”
Spike returned the smile and nodded, heading over toward the door. “By the way, on a side note, if I tell Starlight to pick up her bandanas in a couple days, do you think you’ll have them ready by then?”
“Ugh, unfortunately. I set aside a full two hours tonight to work on them. They’ll be ready to go.”
“Once again, I’m sorry for your loss.” Spike sent a wink her way and waved goodbye as he left the shop.
As he walked through the town, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander. He really needed to visit Rarity more. She really seemed like she could use some more company. At the same time, he spent so much of his time at the castle, not just for his own gain, but to try and spend time with Twilight, as well.
He was traversing through the park now and he couldn’t help but notice all the ponies outside, laughing, running, enjoying a late lunch with their loved ones. It was beautiful in a way, but almost depressing for the same reason. He couldn’t remember the last time there was any room for Twilight, himself and their friends to spend time with each other just to have fun. It was all work all the time, these days. Those brief visits with Rarity seemed to be the only remaining parts of a simpler time before Twilight became a Princess and everything changed.
But what could he do about it? She had work to accomplish, and if all the work the other Princesses put into their jobs was any indication, it wouldn’t be slowing down anytime soon.
That’s not to say he never saw his friends or Twilight never did the same. There would still be the occasional mission they would go on together, or the day here or there where they would come visit, but it wasn’t the same. There’s a good chance it never would be the same again. They were all moving on and growing up in life.
And he was no exception.
Spike keyed in on a couple lounging in the shade of a tree in the center of the park. It was Mr. and Mrs. Cake with their kids. The two children had grown a good deal in the past couple years, but were still not quite old enough to begin schooling. They must’ve been taking a family lunch break for the sake of enjoying each other’s company.
Spike could feel a slight tug at his heart. Nothing born of jealousy or the like. If anything, he was happy they had time like that to spend with each other. But at the same time… he couldn’t help but wonder what it was like. 
He had never really been one to spend copious amounts of time worried about himself or his future. For everything, there was a time and a place and Twilight and Starlight had both always assured him he would find a mare when the time was right. But, at the same time, Spike couldn’t help but wonder if that would happen for him any time in the near future. Being a dragon put him at a purely psychological disadvantage from the rest of the stallions in town. Being a dragon wasn’t something he felt negative about, but at the same town, not every mare is going to jump at the chance of dating a dragon when they could be with a handsome stallion like all their friends probably were.
These thoughts would sometimes creep into his mind when he would see other couples or even when he would spend time with Rarity. He wasn’t a love-sick tag-a-long to her anymore, but her best friend. However, it just made him remember that strong emotional connection that ponies could have for each other, and he couldn’t help but contemplate from time to time about when his time would come.
He shook the thoughts free from his mind before they could dwell there for too long. Today, he wasn’t outside to feel sorry for himself. He was out to go visit a filly who wanted to see him, and honestly, he was excited about seeing her, too. Something about knowing he was the reason for brightening up her day made him smile larger than he thought possible.
Spike waved to the Cake family, the two parents and kids happily waving back.
“Good afternoon, Spike!” Mr. Cake called out to him. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
Spike walked over to where the family was sitting to avoid having to shout back. “Yes it is! You guys having a family picnic?’
“Yes we are,” Mrs. Cake said in return, a smile lighting up her face. “We hadn’t had much of a chance to enjoy the weather this week, so we got our orders done early and took the kids out to play for the afternoon.”
Their children, Pumpkin and Pound Cake were tussling with each other in the grass but both paused when they noticed Spike looking at them. The two waved at him and waddled over to see what all the commotion was about.
“How’re you two doing today?” Spike asked, bending down to get on an eye level with them. “Having fun out here?’
They both nodded enthusiastically and spoke in unison. “Yes!”
Their parents smiled at their children who were all smiles themselves.
“So, Spike, where are you headed off to?” Mr. Cake spoke up.
“I’m heading off to the hospital,” he replied. “Visiting a filly there.”
Mrs. Cake put a hoof over her mouth. “Oh, the poor dear. I couldn’t imagine how upsetting it must be to be cooped up in there.”
Pound Cake poked at his mother. “What’s a, erm, oss-beatle?”
“The hospital is a place ponies go when they’re sick, honey,” she replied.
“What’s a sick?” Pumpkin added in.
“Remember when your tummy hurt before?” Mr. Cake said, to the nods of his foals. “That’s what sick is. It’s when you don’t feel good and you need a doctor to make it better.”
“Is a doctor a special toy?” Pound Cake asked. “When my tummy hurt, you gave me a toy to cuddle with and I felt better.”
“No sweetie,” Mrs Cake said. “It’s a pony, but one that makes other ponies feel better when they’re sick.”
“So, the filly in the, uh, hose-pittal is sick?” Pumpkin asked.
“Yes honey, but that’s why Spike is going to visit her. That way he can help her feel better.”
Pumpkin and Pound Cake both nodded before looking to each other and whispering something unintelligible. It was common knowledge that children had a language all of their own when they were young. Within a second, the two rushed over to the giant picnic basket and they pulled out a small stuffed bear. They rushed back over to Spike and reached it out to him.
“Here,” Pumpkin said.
“It’s to make the sick filly better,” Pound added. “We’re not sick, so she can have him so she gets not sick, too.”
If it was possible to die from sweetness overload, Spike would be buried six feet under.
He took the bear and leaned down to them. “Are you sure? That’s very nice of you.”
Spike looked up to their parents for confirmation. They were both all smiles as they nodded. Spike looked back to the two foals before him and they were nodding even more vigorously.
“I’ll tell her that you two got her this present. I know it’ll make her feel better. Thank you very much.”
Without a second thought, Pumpkin and Pound Cake went back to tussling with each other in the dust and grass. That’s true generosity. Giving without a single care or thought of reward.
Spike addressed the parents once more. “You have great kids. If I’m lucky, someday, I’ll have some that are even half that sweet.”
“We’re very proud of them,” Mrs. Cake said.
“Yes we are,” Mr. Cake replied.
Spike nodded. “Well, you should be. Anyhow, I should probably get going now. I’ve got a filly and her sister waiting on me and a nice little present to give her.”
The couple waved goodbye to Spike as he walked back to the pathway leading through the park. It was amazing how much one act of generosity could brighten your day. Especially when you’re not expecting it.
With a renewed energy and a much more positive frame of mind, Spike continued on his way to the hospital. It was time for him to pay the generosity forward the best he could.
> Distraction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hasn’t this place ever heard of an air conditioner?” Spike said to no one in particular as he jogged down the hospital halls once again. “I swear it gets colder every time I come in here. You think they woulda figured out a way to fix that given all the technological advances these days.”
 
Spike hurried the most he could to the designated meeting place with Derpy, at the visitor check-in counter. He wasn’t in a particular rush given there wasn’t a set time to be there, but he was running a little behind the time he was aiming for. It was already five past two o’clock. He didn’t want to come off as uncaring or lazy to the blonde mare he was meeting with.
 
He passed a few familiar faces belonging the various doctors and nurses he’d met over his time coming to the hospital, who waved at him with their usual smiles. He, however, had no such time for pleasantries.
 
He continued down the halls at a slightly more relaxed pace down the halls until he finally got to his destination. However, Derpy was nowhere to be seen.
 
“Excuse me, miss,” Spike said, approaching the counter. “Has Derpy come by here, yet?”
 
The mare at the counter, one Spike didn’t recognize, turned around in her chair. “Derpy? I’m sorry, but I’m not sure who you’re talking about.”
 
“She’s got a blonde mane, grey fur, cute eyes,” Spike said, motioning around with his claws. “I was supposed to meet her here at two, and I’m afraid I might’ve missed her.”
 
“Hmm,” the mare replied. “That sounds an awful lot like the mare standing right behind you, but I could be mistaken.”
 
Spike flipped his body around to see Derpy standing a few inches away, a bright smile on her face.
 
“Hi, Spike!” she said. “I’m so glad you actually came! I wasn’t sure if you remembered. I know we talked about it this morning, but that was a long time ago. And I forget stuff like that all the time.”
 
“Oh, hey there!” Spike said, returning the infectious smile. “Of course I came. I said I would didn’t I?”
 
“Yeah, but not everyone follows through on everything they say,” Derpy said, her smile deflating for a brief moment before reigniting once more. “But either way, I’m super happy to see you, and Dinky will be, too.”
 
“Well, I’ll be glad to see her, too. I tell you what, it's impossible not to smile around her.”
 
Derpy’s eyes travelled down to Spike’s claw and locked on to the teddy bear he was holding. “A teddy bear? Did you get that for Dinky?”
 
Spike took a moment to figure out what she was talking about before he remembered the plush panda he had in his grasp. “Huh? Oh, yeah, this. It was actually a gift from the Cake twins, believe it or not. I stopped by to chat with them on my way here, and once the twins heard I was visiting a sick filly, they decided to donate this to the cause. It was rather adorable, actually.”
 
Derpy’s face lit up. “Oh, that’s so cute. She’ll love it, I know. Thanks for bringing it, Spike.”
 
“Nah, I’m just the messenger. But, you and Dinky should both thank the twins when she gets out of here.” 
 
“We’ll definitely do that,” she said. “But, if you’re ready, we could head back and see her now.”
 
“Definitely! Let me just grab a visitor's badge for us.” 
 
Spike got the desired item from the mare behind the counter and the two began making the walk back to where Dinky was staying. 
 
“So, Spike?” Derpy asked, interrupting the silence in the air.
 
“Yeah?’
 
“Is it just me, or did you actually call my eyes cute?”
 
Spike felt his face heat up slightly and rubbed the back of his head. “Oh, yeah, I was just thinking off the top of my head. Sorry if I crossed any bounds.”
 
“No, of course not,” Derpy said. “Actually, I was asking because most ponies seem to get a good laugh. My eyes are both a little lazy, so it happens.”
 
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Spike said. “If it makes you feel better, I do think they’re pretty cute. It adds character.”
 
She smiled at him. “Thanks! But, it doesn’t bother me. Everyone has things about them that are silly or funny looking. Mine just happens to be on my face.”
 
“I know that feel,” Spike said with a chuckle. “My green spines are all different sizes and some of them even look like hearts. Add my height to that, and I’m a laughing stock every time I have to go to the dragon lands.”
 
“Heh, I imagine,” she replied, covering her mouth with her hoof. “Then again, most other dragons look pretty strange to us ponies, anyway. So, it’s not that crazy looking to me, if that means anything.”
 
“Thanks, but I’ve come to accept it,” Spike said. “I’ll grow up someday, I’m sure, and then I’ll be a blazing ball of draconic fury. Just you all wait.”
 
“I’m sure you will,” she said, stifling a chuckle. “But, I think you look pretty good right now.”
 
“Thank you,” Spike said. “But, that’s enough of making Spike feel good for now. Let’s go see your sister. Her room should be over in these halls somewhere, right?”
 
In the midst of their conversation, the two had made it all the way to the children’s wing and were standing at the entrance to the hall with the patient rooms. It was always depressing, looking down the lengthy stretch, hearing the hushed sounds of coughing and nurses exiting in and out of each child’s temporary quarters.
 
“Oh yeah,” Derpy spoke out, snapping Spike back to reality. “I’ll lead you to it. Just follow me.”
 
Spike nodded and walked behind the mare down the hall. They went to a room in the far back corner. It was much happier than the previous one Spike had seen her in. As opposed to heavy machinery and stale colored walls, there were bright decorations and blue wallpaper coated the sides of the area. And, as per expected, there was one hyper filly laying on a bed in the center of it.
 
“Why, hello there, Dinks!” Derpy said as the two walked in. “I brought a special guest with me.”
 
The filly, who had been drawing something on a piece of paper, immediately tossed it to the side upon seeing Spike walk in.
 
“Huh! Spike!” She couldn’t help but stomp her hooves into the bed in pure, unadulterated glee. “You came back! You see, Derpy? You don’t know anything! Spike said he’d be back if i took all my medicine and was nice to everyone, but you didn’t believe him! You said ‘don’t get your hopes up’, but I knew! I knew!”
 
Derpy blushed and held a hoof over her sister’s mouth. “Quiet Dinky. Yes, you were right, as always. Now, why don’t you say hello the right way to him?”
 
“Hi, Spike!”
 
Spike waved, making sure to keep the teddy bear behind his back. “Hey there! It looks like you’re feeling better, is that right?”
 
The filly nodded at what must’ve been lightspeed. “Yep! And I did everything you said. Even when the mean nurse came in and poked my leg with that needle, I didn’t even cry! That way you would come back and be nice to me again.”
 
“Well, I’m glad you listened to me,” Spike said. “And, as promised, here I am!”
 
“Now, Dinky, Spike has a present for you,” Derpy said, motioning to Spike.
 
Dinky gasped as if the heavens themselves had opened their glory to her. “A visit and a present, too?”
 
“That’s right!” Spike said. “Close your eyes, okay?”
 
The filly nodded and shut her eyes, squeezing them together as hard as she could “Is this good enough?”
 
“That’s perfect!” Spike slowly set the stuffed panda bear on the bed in front of her. “Okay, open them!”
 
Dinky peeked out behind her eyelids and her jaw immediately dropped. “No. Way.”
 
The sound that soon followed could only be described as a squeak capable of trashing the space time continuum. “Ahh! I’m so excited!”
 
Dinky grabbed the the plush and squeezed it against her as tight as she could. The hug was of epic proportions and seemed as if there were no plans for it to ever end.
 
“I think she likes it,” Spike said, leaning over to Derpy. “But, you know, I could be wrong.”
 
Derpy was beaming at the sight of her sister’s death grip on the toy. “I think so, too. Thank you so much!”
 
“Yes, thank you so much, Mister Spike!” Dinky said, finally softening her hold on what seemed to be her favorite thing in the world. “He’s so cute and fluffy I can’t stand it!”
 
“Don’t thank me,” Spike said. “You can thank the Cake Twins when you get out of here. They thought their toy would make you feel better. I’m just the messenger.”
 
“Yeah, but you’re an awesome messenger!” Dinky said, eyes staring up at Spike. “Thank you so much!”
 
Spike couldn’t help but smile looking at the literal ball of joy before him. “You’re most welcome.”
 
“Alright, folks, I’m gonna have to ask you to move out for a bit.”
 
Spike and Derpy both turned around to see one of the hospital’s Doctors standing behind them.
 
“Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve gotta run our daily exams on Dinky, I'm afraid.”
 
The two adults nodded and stepped back from the bed.
 
“Aww, do they have to go, already?” Dinky cried out. “We were having fun and all kinds of stuff!”
 
“Sorry, Dinky, but we gotta listen to the doctor, “ Derpy said to her. “He knows what’s best, after all, remember?”
 
The filly nodded and scrunched her face. “Fine. Do your dirty work, doctor. But first, can I say goodbye to Spike? What if you forget to make me feel better and I never get to see him again?”
 
“That won’t happen, dear,” the doctor said, stifling a chuckle. “But yes, you can say goodbye.”
 
The filly waved her forehooves back and forth, beckoning Spike over. “My sister says you hug ponies when you really like them or they’re really nice. I hope it’s the same with dragons, because I want to hug you.”
 
She held out her hooves and Spike could feel his heart melt. “Alright, but only really quick, okay? I don’t want to make the doctor wait for too long.” Spike was about to lean in, but got pulled in by the filly’s grasp, which was  a lot stronger than he initially gave her credit for.
 
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” 
 
She eventually weakened her hold on him, which Spike was thankful for given the fact that breathing was a pastime he enjoyed.
 
“Not a problem,” Spike said, taking a deep breath of air. He walked over toward the door where Derpy was waiting. “Remember Dinky, do what your sister and the doctor say, okay?”
 
She gave a begrudging nod as the two left the scene.
 
“I’ll tell you what,” Spike said, rubbing his neck, “your sister has one powerful grip. When she gets out you should talk to her about taking up a career in the Equestrian Wrestling Federation.”
 
Derpy giggle. “Sorry about that. She gets a little, oh what’s the word… enthusiastic about stuff.”
 
“A little? I’d say more like super, mega enthusiastic. But, it’s cute. I just feel sorry for whoever she starts dating in a couple years.”
 
“Heh, yeah,” Derpy agreed. “For now, though, I just can’t wait until she’s ready to go home and back to school.”
 
“Definitely,” Spike said. “But, I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Derpy. I don’t know her as well as you, obviously, but at the same time, you can tell she’s a fighter.”
 
Derpy nodded and put on a smile. “Well, on a positive note, how’re you doing, Spike? I don’t want you to think I only care about my life or anything.”
 
“Me? Pretty good, actually. Just being lazy at the castle, trying to be a little less lazy. Which, I gotta say, you helped me a lot with that today. If i wasn’t here, I’d be sleeping at home.”
 
“Oh,” she said, covering her mouth. “I’m sorry if this whole thing interrupted your royal duties and naptime. I didn’t even think about that.”
 
Spike laughed. “Trust me, this is a much better use of my time. My royal duties pretty much begin and end with keeping Twilight in check when she goes off the deep end. That happens a lot more than one might expect.”
 
Throughout their conversation, the two had made it back to the entrance area for the children’s wing where a few couches lay and the visitor's desk stood in the middle.
 
“Well, I guess there’s no point in you sticking around, huh?” Derpy asked.
 
Spike shrugged. “I don’t have any plans in particular, but at the same time, I imagine you want some alone time with Dinky, huh?”
 
“That’s true. But it’s probably gonna be awhile. They’re tests usually last a few hours. Heh, I’ve actually fallen asleep on this couch before while waiting. But, it’s worth it for her.”
 
“You’re definitely a great sister,” Spike said. “On that note, though, I’m probably gonna go home and check on Twilight.”
 
“How is she doing?” Derpy asked. “We used to see her around town quite a bit, but not so much anymore. I haven’t seen her for almost a month now, I think. Or it may have been last week, I can’t remember.”
 
“A month is more likely,” Spike replied. “She doesn’t leave the castle much anymore.”
 
“Oh, that’s a shame. She was always so friendly and nice to talk to. Back when I had a muffin delivery service on the side, she’d come in at least once a week for some.”
 
“Well, if that’s the case, you should come by and visit her sometime.”
 
“Me? Go… to the castle? Am I even allowed?” Derpy’s eyes widened.
 
‘Of course!” Spike said. “As long as you’ve been invited by a member of the royal family, AKA me, you’re good to go. Twilight could use the company, anyway.”
 
Derpy smiled and shuffled her hoof across the floor. “That sounds great, but I’m just too busy right now for anything like that. But, once things get back to normal with Dinky, if the offer still stands, I’d love to!”
 
“Awesomes. In the meantime though, let me know how Dinky is feeling, alright? I’ll be back here next week for story time again, so maybe we could talk some more then?”
 
Derpy rubbed her chin. “Well, what day would it be?”
 
“How about… next Tuesday?”
 
Derpy thought some more before responding. “I suppose I can start my route early that day so I can get here right after the recess.”
 
“That sounds good,” Spike said. “I”m not trying to overstep my bounds or anything, but you seem like you could use some company here. It gets lonely I bet.”
 
Derpy nodded and let out a sigh. “It does. But, like I said, it’s worth it.”
 
Spike nodded. “Well, whatever happen with me before then, I promise we’ll have some chat time that day. Okay?”
 
“Okay!”
 
Spike gave the blonde mare a wave and wandered down the halls, leaving her with a small smile. One of the few genuine ones she’s worn in a long time.
> Snake Charmer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight that was assaulting his pupils as he left the hospital. He was beginning to notice you can never really appreciate the beauty of nature until you’re deprived of warmth and sunshine for a period of time.

Spike was really beginning to hate hospitals.

He strolled down the walkways leading from the building back toward town, running over his checklist of what he needed to accomplish before the day’s end.

Okay, I gotta go check up on Twilight, reorganize my comic book collection in anticipation of the new release coming out this week and then go to sleep.

Spike smiled as he continued his walk. It was a fulfilling day.

However, his smile and happy train of thought was brought to a screeching halt by a loud gurgling noise emanating from his stomach.

Okay, food first. Then check on Twilight.

Spike moved as quick as he could back through town where the local hayburger shop was. He could just raid the fridge for whatever was available at the castle, but he had the disposable income to burn, so he may as well treat himself to something he wanted. Besides, after a long morning of social work, he deserved a nice meal. It was hard work being that nice in the community.

Spike walked into the shop, the doorbell ringing as he did so, alerting the front counter employee to his presence.

“Hey there, Spike!” The pony calling out to him was a large stallion with red fur and a messy grey mane . “I wish you woulda’ warned me you were comin’. I’d have made sure to order double everything from my supplier this week.”

Spike rubbed his stomach and let out a deep laugh.”Sorry, but there’s no calm before this storm. Give me the usual, alright, Curly?”

“You got it, bud! Ayy,” the stallion shouted back to the kitchen. “I need a hot air balloon, drag it through the garden and kick some hot coals on it. It’s for Spike, so you know how he likes it!”

“Aye aye, cap’n!” one of the kitchen crew shouted back.

“Thanks, guys!” Spike said, walking up to the counter. “Mind hooking me up with a root beer really quick while I wait?”

“No probs,” the stallion said, sliding the beverage across the counter to him. “You want me to just put it on your tab?”

“That’ll be fine,” Spike said. “I’m gonna go grab a seat. Just yell when it’s ready.”

“Got it! Be out in a jiffy!”

Spike always loved coming to Curly Fry’s burger joint. It was nice having a place that knew him by name. Kind of like a home away from home of sorts. The dragon staked his claim at his favorite booth, the one in the far corner of the room, away from most of the hustle and bustle. It was his thinking booth.

The thought that primarily occupied his mind at the moment? The conversation he had with Derpy. It was true, he was allowed to have guests over to the castle, but at the same time, Twilight wasn’t always the most fond of having ponies she didn’t know very well, over. It was just her anti-social nature. That would be a conversation he’d have to have, but was not looking forward to. Especially considering he wanted Twilight to visit with her.

He loved Twilight to death, but it was not always easy convincing her to see things from his point of view, especially when she had her on thoughts on a matter.

Spike’s concentration was shaken by the sound of the doorbell ringing again, and the sight of two very familiar mares walked within his sight soon after.

“...And then I said to him, that’s not a bowl of Cocoa ‘Splosion cereal, that’s Twilight’s new experiment!”

“Haha! Trixie always loves your stories, Starlight. Especially when the involve Twilight.”

Spike chuckled as the two mares finished moving into the building. “Hey, ladies! Over here!”

The two mares broke up their conversation to isolate the voice calling at them.

“Oh, hey Spike!” Starlight said with a wave. “C’mon Trixie, let’s go sit with him.”

“B-But, the Hungry and Cranky Trixie needs to order her food!” the blue mare said with a pout.

“Oh, hush. We can do that in a second,” Starlight replied. “I want to ask him something real quick.”

“Oh fine, be that way. I’ll do your bidding, but only because you offered to pay.” Trixie stuck her nose in the air and followed Starlight over to Spike’s table.

Spike attempted to scooch over in the chair to make room but didn’t have the chance before Starlight violently butt-bumped him to the side and taking a seat.

“Ow!” Spike shouted, rubbed his now sore ribcage. “You know, just because I’m a dragon doesn’t mean I’m invincible.”

“Eh, get over it,” she said with a chuckle.

Trixie took a seat opposite the two and slouched her head into her hoof. “Good evening, dragon. I hope you know you’re interfering with the Famished and Miserable Trixie’s lunch time.”

“Hey there, Trixie,” Spike said. “Nice to see you again, too. If it makes you feel better, I’m just as hungry.”

“Ha, you mock my pain, mortal.” Trixie pointed a hoof at Spike, which he quickly knocked out of the way.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever.” Spike turned his attention from a very dejected Trixie back toward Starlight. “Anywho, what brings you guys here? Weren’t you supposed to go party in Canterlot or cause mischief at the pool hall? You know, the usual fare?”

“Well, that was the plan, but apparently Trixie failed to mention she’s on temporary ban from the pool hall. Uh, Trixie, would you like to explain this one to Spike?”

The magician mare rolled her eyes. “Trixie guesses she can regale you of the tale. To put it simply, the manager of this establishment simply was jealous Trixie’s prowess and stunning beauty. So jealous in fact, he refused to allow me entrance into said establishment for the duration of two weeks.”

Spike, arms folded, stared daggers right through her. “Uh huh, I’m so sure.”

“I guess I’m telling the story,” Starlight said. “She got caught using her magic to manipulate other players’ sticks to shoot the balls in the wrong direction. These were games she had bet on, by the way. In exchange for not calling the police, Trixie agreed to stay out of the pool hall for a duration of two weeks. Not to mention, during that time, she has to advertise the pool hall on her caravan.”

“Ha!” Spike belted out a hearty laugh. “Some things never change. I guess you’re the Banned and Blackmailed Trixie now, right?” Spike stuck his claw out and received a hoof bump from Starlight.

“Oh, be quiet, you two,” Trixie said with a sour frown. “Trixie will bounce back from this servitude. Only… eleven more days.”

“On a separate note, Spike, I actually did come over here for a reason,” Starlight began. “How’d your trip to the hospital go?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, it was great!” Spike leaned back and smiled. “I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I did pretty good today. Seriously, I’ve never seen a filly that excited before.”

“Well, that’s sweet,” Starlight said. “Hear that, Trix? You could be using your showmareship for good instead of profit.”

“Hmph!” Trixie replied. “I’ll have you know that I used to entertain the fillies and colts of Ponyville General all the time. The children would wait for hours on end to see my spectacular display of magic and to hear my tales.”

“Really?” Spike asked, jaw slightly agape. “You’re kidding.”

Starlight shared a similar look of shock. “No way! You never told me this before.”

“Well, Trixie doesn’t always feel the need to share every detail of her life with others,” Trixie stated. “Also, it has been some time. After a few, shall we say, less than glorious incidents, I wasn’t exactly invited to come back.”

“What happened?” Spike asked.

Trixie let out a sigh. “As it would turn out, fireworks are not allowed within the confines of the hospital. Trixie was not aware of this fact. After a few hundred bits in damage to equipment, there was not an invitation to return for Trixie.”

“You set off fireworks inside a hospital?” Starlight questioned. “You didn’t think there would be any negative consequences of doing so?’

“They weren’t real fireworks,” Trixie said. “They were the illusionary ones I use in my shows. What happened, however, was the energy of said magic fireworks triggered the water sprinklers. The rest was history.”

“That would explain the water damage all over the floor boards in the children’s wing,” Spike said. “Well, either way, that’s actually pretty cool, Trixie.”

“Trixie thought so too,” she replied. “As spectacular and amazing as Trixie is, she has a soft spot for the fillies and colts that are less fortunate. But, be that as it may, what’s done is done.”

Spike rubbed his claw against his chin. “Maybe not, actually. I go there every week and I’m on pretty good terms with the staff. Maybe they’ll let you back in if I give you a good recommendation. Trust me, those kids in there would flip if they got to see a personal magic show.”

Starlight nudged the dragon with her hoof. “Spike, I literally can’t believe I’m saying this, but that’s a fantastic idea! It’s just the kind of thing Trixie needs. A wholesome, uplifting way to use her talents. What do you think, Trixie?”

“Well, it would finally be a worthy use of my ever so valuable time,” she replied, stroking her chin. “Trixie shall do it, but only for the good of those less fortunate.”

“Awesome!” Spike said. “I’ll let you know when I set it up. I’ll just look for the the only caravan in existence advertising a pool hall.”

Trixie stuck her tongue out at him and groaned. “Yes, yes, this is all well and good, but can we order now, Starlight. Trixie is very hungry.”

Starlight chuckled. “Okay, we can order now. And on that note…”

The three looked up to see the shop owner carrying a steaming basket of food over to their table.

“Here ya’ go, Spike! Just like usual, I gave you an extra side of onion and peppers.” The stallion set the food down and winked at Spike.

“Oh, you know me so well, Curly Fry,” Spike said, licking his lips now that the food was within his reach.

Trixie followed the food with her eyes, her stomach gurgling getting louder as it got closer to her. She couldn’t help but reach her hoof out. Maybe if she could just grab one fry then—”

“Back off, Jack!” Spike said, swatting her hoof away. “You’ll get yours soon enough.”

Trixie scrunched her face and slid back into the booth. “Trixie just wanted one fry.”

Curly Fry let out a chortle and swung out his notepad. “Speaking of which, ladies,what’ll ya be having?”

Starlight smiled at him. “I’ll have the classic size hay and cheddar sandwich with some onion rings. Get her the same thing.”

“But what if Trixie wanted potato wedges?” the mare protested.

“Do you want potato wedges?” Starlight asked.

“Well, no, but—”

“You see, you just like being difficult when you’re hungry,” Starlight responded with a nod. “Is what I ordered you okay?”

Trixie nodded. “It is acceptable to my palette.”

“Perfect!” Starlight said. “Give us two root beers to go with it, too.”

“Alrighty, you two,” the stallion responded. “I’ll get that in for you right away, alright?’

“Thanks!” Starlight said.

Spike, busy stuffing his face, took a brief pause to address the two. “You two have such a strange relationship.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Starlight said with a laugh. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’re not friends if you can’t be a little weird with each other.”

Spike chuckled a bit and thought about the own friendships he’s made over the years. There was definitely some truth in that statement. A lot of it, actually. Sometimes, friendships are born in the weirdest places.
> Good Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike stalked through the front door of the castle, his belly full and his heart happy. He carried a to go box with some of the extra crinkly fries he had left for Twilight. They were her favorite, or at least they were the last time he checked.

“Twilight!” Spike called out into the dimly lit entry hall. “Where are you? I brought you some fries! The kind you like!”

Spike peered around the first level of the castle. She wasn’t in the kitchen, the main hall or the lounge. This could only mean one thing.

Once again, she’s locked up in her room.

The dragon trekked up the stairs to where all the bedrooms were. He made his way down the decorated halls until he reached the large door at the end which led to Twilight’s personal quarters and study. Just as he expected, it was closed up tight, save for a soft glowing light peering out from the crack underneath it.

Spike knocked a few times. “Hey, Twilight? You in there?”

No response.

He knocked a few more times, a bit louder. “Twilight! Can I come in? I got you some food! I promise it’s good.”

Still no response.

Spike shook his head and cracked open the door. Interfering with her royal duties was normally grounds for a stern talking to, but the box of crinkly goodness he had would hopefully help his case.

He slipped into the room, ready to begin his search. As per the usual, it was a mess. Books lying around, disheveled blankets on her bed. It was the only space in the castle Twilight didn’t keep in pristine condition. It was organized chaos.

He was fully prepared to to see her outfitted in her lab coat working on her next experiment that’d he inevitably become a part of. Or perhaps she’d be writing up a new trade document for taxation relief in Ponyville. Unfortunately, as he scanned his eyes around, the truth of what his eyes showed him wasn’t anything nearly as glamorous as he’d hoped.

Spike frowned for a moment and set the box fries on a nearby counter. He walked up to the desk at the corner of the room where the alicorn was sitting. Her face was drooped into a book and snores could be heard emanating from her mouth. Given the appearance of the bags beneath her eyes, it would appear she hadn’t slept well in quite a while and just collapsed mid-study.

Spike reached out a claw to gently wake her. He lightly ran his claw though her mane. “Twilight?”

She cracked a small smile and latched a hoof onto his claw. “Mm, just a few more minutes. School doesn’t start for a, erm, for a bit longer…” She unleashed another loud snore and snuggled into his arm.

Spike rolled his eyes but couldn’t help but smile. “That’s great, Twi. But wouldn’t you rather sleep in your bed? It’s a lot more comfy than your desk.” He shook her a bit harder this time, causing her eyes to pop open.

Twilight took a moment to take in what was happening. Her eyes glanced over the dragon arm in her grasp and travelled over to the string of drool leaking from her mouth onto the book in front of her. Her face heated up for a brief moment before she lifted herself up and gently let go of Spike’s claw.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Spike,” she said, letting out a loud yawn. “I must have dozed off.”

“Ya think?” he said with a chuckle. He reached out his claw, helping Twilight get out of the chair. “Maybe you should go to bed and take the afternoon off. You look exhausted.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I have to read over that lawbook to figure out what’s legal and what’s not about a new trade proposal from Manehattan. I know there’s something too good to be true about it, and I’m gonna figure out what it is, even if it kills me.”

Spike relinquished a sigh. “Twilight, you fell asleep while reading that book. You need to get some rest. Please? For me?”

Twilight looked longingly at her bed and snapped her head back to Spike. “No, I just can’t. There’s too much to do with not enough time. Besides, as you saw, I just got done taking a nap. I’ll just get some coffee and get back to it.”

Spike wanted to protest, but he knew it’d be useless. When she had her mind set on something, not even Celestia could convince her otherwise. “Fine, but let me come with you. I know how you like your coffee, and I don’t want you to hurt yourself by accident. That’s a real possibility when you’re this tired.”

Twilight nodded and walked out of the room with Spike. “So, how was your day, Spike?”

“Pretty good. Went to the park for a bit, visited Derpy and her sister at the hospital then had some late lunch with Starlight and Trixie.” Spike chuckled. “Those two are a strange duo, I’ll tell you that right now.”

“Heh, you don’t have to,” Twilight responded. “Anytime they’re together, I consider putting the town on yellow alert. How’d things go at the hospital, more specifically?”

“Same old, same old,” Spike said. “The Cake twins actually gave Dinky, the sick filly in there, a present. I saw them at the park with their parents, and they gave me a stuffed bear to give to her. If I didn’t have to keep up appearances as the cool guy in town, I would’ve melted from the cuteness.”

“Aww, that’s sweet,” Twilight said.

“Definitely,” Spike said. “By the way, I have a question to ask you.”

By this time they had made it to the kitchen area and Spike began to make the coffee for Twilight.

“A question? If it’s anything about legal trade practices, please save it for another day.” Twilight shuddered just thinking about the work ahead of her.

“Nah, nothing like that,” Spike said. “But I had an idea earlier after talking with Trixie and Starlight. I could use your help with it if you’re down.”

Twilight emitted a small chuckle. “An idea stemming from those two? Do I even want to know?”

“Fair point, but no, you might actually like this,” Spike said, hopping up and taking a seat on the counter. “Apparently, Trixie used to perform for the foals at the hospital before getting kicked out for a magic malfunction.”

“That is very true,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes. “According to the records, the incident caused close to a thousand bits in property damage that came out of the town’s tax reserves.”

“Well, that being said, I was thinking she deserved another chance to perform there,” Spike said. “It was an accident. We all have those. But I was going to ask the hospital if they could give her another chance. And maybe, possibly, perhaps… a letter of recommendation from the Princess of Friendship could help my case? You feel me?’

Twilight deadpanned. “You want me to write a letter saying that Trixie should be allowed to perform there again after causing damage to their property? Why in the good name of Equestria would I do that?”

“Twilight,” Spike pleaded, “you always say everybody deserves a second chance, and it could really benefit Trixie. She’s a really talented performer and it’d be a great, constructive use of her time as opposed to the trouble she tends to find herself in. The kids would love it and personally, I’d like to see it, too. It’d be a good change of pace from just reading stories to them every week.”

Twilight thought for a moment and took a deep breath. “You’re right, everybody does deserve a second chance. But at the same time, I have to think of what’s best for the town before what’s best for my friends, or the friends of my friends in this case. How do I know she wouldn’t have an ‘accident’ again and cause even more problems?”

“I’m glad you brought that up!” Spike said with a smile. “I was thinking we could set some strict rules about the kind of magic she’s allowed to use. That way we have our bases covered. Not to mention, I’d be there, too, so I could make sure things stick to an inside-friendly set of guidelines. I just think this would be great for not only all the kids but her, too. Please, Twilight?” Spike pouted and put on the best puppy dog eyes he could.

Twilight tried to ignore him, but she couldn’t pull herself away from his cute display. “Alright, alright, fine. I’ll do it. But under the condition that you make sure she doesn’t do anything dangerous or destructive, even by accident. Because if something like that happens again, there’ll be nothing I can do about it. Agreed?”

Spike grinned and hopped off the counter. He wrapped Twilight in a tight hug. “Thank you so much!”

Twilight grinned and lightly pushed him away. “Of course, Spike. You know, it’s not fair to use those puppy dog eyes to get your way. It’s my weakness.”

“I know,” Spike said. “And I fully plan on exploiting it when necessary.” Spike glanced over at the coffee maker which was now filled to the brim with the delicious, dark liquid. “And look at that, your coffee is done. Three creams and two packets of sugar?”

“You got it,” she replied.

Spike made up the desired beverage and handed it to the overworked mare. “Now, on a similar yet completely separate note, I have another question. Or a favor, I should say.”

Twilight took a sip and looked up at him. “You’re just full of those, today. What do you need?”

“Well, like I said, I’m going to be at the hospital for the show. I’m planning on setting it up for next week sometime. And, you know, I was thinking it’d be pretty awesome if you came with me. Like, as a plus one.”

Twilight paused mid-sip of her coffee.

“You know, take a break from all the royal stuff and come have some fun. You could let me buy you some lunch after.” Spike smiled at her. “I was thinking we could even invite Derpy to come with us. She could use the fun, too. It’d be a nice change of pace.”

Twilight set down the coffee. “That’s a nice idea, Spike, but I’m just not sure I’ll have the time. Meetings, trips… there’s a lot going on.”

“Well, then you should make the time,” Spike said.. “Look at your schedule for next week, see what times you have available and I’ll make it work. It would really mean a lot. You could use the break and I’d love to be able to do something fun with you. Besides, think of how awesome it’d be for all the kids to not only get a magic show but also get an actual visit from a Princess. That’d really make their day.”

Twilight rubbed her chin. “I get what you’re saying, and it would be nice. But like I said, there’s just so much stuff I have going on.”

“I know there is!” Spike said with a bit more volume than he meant. “But, you need a break and I want some time with you like we used to have. This is the third time I’ve found you passed out at your desk in the last month, and I’d rather not have there be a fourth.”

Twilight looked him in the eyes. She could see the seriousness in his gaze and felt it piercing her heart. She let out a sigh and looked down at her coffee. “Wednesday.”

“Twilight, I’m just really worri— Wait, what’d you say?’

“I can make room on Wednesday to go with you. Is that okay?”

Spike smiled. “Yes, that will be perfect! Thank you, Twi. And look, I’ll even help you with any Princess duties you need afterwards. That way, you don’t even have to stress about getting work done.”

“Thanks, Spike,” Twilight said with a smile. “And thanks for the coffee, too. But for now, I really need to get back to work.” Twilight levitated her cup and started walking out of the kitchen.

“Wait!” Spike called out, causing her to turn around.

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you let me help you?” Spike asked. “I can help with taking notes or something while you read, that way you’re not giving yourself too much strain.”

Twilight smiled. “It’s a lot of work. Are you sure? It could take awhile.”

Spike laughed and nodded. “Nothing I haven’t done before. If I can reshelve an entire library, I can handle this. And besides, I was just gonna take a nap, but I think this would be a better use of my time.”

Twilight nodded. “Well, better grab yourself a cup of coffee, then.”

“You kidding?” Spike said. “I’m taking the whole pot.”

The two shared a laugh and went up to her room.

Spike couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t a whole lot, but it was a start. And with any luck, Derpy would agree to accompany them to lunch as well. That way, he could could help two overstressed mares in one go. And maybe, just maybe, Twilight could start getting in the habit of being around friends again and making new ones.
> Start the Machine Pt. 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had hardly been an eventful week for Spike, but the day had finally arrived for the magic show at the hospital. Convincing them to let her back in was no easy task, but a letter from Twilight did the trick, despite the protests from the entire janitorial staff.

Spike, Trixie and Starlight had spent the last few hours before the recess time getting the area set up. Luckily, the children’s recreation room was rather large, so after scooting the various toys and such out of the way, they had room for a small, makeshift stage and plenty of chairs and beanbags for the audience that was soon to arrive.

“Hmm, yes, I suppose the lighting in this corner will do,” Trixie said, rubbing her chin. “Spike, please relocate the stage to this corner of the room over here.”

Spike rolled his eyes and scooted the small, wooden platform across the room for what had to have been the upteenth time already. “Yes, oh great one. Anything for the Bossy and Demanding Trixie.”

“Hmph,” Trixie snarled. “Express your misguided distaste all you wish, dragon of little faith, but the Great and Powerful Trixie cannot risk doing any of the heavy lifting. Her mane must stay perfect and free of sweat and split-ends for the performance. A magician's appearance ranks second in importance only to her talent.”

“Uh, Trix?” Starlight asked. “Please remember, you are performing for children today, not a legion of paying adults. Let's keep ourselves in check, alright?”

“It matters not,” the unicorn exclaimed. “Every fan, big or small, deserves the best that Trixie can give. And a sweaty mane does not constitute the best.”

Starlight chuckled and used her magic to move the stage the rest of the way, much to a gasping Spike’s relief. “Fair enough, but just remember the rules, Trixie. I really would rather not have to help you with insurance paperwork in the near future.”

“Yeah,” Spike said, meandering towards them. “No fireworks, real or magical and nothing that can block the vision of the attendees here. It’s a safety issue or something. So, if possible, just avoid anything smoke related.”

“Well, you guys are no fun.” Trixie frowned. “But, fear not, Trixie has a full act of tricks and illusions sure to stun the crowd, and they’re all within your supposed safety guidelines.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said. “The last thing we need is to have another establishment we’re banned from going to together. Pretty soon, we’d just get kicked out of the town.”

“I wouldn’t complain,” Spike said with a snicker before getting whacked on the back of the head by Starlight.

“Be nice, Spike,” Starlight said with a glare. “Or else I’m going to tell Twilight about that fanfiction you wrote about her and the other Princesses. You know, the one where they mysteriously turn into rogue dragons with a taste for vengeance?”

“You wouldn’t!” Spike cried out. “She’d make me read every book in the library about storytelling.”

“I would, I can, and I will,” Starlight said with a smirk. "So, play nice."

“Curse you and your leverage over me,” Spike said under his breath. “Anyway, on that note, Twilight should be here any minute.”

Trixie groaned. “Oh no!, Sparkle McPartyPooper is going to be here? Everytime she’s around, Trixie’s creative essence gets suffocated!”

“Yes, she is going to be here,” a voice came from the behind the pouting mare. “Hello, Trixie.”

The blue mare flipped around. “Hello there, Sparkle. You’ve come to see the amazing magic and illustrious illusions of the Great and Powerful Trixie for yourself? You won’t be disappointed.”

“Oh, I’m so sure,” Twilight said. “But, actually, I’m here upon request from Spike and to see the fillies and colts. Seeing your show just so happens to be part of the package.”

“Hmph, don’t lie to Trixie,” the blue mare said with a smirk. “I know I’m awesome.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and turned to Spike and Starlight. “Anyway, it looks like you guys did great work in here. I’m sure everyone is going to have a great time.”

Starlight nodded. “What can I say? It’s what we do.” She reached out a hoof to Spike who promptly returned it with a hoof bump. “It’s really great to see you here, by the way. I honestly wasn’t sure if you’d be able to make it or not.”

“Yeah, well, I made some schedule adjustments so I could come,” Twilight said, “I’ve been needing to get out a bit more anyhow.”

Spike nodded his agreement. “Yes, you have been. On a different note, though, what time is it?”

“Fifteen after twelve,” Starlight said. “Which means the kids and show will be starting in fifteen minutes. You ready, Trixie?”

“Of course,” she replied. “Trixie is always ready to perform on a moment's notice.” She twisted in a quick circle followed by a flash of bright light. When the circle was completed, she was donned in her hat and cape. “A good magician always comes prepared.”

Spike slowly clapped his hands. “Yes, yes, that’s very nice. Now, if you all will excuse me for just a moment, I’ve gotta go meet Derpy in the waiting room. I kinda wanted this whole shindig to be a surprise. Her and Dinky don’t even know I’m coming.”

“Oh, that’s cute,” Starlight said with a chuckle. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to impress her.”

Spike grimaced. “Ha, yeah right, but no. Like I’ve mentioned before, I just think she could use some fun for a change.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever you say hotshot,” Starlight said, giving him a wink. “We’ll just finish setting things up. I think all we have left are the chairs.”

Spike nodded and waved before racing out the door and down the halls.

After his short sprint, he finally found himself in the waiting room and looked around for the blonde maned pegasus he was waiting for. He didn’t see her initially, but soon after he heard the familiar sound of stumbling and overall clumsiness that signaled her arrival.

“Oh, sorry!” Derpy said, backing through the doors of the waiting room. “I promise I’ll replace that floor tile!”

Spike sniggered. “Hey, Derpy! You, uh, having fun there?”

The mare blushed and turned around. “Oh, it was an accident, I swe— Spike?”

He waved and walked over to her. “In the scales.”

Her blush faded, and her face transformed into a bright smile. “Oh, it’s so good to see you! I had no idea you were going to be here today, though.”

“Yeah, I kinda wanted this to be a surprise,” he said, shuffling his feet. “I hope it’s okay.”

“Of course it is,” she replied. “I love surprises, and so does Dinky! Are you here to read another story?”

“Actually, I’ve got something way bigger planned for today.” Spike winked at her. “Trust me, it’ll blow your socks off, if you know, you were wearing socks.”

Derpy let out a small giggle. “Point taken. I’ll take your word for it. What is it?”

“Well, if you’ll come with me, I can show you.”

The mailmare nodded and followed Spike back down the halls towards the recess area.

As they approached the double doors leading to the room, Spike turned around to Derpy. “Okay, close your eyes.”

“Huh?”

Spike smiled. “Trust me. It’ll make the surprise all that much more awesome. That, and I have to make sure everything is set up first or it won’t have the desired effect.”

“Okay, that’s fair enough, then,” Derpy said.

“Awesome.”

Derpy closed her eyes and held out a hoof. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Spike gently took her hoof in his claw and opened the doors. He took a moment to glance around.

Wow, they actually got it all done.

A small wooden stage was set up at the front of the room with various seats and beanbag chairs strewn about. Starlight and Twilight were standing at the far end of the room having a chat while Trixie was inspecting the stage from head to hoof.

“Alright, Derpy, check this out.” Spike gently pulled on her hoof, having her walk into the room. “Okay, you can open your eyes!”

Derpy cracked her eyes open and her mouth fell to the floor. “W-What is this?” She took in the full stock of the renovated room.

“A magic show!” Spike said, beaming. “Figured a change of pace was in order so I set this up for all the kids. I also figured the staff and adults could enjoy it, too.”

“This is amazing!” Derpy said with a wide smile. “But wait a second. Is that the Princess?”

Upon hearing herself being called, Twilight dropped out of her conversation with Starlight and walked over to Derpy.. “Yeah, it’s me. You’re Derpy, right? Spike’s talked about you a lot, recently.”

Derpy’s face heated up and she kicked at the ground. “Heh, yeah, that’s me. It’s nice to see you again, Princess Twilight. If I knew you were here, I would’ve brought some muffins for you.”

Twilight chuckled. “No need. I appreciate the thought, but I’m just here as a friend today. Spike invited me out here to come see the show and to meet you.”

Derpy’s blush intensified. “Oh, well, I’m glad he did. It’s really great to see you out and about again. It’s been awhile.”

Twilight bit her lip trying to think of an appropriate response. “Yeah, well, it’s good to be out again.”

Spike could feel the tension around Twilight and cut in. “Oh yeah, everything is great! Now, Derpy, would you like to meet the mare putting on the show today?” Spike took her hoof and started leading her to the stage where Trixie was. “Oh, Trixie, you wanna meet one of your audience members?”

The blue mare sighed and turned around. “I suppose Trixie has time to address one of her many adoring fans.”

Derpy looked at her, face contorted in confusion. “Do I know you from somewhere? I swear you look familiar…”

Trixie smirked. “Well, of course, pony of lesser origin. The exploits of The Great and Powerful Trrrixie are known far and wide across the country and beyo—”

“She tried to enslave the town a few years back before getting redeemed by Starlight,” Spike said, cutting her nonsense off.

“Oh, yeah, now I remember,” Derpy said with a nod. “It’s nice to see you in such a non-aggressive setting this time, Miss Trixie.”

Trixie frowned. “Yes, quite. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have productive things to do with my time.” With a quick turn of the cape, Trixie went back to dissecting the stage layout.

“She seems kinda cranky,” Derpy whispered to Spike as they made their way back away from the stage. “Or maybe it’s just me.”

“No, she’s always cranky,” Spike replied. “Now, it’s just about time for all the kids to come gallivanting out here, so I was thinking maybe we could do a surprise pop in on Dinky and go get her ourselves.”

“I think she’d like that,” Derpy said with a gentle smile. “You might wanna be careful. You keep spoiling her like this, she’s gonna be at your doorstep nonstop when she finally gets out of this place.”

Spike chuckled and walked with Derpy down the hall towards her sister’s room. “I suppose there could be worse fates. I mean, as long as she doesn’t become a filly-scout cookie pusher and harass me every day, we’ll be golden.”

The two shared a hearty laugh as they walked down the corridor leading back to Dinky’s room. They received a few smiles from the passing doctors and nurses on their trek back there. Smiles seemed to be in short supply in the children's wing.  Before they entered her room, however, Spike turned to Derpy.

“Hey, so real quick, I had a question for you,” he said.

“Yeah, what’s up?” she replied.

Spike scratched the back of his neck. “So, after the magic show I was gonna be taking Twilight out to lunch at a local burger joint. If you weren’t busy, I was wondering if you’d like to come with? It might be fun.”

Derpy grinned sheepishly and dropped her eyes to the ground. “Oh, well, that actually sounds nice.” She brought her eyes up to meet Spike’s. “I don’t think I’m busy, at least not with anything more important than food. I’d love to go. Thank you!”

Spike smiled brightly. “Awesome! So, when the show’s over we’ll head over there together, the three of us. Sound good?”

Derpy nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely!”

“Alright, now, let’s go see how your sister is doing.”
> Start the Machine Pt. 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike and Derpy strolled into Dinky’s room where Nurse Red heart was picking up some leftover dishes from breakfast that morning. The filly, though, was fast asleep, curled into a tight ball beneath the covers.

“Oh, hello you two,” Redheart said, giving the two a brief wave. “I take it you're here to get Dinky up for the show?”

Derpy nodded. “Uh huh, yes ma'am. Is she feeling okay? She's normally storming out of the room to get to recess.”

Nurse Redheart shook her head. “She’s fine, but she had a rough night last night. Couldn’t get her to sleep for the life of me. She stayed up until about three or four in the morning or so the doctor’s tell me. So, she’s been sleeping the whole day away so far.”

Spike frowned. “Oh, that’s too bad. I imagine she's pretty sleepy, huh?”

“Do you think she’s too tired to come see the show?” Derpy asked.

“I'm not sure, but you could try waking her up,” Redheart said with a shrug. “Good luck, though. She nearly bit my head off when I tried to get her up for breakfast. For being so cute, she can be a real grouch at times.”

Derpy chuckled and walked over to her sleeping sister. “It’s okay, nurse, I have experience with this kind of thing.”

She gently stroked her her sister’s mane causing a smile to appear on the small filly’s face. Dinky wrestled underneath the covers and slightly cracked her eyes open before promptly shutting them and burrowing back into her pillow and blankets.

“Mmm, go away,” she whimpered. “I’m sleeping.”

Derpy rolled her eyes and nudged her a bit harder. “Hey, it's your sister. You gonna wake up today, Dinky? We’ve got a special surprise for recess. You might be missing out on a lot of fun.”

Dinky shook her head and let out a small moan. “Mmm, I don’t feel good. I wanna stay in bed.” She waved her sister away with her hoof and snuggled into the covers.

Derpy frowned and let out a sigh. “Are you sure?”

The filly pulled the covers up over her head and a few snores could be heard emanating from the blankets. That was all the answer she needed.

Derpy moved back from the bed with her head drooped. “Well, I guess she’s gonna miss the show. Too bad, especially after all the hard work you did, Spike. I'm sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Spike said. “There’ll be plenty of other fun things we can plan out again. Besides, if she’s not feeling well, she probably wouldn’t have had much fun anyway.” He looked at her face as she clearly attempted to mask a frown. She needed a distraction from all this drama going on in her life. If he could help it, he'd at least try and give her a distraction today.

“Yeah, well,” Derpy began, slowly lifting her head up, “I guess you might be right.”

Nurse Redheart approached her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I understand, hun. But don’t worry, I promise she’s okay, just sleepy. We’ll let you know if anything changes.”

The blonde maned mare nodded and put on her best smile. “Thanks, Nurse. I really appreciate that.”

“Now, in the meantime,” she replied with a smile, “I do believe you two have a magic show to enjoy with the rest of the kids. Celestia knows we could use some more fun around here.”

Spike walked over to Derpy and reached out a claw. “She’s right. I promise I’ll find a way to make it up to your sister. We’ll think of something together if we have to. But, for right now, let’s go check out the show and have some fun. Does that sound good?”

Derpy looked at his outstretched claw for a brief moment before latching onto it with her hoof. “Yeah, let’s go.”

The two walked out of the room, claw in hoof, down the hall, Spike leading the way for the downtrodden mare beside him. The dragon could feel a small ache in his heart trying to think about what kind of things she must be going through in her head. He had never been in a situation like hers, but it couldn't be fun. On one hoof, he wanted to say something that might make her feel better, but on the other he had no idea where to start. He had a history of his mouth getting him in trouble before, so had to choose his words wisely.

“So, you ready to see the somewhat great and not even remotely powerful Trixie?” Spike spoke up, finally breaking the silence. He had a small chuckle within his words.

Derpy cracked a smile and looked at him. “I guess so. I’ve heard great things about her shows, even though I don’t have the most positive of experiences with her.”

Spike shrugged. “Yeah, well, she’s honestly a good performer. Just needs to check her ego at the door sometimes. Her head can get so big sometimes, I'm pretty sure it could pick up radio transmissions.”

The two made their way back through halls to the main room once again. Many of the children were already there and had found seats amidst the bean bag cushions on the ground and various chairs that were strewn about. At the forefront of all the action, though, Trixie was standing by the stage, a cocky grin adorning her face.

“Guess we better find seats,” Spike whispered to Derpy. “We can sit over here.”

Spike led her to two chairs near the back. He had wanted to sit near Twilight and Starlight, but all the seats near them were occupied with various children who were adorning faces of astonishment.

“Wow, Twilight sure is popular, huh?” Derpy whispered over to Spike once they had taken their seats. “I mean, she is the Princess, I guess, so it makes sense.”

“Yeah, being a Princess will do that to you. It pretty much gives her instant cool points. I figured the kids would like getting to see her.” Spike couldn't help but smile as he watched Twilight surrounded by all the children. It was great to see her out and about again, like old times.

Derpy was about to mention something else to the dragon but was cut off by a bright flash of light from the front of the room. All the children in attendance had their jaws on the floor as the flash subsided revealing Trixie.

“Greetings, one and all!” she exclaimed, bowing very briefly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie welcomes all in attendance to the following presentation which will not only stand to amaze you but which will challenge your very perception of reality!”

As all the children let out their little gasps and oohs and aahs, Spike couldn’t help but snicker and roll his eyes.

“She definitely has the presentation aspect nailed down”, he whispered to Derpy.

“Yeah, no kidding,” she whispered back, focused on the stage.

Trixie twirled in a quick circle, magical sparks escaping into the air. Upon finishing the spin, she was holding a bouquet of bright flowers, which she promptly handed to a nurse. “Please, see these reach the lovely members of my audience.”

The nurse chuckled and took them. “I’ll hand them out after the show.”

“Very good,” Trixie said. “Now, for the first trick, I must pose a question to you all.”

The fillies and foals all stared up at her.

The blue mare cleared her throat and looked over her audience with a mysterious look. “How many of you have ever seen a pony disappear before your very eyes?”





The show went on for the next thirty or so minutes, featuring everything from basic card tricks to full-on disappearing magic, causing some of the foals to question the meaning of existence. The show ended with an eruption of applause and hoof stomps and many, many smiling audience members.

“Thank you, thank you, no need for applause,” Trixie said, taking a bow. “But I won’t argue against it.”

Spike once again rolled his eyes but couldn’t help but smile as he and Derpy clapped.

“Wow, that was awesome!” Derpy said. “Like, I’ve seen magic and stuff before, but that was just really fun!”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, I give her grief all the time, but she’s actually a great performer. If only she could stay out of trouble, though.”

“Alright, everypony,” one of the nurses spoke up, addressing all the children. “That was fun, wasn’t it?”

She was met with a barrage of agreements from all the kids.

“Now, I’m sorry, but it’s time to go back to your rooms,” she continued. “Why don’t you say thank you to Trixie for coming today and then follow Nurse Redheart, alright?”

One by one, the kids walked up to Trixie, gave her a cute remark of thanks then formed a line back to their rooms, eventually leaving just the adults in the room left.

Twilight walked over to Trixie. “Well, I’ve gotta give it to you, Trixie. You put on a really good show. It was a lot of fun.”

Trixie flipped her mane in dramatic fashion. “Oh, my dear Twilight, when will you learn? Trixie is positively incapable of putting on a poor performance. I was never taught how to fail.”

“Hey, keep yourself in check,” Starlight reprimanded her with a small grin. “Remember our talk about accepting compliments?”

“Hmph, fine,” Trixie stated. “Thank you, Twilight. I appreciate the thought.”

“That’s better,” Starlight said with a wink. “Now, let’s get this place cleaned up. And this time, you can help.”

Trixie let out a breathy sigh. “Fine, Trixie will help. But she won’t be happy about it.”

“Oh, be quiet and just help me take down this stage.”

Twilight stifled a chuckle and made her way over to Spike and Derpy. “So, thanks for inviting me out here, Spike.”

“You see, Twi?” Spike said. “I told you that you’d have fun.”

“I did,” she said with a smile. “What about you, Derpy?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, Princess. It was a lot of fun!”

Twilight rubbed her chin for a moment. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don’t recall seeing Dinky here for the show. She’s the little gray one, right?”

Derpy shook her head. “Yeah, she wasn’t feeling too good and had to miss the show.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“Yeah, but, I’ll think of a way to make it up to her,” Spike cut in, resting a claw on Derpy’s shoulder. “I promised, right?”

Derpy nodded and formed a small smile across her lips. “Yes, sir.”

“That’s very sweet of you, Spike,” Twilight said, trying to hold in a small giggle. “I’m sure you’ll come up with something before too long.”

Spike winked at her. “What can I say? I’m just a giver. Now, if I remember correctly, I believe the three of us had a lunch date planned for after the show, and just between us, I’m pretty hungry.”

The two mares nodded in response and the three of them made their way toward the exit of the room.

“Hold on,” Twilight said before turning around. “Starlight? Do you or Trixie need some help cleaning up?”

Starlight turned toward Twilight and gave her a sly wink. “Nah, we’re good. It’s only fair after all the work we did to set it up that Trixie gets a turn to enjoy the feeling of a hard day’s work.”

The blue unicorn herself gazed up at Starlight with a frown. “Hard day’s work, my flank. You all just enjoy seeing me suffer, I swear.”

“No, of course not,” Starlight said with a laugh. She quickly used her magic to move a chair from one side of the room to the other. “You see, I’m helping, too.”

“Grr, Trixie will see justice served for this mockery, just you wait,” she replied.

“Fine, fine, I’ll help for real. But, Twilight, don’t worry about it. We get this. You three enjoy your lunch time, alright?” Starlight then trotted over to Trixie and started helping her take down the stage.

“Well, that settles that,” Spike said. “Let’s go guys.”

The three of them made their way through the corridors of the hospital before eventually making their way out to the warm, fresh air of the outside world once more.

“So, Spike, I take it we’re going to the burger place?” Twilight asked.

“You would be correct,” he replied. “There is not a better food establishment in the whole town.”

Derpy could feel her tummy rumbling. “I could totally go for a nice hayburger right about now. I’m so hungry.”

“Well, if that’s the case, let’s now waste time, alright?” Spike took the lead as the three of them moved away from the hospital and down the concrete path.

However, their progress was halted as Mayor Mare ran up to them, panting heavily.

“Oh, Princess Twilight, I’m so glad I found you!” she said, trying to catch her breath.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow at her. “Is everything okay, Mayor? What’s wrong?”

“We have a situation!” she exclaimed. “You know the business representatives from Manehattan that were supposed to arrive later this afternoon in regards to buying land here in Ponyville? Well, they’re here early and are demanding to speak with both you and me. I didn’t know what to do, so I told them I needed to use the restroom and spent the last thirty minutes trying to find you.”

Twilight bit her lip. “Mayor, I’m sorry, I was busy today. Honestly, I have plans right now, so—”

“Please, Princess Twilight,” she said, her voice raising in volume. “If we don’t get the deal done today, they may simply decide to take their business elsewhere.”

Spike let out a sigh. “It’s okay, Twi. You should go. You’ve got a job to do, it looks like.”

Twilight smiled. “Thank you for understanding, Spike. I promise I’ll make it up to you, sometime in the near future. Maybe next week we can go out.” Twilight turned her attention back toward the panicked Mayor and walked toward her. “Alright, Mayor Mare, let’s get this done.”

As the two of them walked away, an air of quiet disappointment permeated between Derpy and Spike.

“Well, that was unfortunate timing,” Spike said. “I”m sorry, Derpy.”

Derpy kicked at the ground. “It’s okay, Spike. Things happen. I guess we can try again some other time, maybe.”

Spike was about to agree but thought again. Just because Twilight couldn’t make it didn’t mean they had to cancel altogether. Derpy deserved to have a nice lunch like he promised. If he backed out now just because Twilight wasn't going, that could ruin all the fun she seemed to be having. Not to mention it'd make it look like he didn't care about her at all and just invited her along for charity.

“Well,” Spike said aloud, “if it’s okay with you, me and you could still go. I mean, I’m not as cool as Twilight I guess, but it would still be fun probably.”

“Just the two of us?” Derpy asked, a slight blush on her cheeks.

“Yeah,” Spike said. “You know, as long as it wouldn’t be too awkward or whatever for you. I wouldn't wanna put you on the spot or anything.”

Derpy chuckled nervously. “Oh, no, it’s not like that. I’d love to, actually.”

“Really?” Spike asked. “I kinda expected you to slap me or something, to be honest.”

“Of course not,” she replied. “I actually haven’t been able to go on a friendly date in a while. It’d be fun. We’re friends now, I guess, aren’t we?”

Spike playfully rubbed his chin. “Well, we’ve been seeing enough of each other recently that I guess we could say that. Yep, I’d say we’ve officially graduated from acquaintances to friends.”

Derpy smiled and laughed. “Well, then definitely, let’s do it. It’d be a good chance to learn more about each other, maybe.”

“Yeah, I agree,” he replied. “Without the usual depressing setting.”

The two made their way down the concrete pathways leading to the hospital toward the town, ready to enjoy a nice lunch with each other’s company. It was something that both of them needed.
> Start the Machine, Pt. 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The familiar bell chimed out as Spike opened the door to his favorite restaurant in Ponyville. He stood to the side to allow Derp to enter before him.

“After you,” he said with an exaggerated bow.

Derpy giggled and nodded. “Hehe, thank you. How polite?”

As the two entered, the entire establishment seemed to have a different vibe than usual. At least to Spike, it did. As opposed to the usual feeling of familiarity and hunger he had when he walked in, he almost felt a bit of… nervousness?

“Ayy, Spike my boy!”

The dragon snapped out of his inner thought process by the booming voice of Curly Fry. “Oh, hey there, Curly!”

“Just you again, like usual?” The manager took but a moment to spot Derpy shuffling her hooves next to him. “Oh, wait a sec, here… Did you bring a date? Hey, now that’s what I’m talking about!”

Spike and Derpy both shared a mutual blush and the air seemed to get a lot heavier than it was a few seconds prior.

“Oh, we’re not…”

“Yeah, it’s not like…”

“Could it be…”

“It might be?”

“Haha, settle down, you two,” Curly said, belting out a laugh. “I’m just tugging your strings a bit. Why don’t you guys find a seat and I’ll be right with you.”

Spike let out a nervous cough and smiled at Derpy. “Right, uh, right this way.” He led her over to his favorite booth in the back corner of the store. They had a short, yet silent stroll over to the booth, Spike sitting on one side, Derpy on the other.

“What can I get you two to drink?” Curly asked from a few tables away.

“I’ll have the usual,” Spike said.

“And I guess I’ll have a root beer, if you have it,” Derpy said with a hint of shyness in her voice.

Curly Fry smiled. “Alright then, two root beers it’ll be.”

Spike and Derpy shared a quick chuckle before opening their menus. After a quick moment of hesitation, Spike broke any silence before it could begin.

“So, trust me, everything is good here. This place has the best food in town.” Spike glanced over his menu at Derpy, who had her eyes intently locked in to her menu.

“I can tell,” she said, peering over every option. “Everything sounds delicious. What should I get?” She popped her head up over her menu and looked at Spike. “I’m thinking about the hay burger, but that sounds a little too, oh, I don’t know, boring. Maybe the eggplant chimichanga?”

Spike rubbed his chin. “Well, I guess it depends on what you’re looking for. If you want something filling, I’d go with the stuffed bell peppers. They’ve got like, cheese, tomato and a bunch of other stuff in them. But, the eggplant chimichanga does sound pretty good. I haven’t tried it though, so I couldn’t tell you for sure.”

Derpy smiled. “Well, I guess that’s what I’m getting then. That way, you can try some of mine and then you’ll know if you like it or not.”

Spike nodded. “You’re smart. I like you even more, already.” He followed up with a quick laugh as their drinks were brought to them.

“Alright, two root beers for ya’,” Curly Fry said, sliding their drinks onto the table. “Now, are you guys ready to order or do ya need a few for minutes?”

“I think we’re ready,” Spike said, motioning to Derpy.

She smiled and pointed a hoof to her menu. “I’ll try the eggplant chimichanga. And can I get that with the sweet potato fries?”

“Absolutely,” Curly Fry said. “Good choice. What for you, Spike?”

Spike crossed his arms behind his head. “You know me, Curly. I’m a simple dragon. Get me the hayburger with some cheesy tots for the side. Same old, same old.”

The server nodded and collected both of their menus. “I’ll get those meals in right away for you. Now, uh, I’ll give you guys some space.” He sent a sly wink toward the dragon, causing him to respond with an eye roll and a light blush.

Derpy smiled. “Well, he sure seems nice.”

“Yeah, he’s a sweet guy,” Spike said back, trying to think of something to keep the conversation going.

But he had nothing.

A couple coughs and the occasional sniffle were the only things that interrupted the silence between them. Spike’s mind raced, trying to think of something, anything, to say to bring some life. He wasn’t sure why it was so hard considering they were just here as friends.

His heartbeat quickened for but a moment as he passed over the last thought in his head. Did he possibly… like her? No, of course not.

“So... “ Spike said, finally deciding to just wing it the best he could. “Have you ever wondered why they call it root beer?” Spike mentally facepalmed the moment those words left his lips.

Derpy, much to his surprise, perked up and intently glanced at her glass. “Would you believe I was thinking the same thing?”

Spike blinked a few times. “No, I wouldn’t. But that’s awesome! So, here’s my thoughts on the matter. To my knowledge, there’s no alcohol content in it, so it’s not a beer.” He eyed his fizzy beverage up and down. “And I don’t believe any particular root was used in its production either. It’s an enigma!”

Derpy nodded. “A mystery wrapped in a riddle. What is root beer?”

“A question that has baffled scientists for centuries.”

The two paused for a moment to look at each other. A brief calm swept over the table before they both burst into a fit of laughter. Spike banged his claw on the table a few times, trying to regain balance over himself whilst Derpy did the same. It lasted for only a short time, but as they wiped the tears from their eyes, nothing in the world seemed to be negative for the time.

“Oh, my gosh,” Spike choked out, his laughter finally starting to subside. “I’ve never met a pony who thought about stuff like that before. I brought up the subject to Twilight a ways back and she tossed me an encyclopedia.”

Derpy brought her hooves to her mouth and let out a small giggle. “That doesn’t surprise me, honestly.”

“Yeah, no joke, right?” Spike shook his head. “And then when I brought it up to Trixie, she went on some tirade about how one of her distant relatives was the actual creator of root beer and all other sodas. Also not surprising.”

Derpy let out a small chuckle before yet another brief silence overtook them. Although it wasn’t a date date, there was still the soft air of tension and awkwardness in the air anytime their lips stopped moving. Perhaps it was the setting or the fact they were alone eating their meal as opposed to it being a group event as planned, but both could feel a slightly stronger vibe than the prototypical ‘friend date’ would normally provide.

Spike cleared his throat and opened his mouth to attempt to break the tension once more, but instead got cut off by the blonde mare sitting across from him.

“So, Spike,” Derpy said, glancing up at him, tearing her eyes away from the table. “I’m sorry if I’ve seemed like, needy or something the past couple weeks.”

“Huh?” Spike asked, raising his brow. “What are you talking about?”

Derpy blushed and turned her eyes slightly downward. “Well, you’ve done a lot the past while. Especially for Dinky. It means a lot to her, and me, too. But, I can’t help but feel a bit guilty that you’re spending so much time for her. I imagine you’re pretty busy with royal stuff with Twilight and I don’t know it just feels wrong. Like you’re feeling obligated to help us out and stuff. I don’t know…”

Spike listened to her with his mouth slightly agape, unsure of how to even respond. Of all the possible conversational topics and things he expected to come out of her mouth, that was not one of them.

“Um, I, uh…” Spike continued to attempt to respond but failed.

Derpy let out a small sigh. “Oh, nevermind, it’s nothing. Just forget about it.”

Spike shook his head clear of the confusion and took a deep breath before addressing her. “Well, I uh, I’m not sure how to respond to that. But, I can tell you this.” Spike moved forward in his seat ever so slightly to get a firmer grasp on her attention. “I don’t feel obligated at all. I do stuff for the kids at the hospital because I want to. Never because I feel I have to, so don’t worry about that.”

Derpy silently nodded and forced a small grin.

“As to the other point,” Spike continued, “busy is a relative term.”

Derpy blinked a few times. “Huh?”

Spike slouched back in his chair. “Well, I think I’ve mentioned it before, but honestly, I don’t have a whole lot to do around the castle. I keep Twilight in check, help organize schedules, set up dates… that kind of thing. But as far as official duties go, I don’t have a whole lot on my plate.”

“But what about being the Ambassador of Friendship to the dragons? Is that still a thing?”

Spike chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so. But Ember and the dragons pretty much keep to themselves these days. I guess they’re trying to conquer some small dragon territory out there, so we don’t hear much from them at the moment. I maybe get a letter or something once a year, not much else.”

“Oh,” Derpy said. “That’s kinda sad.”

“No, that’s dragons,” Spike replied with a cool smile. “We’re not the most social of creatures, myself excluded, of course. But I’m a special breed of awesomeness.”

Derpy smiled. “I can’t really argue with that.”

Spike could feel his cheeks heat up a tad but he shook it off just as quickly. “Well, I guess I have to ask the obvious question. What exactly brought this line of thought on? Is everything alright?”

Derpy nodded. “Yeah, everything is okay.”

Spike was by no means an expert on pony psychology or emotional intelligence, but it didn’t take a trained professional to hear the sadness in her voice. “Are you sure? I mean, I know you don’t know me all that well, but I’m a good listener if nothing else.”

Derpy kept her eyes locked to the table for a few moments before she began to speak. “Well, nothing is wrong wrong, to be honest. I just, I guess I’m not used to having somepony be kind to me and Dinky like this. For the past few months, since things kinda went from bad to worse, I’ve just been kinda on my own the whole time. Having somepony else there helping and doing stuff for us… It’s strange, but it’s also really nice.” She gently reached a hoof across the table and placed it on Spike’s claw for a brief moment. “I appreciate it a lot. I just don’t feel like we did anything to deserve it.”

Spike could feel his claw shake ever so slightly with nervousness beneath her hoof before she pulled it away. “Heh, yeah, well… Don’t worry about it, alright? Nopony should feel like they have to earn kindness. At least that’s what I was always taught.”

Spike was about to continue but instead got caught off guard by the sultry aroma of two plates of food being set in front of them.

“Alright, you two,” Curly said. “Here’s your food for ‘ya. Eggplant chimichanga for the lovely lady and your usual burger and cheese tots for you, Spike.”

The two guests looked over their food with engrossed eyes.

“If you need anything else, feel free to give me a holler, alright?” Curly sent them a final wink and smile before trotting off back toward the counter.

“Oh my gosh,” Derpy said, glancing over the delicious plate of food before her. “This looks so good.”

Spike took a moment to eye her meal as well. “Wow, that does look good! Perfectly fried tortilla and they didn’t skimp on the portion inside, either.” Spike looked down at his food as well and couldn’t help but lick his lips.

Spike prepared to dive into his lunch but took a moment to pause before doing so. If Rarity had taught him anything about going on dates, friendly or not, it was that manners and politeness should always be at the forefront of thought and reign supreme. However, that train of thought and courtesy got tossed out the window by the sound of his newfound friend devouring her meal with little to no remorse.

Spike looked across the table and couldn’t help but be impressed at Derpy’s appetite. She had already finished a part of her chimichanga and about half of her sweet potato fries.

“Wow, I guess you were pretty hungry, huh?” Spike asked with a small grin.

Derpy paused for a moment before blushing and wiping her face off. “Oh, I’m sorry. I just haven’t eaten anything this good in a while. I guess instinct kinda took over, heh.”

Spike shook his head. “Oh, don’t worry, it’s fine. It’s kinda relaxing eating and not having to worry about every little detail of my mannerisms.” Spike followed up by taking a huge bite of his hayburger and grinned massively whilst doing so. “I’m pretty hungry, too.”

The two quietly enjoyed their meal for the next few minutes. The only sound that could be heard was chewing and the occasional slurp of root beer from their cups. Derpy allowed Spike to try her meal, much to his excitement, and Spike did the same for her, which she gladly accepted. It wasn’t a very vocal meal, but it was pleasant nonetheless. It felt natural.

As they finished up their eating, a soft, but warm lull held over the table. Neither of them really knew what to say next or what even to do. It was all Spike could do to try and redirect some life back into the date.

“Oh, man, that was good,” he said, rubbing his belly with a smile of immense satisfaction adorning his face. “Of course, it always is, here. How was yours?”

Derpy licked her lips and nodded quickly. “Oh my goodness. So good.”

“Glad to hear it,” Curly’s voice came from behind them. “If you’re done I’ll just gather your plates for you two.”

Spike nodded and the pony took their dirty dishes away.

“Are you covering this one, today, Spike?” he asked.

Spike nodded again. “Yes, sir. On the tab, as usual.”

Curly Fry nodded and whisked away the dirty dishes, leaving the friends alone once more.

“You have a tab here?” Derpy asked.

“Yeah,” Spike said. “I come here enough that I just ring up a bill and pay it at the end of the month. I guess it speaks to my bad eating habits, huh?”

“Maybe,” she replied, “but with how good everything was, I can’t blame you. I’d probably do the same thing.”

The two shared a quick laugh before it was Derpy’s turn to break the silence with a comment.

“Spike, I just wanna say thanks a lot for doing this.” Derpy smiled at him. She somewhat hid her mildly blushing face behind her mane.

“No problem,” Spike said. “It was just a meal. If you’re ever down again, there’s more where that came from.”

Derpy giggled. “I’d like that. I don’t get the chance to eat out too much, these days.”

Spike nodded. “I get ya. From what I could tell the few times we’ve crossed paths, you seem pretty busy.”

“No question there,” she responded. “Between working early in the morning to the afternoon, and then spending the nights with Dinky, I can’t remember the last time I had a day just for fun or to eat out. It was nice getting away for a bit.”

Spike could feel the softest of fluttering in his heart. He didn’t know why it was there, but he’d be lying if he said it didn’t feel nice. However, he couldn’t help but feel a tad sorry for her at the same time. Something about the somber tone in which she made the last statement tugged at his heartstrings a bit.

“I guess that makes sense,” he said. “Not having much time for yourself can’t be very fun, though.”

Derpy nodded but put on her best smile. “Yeah, but I’m sure things will get better soon. They always do. That’s what I’ve been taught most of my life.”

A spark lit in Spike’s brain. He had her alone, the conversation was heading in an appropriate direction… If he ever wanted to know about her parents, get an answer to his curiosity, now seemed like the ideal time to do so.

“So, Derpy, I have a question.” Spike traced a few circles on the table with his claw, trying to appear as natural as possible.

“Yeah?” she responded.

Spike cleared his throat a few times before speaking up. “Well, you’ve mentioned a couple times tonight how much effort you put into taking care of Dinky and having to work and all that. So, I was just kinda wondering where your guys’ parents are in all this?”

The dragon was greeted with nothing but silence from the mare across from him.

“I mean, wouldn’t things be a bit easier if they helped out? Or what’s going on there?”

Silence again.

Spike blinked a couple times, immediately regretting bringing it up. “Hey, uh, you there?”

Derpy shook her head and scooted her chair back. “I, um, I’m sorry, Spike. I have to go.” She got up from her chair and sped away, leaving Spike wide-eyed in his chair.

“Whoa, whoa, what happened?” Curly Fry trotted up to Spike’s table, eyeing the door that had just been slammed open to make way for the fleeing mare.

“I have no idea,” Spike said. “I think I made her mad.”

Curly Fry shook his head and patted the dragon on the shoulder. “A common occurrence for males these days. Don’t worry about it too much, boy. A mare’s emotions are complicated things. If somepony could ever figure them out, they’d make millions, trust me.”

Spike slouched back into his chair and let out a huff. “I guess.”

“How about some ice cream? On the house.”

Spike shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m probably gonna head home.” He got up from his seat and started walking toward the door. “So much for giving her a fun afternoon.”
> Real Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike solemnly strolled, shoulders slumped to the side, through the front door of the Crystal Castle. His large grimace gave the world plenty of warning as to how he was currently feeling, and it was not pleasant.

“Meh.” The dragon took a few more steps to the living area and flopped onto a nearby love seat, across from one Starlight Glimmer, who was intently peering through a magazine of some sort.

“Hey, Spike. How’d everything g— Woah.” Starlight had to pause upon seeing Spike’s lackluster appearance in full form. “Everything alright, buddy?”

Spike let out a breathy sigh. “Eh.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’.” Starlight set her magazine aside. “Alright, champ, spill the beans, the whole beans, and nothin' but the beans. What happened?”

Spike shook his head. “Nothing you need concern yourself with. Just the indisputable laws of nature once again working against me and my attempts at living a successful life. Why did it turn out this way? I had such promise.”

“Yeah, okay. Spill it.” Starlight leaned forward. “I haven't seen you looking this bad since that one Power Ponies comic where Humdrum got rejected by… whoever it was.”

“Radiance.”

“Yeah, that one.” The mare nodded and leaned back in her chair. “So, talk about it. I’m all ears.”

Spike sat up and rolled his eyes. “If you insist, but I'd like to point out I was doing just fine stewing in my misery.”

“Be that as it may, Twilight allows a strict five-minute misery stewage time. We all know this and you’ve just about reached your limit.”

Spike huffed but knew he was matched. Given that face, he prepared himself to regale the tale of the date gone wrong. “Alright, so you know how I was going to that lunch date thing with Derpy and Twilight?”

Starlight nodded. “Yeah. Did everything go okay? I’m assuming not. Did Twilight go on some geo-political rant again?”

“No, even worse than that. Much, much worse.” Spike frowned. “Twilight wasn’t even there. The Mayor came calling as soon as we left the hospital and whisked Twilight away to talk to some business ponies.”

“I see…” Starlight said, putting the pieces together in her head. “So, wait a second. It was just you and Derpy, then?”

“Yep.”

“Eating lunch together?”

“You got it.”

“Alone?”

“Very good. You want a cookie?”

“That’s intense,” Starlight said with a snicker. “So basically, you two had a full-fledged date, didn’t you? Hmm, didn't think you had it in you.”

Spike felt his face heat up ever so slightly and nodded. “I guess so, technically speaking, of course.”

“Nice one. She’s cute!” Starlight held out a hoof awaiting a hoof-bump.

Spike waved it off and slouched back once more. “Sorry, Starlight. But I have not earned the right to reciprocate that hoof-bump.”

Starlight pulled her hoof back. “Oh? I take it things didn’t go so well?”

“And we have a winner,” Spike replied. “To say it was a failure would be the understatement of the century, honestly.”

“Oh, come on, Spike,” Starlight said with a warm smile. “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“She ran out of the restaurant crying,” Spike said flatly.

“Ouch. Okay, maybe it was that bad.” Starlight got up and traversed across the living room carpet to take a seat next to the dragon. “Scooch over. This conversation is gonna require a more personal touch. I can already tell.”

Spike obliged and made room for her. “Do you really wanna hear what happened and help? Or are you just bored and in need of some gossip to share with Trixie? The latter wouln't surprise me, so feel free to be honest.”

Starlight rubbed her chin for a moment. “A little of both, honestly. I have been bored since coming home. Hence the PQ magazine I was leafing through. But, I do like to think of myself as your friend, so I’d like to help if possible.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Well, your honesty is appreciated. But, I doubt you could help me anyhow. You’re not exactly a ‘date expert’.”

Starlight gasped. “Excuse me, but I’m more than qualified to help you out here. I’ll have you know I’ve been through my fair share of awkward dates. Not to mention you’re forgetting a very important fact here.”

“And that would be...?”

Starlight nudged his shoulder. “You’re having mare problems, and I’m a mare. I may be the equivalent of your pushy older cousin at this point, but I do know a thing or two about how the female mind works. Tell me what happened and I’ll give you my take on it, okay? It's not like it'd hurt anything and talking about it might make you feel better.”

Spike nodded. “Fine, but be prepared. It's not pretty.”

"The truth rarely is." Starlight twisted around to get comfortable. “I’m ready.”

Spike did the same and began. “So, long story short, Derpy and I are on this friendly lunch date thing, right? It was just a friendly lunch, no biggie, but there was definitely some tension in the air. I don’t wanna say love was involved or anything like that. I barely know her, you know? But here’s the deal, I could definitely feel something going on.”

Starlight eyed him with a pensive look. “I see… Continue.”

“Anyway,” Spike went on. “We ordered our food, found the table and so on. There were a few awkward minutes of silence, the occasional unintentional eye contact, you know.”

“The usual suspects of a first date.”

“Exactly. So, we eventually found ways to break the silence, talked about this, joked about that. We even had a full blown laugh about the questionable and rootless origins of root beer. Things were going great, but then—”

“Actually, root beer was originally made with roots. And alcohol. Fun fact.”

Spike tapped his claws on the arm of the loveseat, peering at her with a steely gaze.

“Sorry, I’ll shut up now.”

“Thank you.” Spike rolled his eyes. “Anyhow, we got our food, enjoyed it.”

“Was there food sharing involved?’ Starlight asked.

“Uh, yes. A little. I tried a bit of hers and she tried some of mine.”

“Did you wait for her to use her fork or did you give her a bite from your own silverware?”

Spike looked up as he tried to remember. “Uh, I gave her a bite from mine. I didn’t want her to mess up her fork with the mustard and onion from my burger. Actually, she didn’t even try to use her fork. When I asked she just nodded and waited.”

“Hmm, interesting. Continue.”

“Well, after dinner was over, she was talking about the tough stuff she was going through and whatnot. I honestly felt bad for her. But at the same time, she was smiling and doing her best to seem positive. But, of course, that’s when it happened.”

“‘It’? Please, do explain.”

Spike steeled himself as he finally prepared to unveil his failure. “Well, I’ve been wanting to ask her about her parents for awhile. I’ve always found it interesting that it’s her taking care of Dinky as opposed to their parents. So, I figured the conversation was in a good place to bring it up.”

“And you decided to throw caution out the window and bring it up?”

“Eeyup.” Spike shook his head. “I asked her about it, she scooted back in her chair and ran away in a stream of tears. It was quite the sight, to be honest. It’s not very often one has the opportunity to see failure in its most pure state.”

“Well, I live with you, so…”

Spike shot her a cold stare.

Starlight chuckled. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”

“Anyway… That’s what happened.” Spike rested his head against the back of the sofa. “I’m pretty sure I ruined her day and any chance of friendship that may have been there before.”

Starlight shook her head. “No, Spike, that’s not the case at all. Do you want my take on all this?”

“I’m listening.”

“First things first, forget the ‘friend date’ crap. At least to her, this was definitely a date. And considering the multiple times you mentioned awkwardness and the slump you’re feeling now, I’d say it was a date to you, too. On that note, that doesn’t mean it has to evolve into anything serious at this point, but it was significant for the two of you.”

Spike blinked a few times and thought about it. A date? A date date? He couldn’t argue with her logic, and he didn’t exactly want to either.

“Now, as to the second point of this,” Starlight continued. “You’re right, you did mess things up.”

Spike frowned. “Thank you for that, Dr. Starlight. Your abilities of encouragement know no ends.”

He was quickly shut up by a whack to the top of his head. “Shut up and let me finish. You did mess things up, but not in any serious way. It’s obvious her parents are a sensitive subject. Why that is, I don’t know. But, I’d recommend you seek her out and apologize at some point tomorrow and then never bring it up again. If your guys’ friendship ever evolves further, she’ll tell you when she’s ready. So, you specifically are not the reason she left. I think she just felt on the spot and didn’t want you to see her in a more fragile state. Honestly, that probably speaks to her feelings toward you rather than against. You feel me?”

Spike was now sitting at full attention and nodded. “Yeah, I think I do. But are you sure? Maybe she just realized she didn’t want to be seen hanging out with a total loser.”

“Well, that hasn’t stopped her from hanging out with you, before.”

This time Starlight got a bump on the shoulder. 

“Sorry, too soon,” she stated. “The point is, you’re just gonna have to apologize and see where things go from there, alright? Nothing was ruined or damaged, you just learned a little more about her is all. That’s the point of a date, anyway, right?”

Spike smiled. “I guess you’re right. Wow, who’d have thought you’d be such an expert on friendship problems? You need to hang out with Twilight less.”

“Psh, what can I say? I guess she kinda rubbed off on me the past few years. Anyway, I’m gonna go grab a snack. You down to play a game of RISK this afternoon? I’ve been itching for some world domination. As long as we keep things on the down low, it should be okay, right?”

“You’re on,” Spike said with a cocky grin. “But you’ll be lucky to even get Saddle Arabia this time around. I’m feeling lucky tonight.”

“Heh, sure,” Starlight replied getting up from the seat. “You said that last time and I won in less than twenty rounds. Remember, I was a full on dictator for years. You’ve got nothing on me.”

Spike got up as well and began following her to the kitchen. “Yeah, well, I’m a dragon. The pinnacle of evolution and masters of war. Beat that!”

“You put all of your forces on Fillydelphia last time. Game, set and match.”

Spike grimaced but was clearly beaten. “Fine, but we’ll just see what happens ton—”

Their petty argument was cut off by the sound of the Castle door flying open, revealing a clearly disheveled Twilight behind. Her mane was twisted and turned in every direction and her eyes were bloodshot to the point of no return.

“Those ponies… are never… coming back to Ponyville again!”

Starlight and Spike both glanced at each other before turning their attention to Twilight.

“Uhh, you alright, Twilight?” Spike asked. “Did the, um, business meeting go well?”

Twilight put on a clearly mocking smile. “Oh, sure! But only if two hours of yelling, moaning and disputing over a two percent property tax counts as great. If that’s the case, then yeah! Everything's just peachy keen!” She began huffing erratically at the mere thought of what had transpired.

“Hey, uh, Twilight?” Starlight spoke up. “Do you need me to get you anything from the kitchen? Some chips, donuts… maybe some vodka?”

She shook her head and began trekking toward the stairs. “No, but thank you. I just need to spend some time alone, please. If anyone comes calling, I’m unavailable until tomorrow. Understood?”

Spike and Starlight both nodded as Twilight stormed up the stairs, followed by a loud slam as her bedroom door shut behind her.

“She really needs a vacation,” Starlight said.

“No joke,” Spike responded. “We really need to work something out and soon.”

The two shared a nod before quietly making their way into the kitchen to get their snacks and hopefully have a fun afternoon together.
> Up All Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Spike snaked up the stairs to his room, he had only one thing and one thing only occupying his thoughts.

“Grr, stupid Starlight and her superior Risk strategy.” The dragon grimaced as he took the last step up to the second floor of the castle. “Since when is Yak Yakistan a surprise attack safehold anyway? She must’ve been cheating. I just know it.”

The distraught dragon continued mumbling under his breath whilst making the ever lengthy walk of defeat toward his bedroom door. He wouldn’t be able to save his pride for the night, but he could at least get a good night’s sleep. That would most definitely make up for the night’s failure, if not provide him a way to escape from any residual snark from Starlight, herself.

As he made his way down the hall, stumbling and mumbling, he couldn’t help but take a second glance at Twilight’s firmly closed door at the end. He had his room coming up first, then Starlight’s across the hall, but Twilight’s was always there within a short distance. He had been kept up many a night by the sound of Twilight’s various late-night research projects gone out of hoof. However, this time, there was no such noise coming from the room. Not necessarily an out of the ordinary kind of thing, but given the excessively upset state in which she entered said room earlier during the day, he couldn’t help but feel worried as he looked at the door.

Spike had two choices. One, he could continue with his plans of divulging his frustrations into his blankets and sheets and just call it a night. Or two, he could go check up on Twilight, risk getting caught up in a tirade of stress, emotion and copious amount of unnecessary knowledge.

Twilight was worth any tirade the world could throw at him.

Spike sneakily slipped down the hallway until he came to the door. He hesitated for a moment as he raised his claw, before quietly and carefully rapping on it a few times. 

He waited a moment for a response, but there was none.

He knocked again.

...Still no response.

As he raised a claw to knock a final time before heading to bed for the night, he heard a raspy voice from within call out.

“Hmm, who is it?” 

“Oh boy…” Spike thought to himself. As he began to open the door, he steeled his nerves, attempting to prepare himself for anything and everything he might find behind that door. “It’s Spike. I’m coming in.”

As the door fully opened, he preparations suddenly meant diddly-squat as he came face to face with the sight beyond. As per the usual, there were papers, books and the like strewn across the floor. But, as not per the usual, there was a Twilight sitting on the floor amidst the dimly lit chaos, mane still disheveled and clearly visible tear stains that had matted the fur down on her cheeks.

“Twilight?” Spike asked, shutting the door behind him. “Twilight, what’s wrong?”

Twilight sniffled and wiped some budding tears away before they could drip. “Oh, nothing. Just doing some paperwork and.. and...“ She did her best to hold back the whimpering in her voice but it was to no avail. “Just doing paperwork, yep.”

And then the floodgates were opened. The mare let out an intense wail followed by a raging river of teardrops cascading out of her eyes. She fell to the ground and buried her face into her hooves, attempting to muffle the sobs breaking forth from her mouth. 

Spike had been a resident of this land long enough to know that there was a time to make snarky comments and there was a time to be a caring friend. Despite every remaining instinct within his male psyche telling him to make a joke or pretend he saw nothing and move on, he knew that he had a job to do.

He dashed across the room, stumbling over a few books in the process, and wrapped his claws around Twilight, pulling her into his chest the best he could given his frame. “Shh, Twilight. It’s okay.”

“Hmph, but, I… I just…” Twilight couldn’t finish her thought as she was held even tighter by Spike.

“Shh, it’s okay. I promise it’s okay.” Spike slowly stroked her mane as a father would do to comfort a distressed foal. “Just let it all out, alright?”

A few more minutes passed of Twilight balling her eyes out into Spike’s warmth before the sniffles finally started to die down and the tears began to dry up. Spike slowly began to release his claws from her but was stopped as Twilight snuggled more closely into him.

“Alright, then, I guess this is still a happening thing,” Spike said with a snicker. “Can’t say I’m complaining though. Getting to hold a beautiful Princess has gotta be on the bucket list of at least, I don’t know, every stallion in the Kingdom.”

Twilight let out a small chuckle of her own. “I’m sorry, Spike. I just, I really needed this.”

“It’s okay, Twi,” Spike replied. “We’ve all had these days. I have ‘em at least once a week. You’re no different.”

Twilight wiped her hoof across her snout before finally pulling away into a seated position in front of the dragon. “But that’s the thing, Spike. I’m not just any pony. I’m the Princess. I’m not supposed to have days like this!” Twilight whimpered and dropped her eyes to the floor. “I’m not supposed to let stuff like this get to me. I’m supposed to be able to handle everything. What’s wrong with me?”

Spike shook his head. “That’s the thing though, Twilight. You are just a pony. One who happens to be a Princess, sure, but you’re just a pony at the end of the day… like everyone else in town. You can’t just pile all of this on top of yourself and not expect anything to happen because you have a fancy title attached to your name.”

Twilight grunted and looked back up at the dragon. “But, this is what you don’t understand, Spike. All this stuff I pile on myself, it’s part of my responsibility. I don’t have a choice but to do it. I can’t just abandon my duty because things are hard.”

Spike rolled his eyes as he cast his eyes around the room. “I hardly think studying and working yourself half to death was listed in the job description. Cadance, Celestia, Luna… They all do their jobs well, wouldn’t you agree?”

Twilight slowly nodded.

“But guess what?” Spike continued. “They all have help from time to time and they all know that it’s okay to take a break, sometimes!” Spike huffed and rose to his feet to pace back and forth. “Celestia and Luna work together and have an entire staff at the castle to help them. Cadance has Shining Armor to lean on and even a baby of her own now. But, Twilight, what do you have?”

Twilight bit her lower lip but was cut off before responding.

“You’ve got me. You’ve got Starlight. You’ve got an entire village of friends and family willing to help you, but you insist on keeping everything to yourself and holding it all in until it explodes out like this.” Spike placed a claw on her shoulder and put his face mere inches from hers. “Please, start using the help that you have. If not, I’m afraid that one day, I’m not even going to recognize the pony that’s my best friend. I know that we’ve had this conversation before, but please, listen to me this time. Take a vacation. Take even just a day off. Let Starlight and I handle things for just a day.”

“Oh, Spike, I just don’t know…” 

Spike shook his head. “Well, you don’t have to, because I do know. I’ve got your back, and I always will. Alright? I’m many things, but a liar isn’t one of them. So when I say something, I mean it.”

Spike moved away from her and started walking towards the door, lest he start crying himself. He paused, however, at the sound of the smallest chuckle emanating from the pony behind him. He turned around and saw Twilight, head still bowed, shaking her head in a quiet fit of a laughter.

“Twilight?” Spike asked. Had she finally lost it? Did she finally punch her ticket to the crazy train? “You alright?”

Twilight looked up with a faint smile. “The pony. One of the representatives visiting earlier today.”

Spike blinked a few times. “Yes?”

“He had the silliest name,” Twilight said, letting out a few more chuckles. “Butterball Gobbler.” Twilight snorted before erupting into laughter once more, this time with much more volume.

Spike couldn’t help but start laughing himself. ‘Hehe, Butterball? How much do you think his parents hated him?”

“Quite a bit, apparently,” Twilight said through a series of snorts and laughs. “Pfft, Butterball!”

The two shared a strong hearty laugh together that lasted all of the next half-hour before finally parting ways to finish off the night. Spike didn’t expect change overnight, but he did feel as if he made some progress with his best friend and closest family member. And, as the old adage goes, something is better than nothing.





Spike slipped into his room and flopped onto his bed. He had a long eventful day, that was for sure. And, on that note, he had earned a good night’s sleep. He snuggled under his covers and let his head rest on the downy pillow. If perfection existed in this land, it could easily be found within his mattress and bed set.

Spike closed his eyes and began to let his mind wander and slowly drift off… before his eyes popped open.

“Ugh.” 

With all the benefits that growing up had bestowed upon Spike throughout the years, the one thing he could never accept was the simple fact that sleep was harder and harder to come by as the days went by.

His mind raced over all the events of the day as he stared up at the ceiling. Cheering up foals and colts, having a date that went from good to great to failure incarnate, getting the business from Starlight and comforting Twilight. He had a full day.

And tomorrow could be even more full if his to-do list held any weight.

Spike let out a sigh as the image of a certain blonde pegasus ran through his head. That image was quickly followed by said pegasus running out of the restaurant with tears in her eyes.

“I have to apologize. I just have to.” Spike was at war with himself about the whole situation. He was battling between the idea of the embarrassment he was going to face by approaching her again and the idea of not being able to ever see her again. At the thought of the second option, he could feel his stomach clench up. How this mare he had only really gotten to know remotely a short time ago had found her way to such a position of importance was beyond him. But, for whatever reason, she had and he really wanted to make things right.

The hard part, however, was figuring out the right way to do it. If his past experiences with females were any indication, there was a strong chance of messing things up beyond repair. That was the last thing he wanted with her.

Spike rolled onto his side with a huff before his mouth widened into a smile as a genius thought entered his mind.

“I got it! I know just who to ask in the morning.”

Spike smiled and curled up under his blankets. If anyone could help him with this predicament, Rarity could. Hopefully, she wasn’t too busy tomorrow, because Spike was gonna be there bright and early.

He was finally able to close his eyes again and slowly drift off into the land of slumber. Tomorrow wouldn’t be easy, but he was gonna have help on his side.
> Carousel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike sipped his coffee, being held by his shaking claws. He had stepped before the thrones of the most powerful ponies in the land, battled toe to toe against the most evil tyrants and heinous individuals imaginable. Yet, nothing has ever made him feel more nervous than the idea of seeing Derpy again, especially after the sour way their previous encounter ended.

Spike was leaning forward in the dining room chair, staring at the table before him. “Alright, Spike, it’s do or die today. Gotta suck up your pride and fear, and go apologize.”

On one side of the argument, he still had no idea why it felt so important to go fix things with Derpy. On the other, he really really wanted to be able to see her again… for whatever reason that might be.

He took another sip of his liquid energy and let out a breathy sigh. At least he had Rarity’s help to hopefully fall back on. She was an expert on all things mare-ish, so with any luck, she’d have a few tips and tricks she could provide. Again, hopefully.

Spike’s thoughts were soon interrupted by the clip-clop sound of hoofs trailing into the kitchen. He looked up to find a very tired looking Starlight entering the room.

“Hey, uh, morning Starlight.”

“Ugh.”

“Day already off to a splendid start, I see,” he said.

“Meh,” she replied, immediately traversing the dining area to the kitchen. She returned in quick fashion with a cup of coffee of her own. “You let me down, Spike. You let me down hard.”

“How so, exactly?”

Starlight took a seat across the table from Spike. “The good coffee. The stuff you keep in your room. It’s out. And now I have to subject myself to this stuff.”

Spike shrugged. “Sorry, Starlight. I used the last of it up this morning. You snooze, you lose.”

Starlight frowned. “You can be so cruel, sometimes.”

The dragon chuckled. “Says the ex-dictator. Anyhow, I needed it more, anyway. I’ve got a lot going on, today.”

The mare took a quick swig of her beverage. “Oh really? Are you gonna try to make reparations with Derpy today?”

“That’s the plan,” Spike stated. “Not sure how it’s gonna go, but hopefully I can at least get an apology in before she tells me to hit the road.”

“Eh, I’m sure you’ll do fine, Spike.” Starlight paused for a moment. “Besides, I gotta give you props for acting fast. I kinda expected you to take a few days to wallow in your pride and angst before doing anything.”

“Nah, I already wallowed enough yesterday.” Spike let his head fall into his palm. “Besides, for whatever reason, I really wanna be able to see her again. Like, soon. She’s really cool.”

“Ugh,” Starlight said with a shake of her head. “We talked about this yesterday. It’s obvious you like her, you just need to admit it to yourself instead of stewing in your emotional insecurity.”

Spike felt his cheeks burn ever so slightly into a pink tint. “Yeah, maybe, but I barely know her yet.”

“True, but it’s not like the heart has ever worked on a functional timetable before.” Starlight chuckled. “Besides, she’s cute. No shame in liking her.”

Spike grinned. “She is pretty cute, huh? I like her eyes. They’re kinda wonky, but it adds character. Oh, and her mane is nice, too. And her voice.”

Starlight smiled and rolled her eyes. “Yep, you’re smitten. Now, snap out of it and focus on the task at hoof.”

“Right, right… What was it again?”

“Apologizing?”

“Right, right.” Spike shook his head. “Okay, so my plan is to start by seeing Rarity first thing this morning. I figure the best way to approach this situation is talking to someone who has some experience with the whole dating scene. And no offense, you and Twilight are not exactly the best examples.”

Starlight growled under her breath. “Pfft, thanks for that.”

“No problem. Anyhow, I’m assuming Rarity will have some kind of idea of how to go about things. I wanna show her that I’m sorry and wanna still be friends, but I also don’t wanna come on too strong.”

Starlight rubbed her chin for a moment. “You do have a tendency to go overboard sometimes. Like the time you tried impressing Roseluck and ended up spending a night in Canterlot prison.”

“We don’t speak of such things.” Spike glared at her. “Besides, how was I supposed to know fireworks counted as explosives?”
“Well, despite your previous failures in all things dating, I have every confidence you’ll do great today and make things right.” Starlight smiled at him and gave him a quick wink.

“Are you saying that because you actually believe it, or just because that’s what you’re supposed to say to make me feel better?”

“Eh, a little of both. Kinda leaning toward the second, to be honest.”

Spike sighed. “Thank you, Starlight. Your support knows no ends.”

“I’m nothing if not honest,” she replied.

“Fair enough,” Spike said. “But at the same time, is it even worth trying to salvage?”

“Oh boy, here we go,” Starlight said. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s not like we were actually dating or anything. She probably just thinks I’m an annoying little dragon at this point.”

“Oh, everyone already thinks that anyway,” Starlight said with a smirk. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. Anyway, dating or not, your friendship with her is at least something you want to hold onto. And, honestly, you get a really goofy smile on your face whenever you even mention her. If you ask me, that’s something worth saving. And if she just tells you to get lost, then you can at least walk home in rejection knowing you tried. That’s worth something, right?”

Spike groaned. “Oh, it'll be worth something alright. Worth an immediate barrage of unrelenting snark and jokes from you, I bet.”

Starlight shook her head. “I promise, if everything goes to Tartarus, I’ll wait at least forty-eight hours before giving you a hard time. Fair enough?”

“Well, it’s better than nothing. Deal.” Spike scooted back his chair and stood up. “Well, the only way we’re gonna find out how it goes is if I get going, I suppose.”

“Now you’re talking,” Starlight said. “Be a dragon of action, not just talk. You got this!”

Spike smiled and walked toward the door. “I hope so. I really do. But we’ll see.”

With that, Spike exited the room and made his way to the door of the castle. The first stop on his journey to redemption: Rarity’s house.



“...And that’s why I’m here, Rarity. I seek your guidance in my greatest time of need. So, be that as it may, I have but one question to ask of you. Will you help me?”

Rarity took a sip of her tea and curtly nodded before using her magical grip to set the cup back down on the counter. “Well, I have good news for you, my dear. Yes, I can.”

Spike breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed back into the sofa cushions. “Thanks, Rares. I owe you big time. So, given the evidence I’ve laid out in regards to my stupidity, what do you make of the situation?”

The mare lightly rubbed her chin and scrunched up her face, the gears appearing to turn in her head at a steady, yet fast-paced motion. “This is quite the predicament you’ve found yourself in, dear. Many a stallion have faced said challenge before and run away screaming, only to dwell in their misery for years to come.”

Spike gulped. “That doesn’t sound very reassuring, Rarity.”

Rarity shook her head and reached a hoof over to the dragon sitting next to her, lightly patting his head. “Have no fear, Spikey. For you are cut from different cloth than most males, are you not?”

Spike blinked a few times and shrugged. “Maybe. I seem to be just as inept at life’s basic expectations as most of the other guys I know. It’s rather sad, to be honest.”

“Pfft, don’t be so hard on yourself.” Rarity turned to face him, a fierce glint in her eye. “Yes, it is true you sent the poor mare flying out of the restaurant in tears on your first date—”

“Friend date.”

“Oh hush, dear. You’re not fooling me.” Rarity waved a hoof at the now grumbling dragon before continuing. “Yes, you managed to cause a scene of emotional angst that even the most prolific of romance writers could only hope to capture. But, instead of running away and hiding in your room, you’re back out on the field, ready to make your next move. And lucky for you, you have me on your side. Ponyville’s resident expert on all things feminine.”

Spike smiled a toothy grin. “Exactly! I knew you were the one to go to, Rarity. You’re always there when I need you.”

“Of course, dear,” Rarity stated with a warm smile. “But, the best advice I could give you is something you’ve already learned.”

Spike toned down his grin and replaced it with a more quizzical smirk. “Umm, what now?”

“Spike,” Rarity spoke up. “A mare’s heart is something very few can understand. You know this, yes?”

“You have no idea,” Spike said with a chuckle.

“Well, then you know that every case like this is unique and there’s no easy solution,” Rarity said. “But, the biggest mistake you could make, if you actually care about this mare, of course, is doing nothing. So, by even asking me for advice in the first place, you’re already doing the right thing.”

Spike let out yet another sigh and drooped his head. “I guess so. But why is doing the right thing so difficult? You’d think fixing a friendship should be easy. It should be something I already know how to do and have a plan for. Instead, it feels like I’m fighting blind.”

“Because if it wasn’t difficult, then it would signify that you didn’t care about rectifying things in the first place.” Rarity rested a hoof on his shoulder. “The fact this is so hard for you and that you’re still doing what you have to do speaks miles about your personality and how mature you are. And trust me, she will see it, too.”

Spike nodded and stood up from his seat. “I hope so, Rarity. But, that kinda leads me to something else I wanna ask. Something… I think you’re the best pony to answer for me.”

“What would that be, dear?”

“Well, I’m having a bit of a war with myself about this whole thing,” Spike said, pacing back and forth across the living room floor. “Like, I’ll admit it was a date, alright? That’s said and done. But… I’m really wondering if I actually like her or not.”

“I see,” Rarity said. “Why do you say that?”

“You see, back in the day when I was obsessed with you, it seemed so obvious. Like, I knew that I loved you. I knew that you were beautiful and wonderful and a billion other things. It was just so obvious. But this time, the feelings seem more… subtle. Like, I look at her and I smile. I feel good. She makes me laugh. She’s cute. But at the same time…”

“You’re not sure what you’re actually feeling.”

“Exactly!” Spike stopped his pacing to face Rarity directly. “It honestly feels like I like her, but I barely know her. We’ve had one date that barely qualified as anything romantic and other than that, I just don’t know what to feel. Logically, it doesn’t make any sense, but somewhere deep down, I feel right when I’m around her. Ugh, I just don’t get it.”

Rarity chuckled and nodded her head. “I understand what you’re going through perfectly, dear. But, you’re making a crucial error in your line of thinking.”

Spike scratched his head. “I would ask what that is, but at the risk of sounding even more stupid, I’ll just go ahead and let you tell me anyway.”

“Darling, when it comes to the mysteries of the heart, logic is not something that can properly define or measure it. It’s fleeting, it’s flowing… it’s unscripted. It’s difficult to tell exactly how things will turn out and it’s impossible to plan for it. So, the best thing I’ve learned in these situations is to not even try. Just see where things take you and do your best along the way. Do you understand?”

Spike’s mind did a few flips in his head as he heard Rarity’s provoking yet seemingly out of character speech. “I… I think I do get it. But, honestly, how do you know all of this deep stuff? When I came over here I was hoping you’d give me some basic advice you found in a novel, not a psychological pep talk.”

Rarity hummed with a smug grin. “Well, Spike, I’m no stranger to the feelings of romance. At least no more of a stranger than anyone else. Also, I did take two semesters of psychology in school. I thought it would help with rounding out my fashion business credentials.”

Spike smiled. “Well, you learn something new every day, I suppose.”

“Speaking of which,” Rarity said, standing to her hooves in front of Spike. “I hope you learned a little bit in your visit here. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you, but this is something you really need to do on your own.”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, I kinda knew it all along, but maybe I just needed someone to give me a boost. I really wanna fix this.”

“I’m sure you will, love.” Rarity motioned for Spike to follow her over to the door, which she promptly opened. “Now, as opposed to spending more time here, I think it’s time you get out there and go talk to this mare.”

Spike took a deep breath and stepped onto the porch. “Alright, I can do this. Thanks again, Rarity.” Spike was about to take his first steps toward the perilous journey ahead of him but quickly flipped around as one more question came to his mind. “Uhh, Rarity? Really quick.”

“Yes?”

“How did Starlight’s order go?”

Rarity shuddered. “It got done… But please inform her she’s blacklisted for the next two months.”

Without another word, Spike hopped off the porch and began his trek into the Ponyville town square. It was time to find Derpy and fulfill his destiny. Hopefully, he would come out victorious.
> Anxiety
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, you see, I’m really sorry. Like, really really sorry. Is there any way you can find it in your heart to forgive me?”

Spike awaited a response, but of course, there was none to be had given he was still staring at the reflection of the creek water before him.

“Huh, I guess that sounds good enough to give it a try,” he said aloud, giving his reflection a once over. “It’ll have to be because I don’t think I can do much else.”

It was still early in the day, but Spike had found a way to stall the inevitable time of apologies a bit longer by giving a practice speech at the creek near the town. It was rather pathetic really that he was still having so much trouble after the fantastic pep talks he received from two of his closest friends, but the whole situation itself was pathetic to begin with, so avoiding the inevitable fit right in with everything else he had going on.

...He really needed to evaluate the direction in which his life was headed.

But, there would be time for that later. For now, he had one mission on his mind. That was to get the ball rolling and go apologize to Derpy.

“Alright, Spike,” he said, giving a final stare at his reflection. “It’s crunch time. This is where heroes are born and legends are immortalized.”

He heard a few hoofsteps a short distance behind him and turned around just in time to see a mare trotting with a young colt right beside her.

“Mommy, why is that dragon talking to the river?” the colt asked.

“Because honey, not everypony is fortunate enough to have brains that work normally like the rest of us.” The mare quickly placed a hoof on the colt and pushed him forward faster. “Now, let’s keep moving, dear, and try not to make eye contact, okay?”

Spike frowned as the couple walked off. “You know, we’re living in a society! We’re supposed to act like civilized ponies!” The dragon twisted his face into a scowl and trudged away from the body of water back toward the town.

If nothing else, that little scene he was just exposed to did illuminate one undisputable fact of the universe. His brain definitely wasn’t normal. If it was he would have never gotten into this situation in the first place. He wouldn’t cut his losses and moved on. But no, he’s gallivanting off to apologize to a mare he, truth be told, hardly knows for reasons he can’t even begin to logically explain.

Just another day in the life for Spike the Dragon.



Spike glanced around at the bustling midday streets of Ponyville. Ponies clopped along the cobbled roads, selling items, enjoying the weather or conversing with each other. His eyes took in the sights of many a pony he knew, but the one he was actually making an effort to find was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is she?” Spike asked, emitting a frustrated growl.

It was just a bit after twelve, so she should be just finishing up her mail route by this time, but he had already hung by the postal office for a few minutes, but no dice. He had also checked out most of the town’s homes to see if he could spot any sign of her. No luck there, either.

He continued walking through the town, determined to complete this task he had set out on. It wasn’t easy, sure, but he knew he couldn’t give up. Another day of stress like this and who knew what kind of irreversible psychological damage he’d end up incurring. Not to mention he’d never hear the end of it from Starlight. And Rarity would be disappointed, too. Then Twilight would find out and the lectures would never cease.

That was a fate worse than death.

He shook off the traumatic thoughts before they had a chance to leave their depressing residue in his mind. He continued to scan the nearby premises for anything that resembled the blonde mare. He really hoped he would catch her before she inevitably went to the hospital to see her sister. Not that he had any problems with her priorities, but the hospital with her sister was neither the time nor place for a discussion such as which he was going to have.

Spike continued his meandering, his willpower to continue decreasing with each step he took. As he eyed all the buildings up and down, taking in the sights of the various ponies around, he finally began to accept the inevitable.

The universe simply didn’t want things to work out for him. Ever.

Spike took a deep breath and slowly released it as his face morphed into a frown. “Well, I guess I’m going to have to take an earful when I get ho—”

“Yes, I’d like two muffins, please. The ones with the pecans in them.”

Spike’s ears pricked up at the sound of the familiar voice. He shifted his body around to where the baked goods stand was, and sure enough, there she was. His eyes examined the specified target taking two muffins from the stand and tossing her bits on the small wooden counter in exchange.

“Thank you! I would say come again, but I know you will, anyway.”

Spike watched as they finished their transaction. Derpy took the muffins and put them in her satchel,  and began to turn around. Now was his chance!

“Ahh!”

The dragon wasn't sure what possessed him to show such a great display of cowardice,  but for whatever reason, he instinctive hopped into a nearby barrel of oranges the moment he made eye contact with Derpy. In a world of winners and losers, Spike made his spot on the evolutionary totem pole quite clear in this instant.

After a few brief seconds of his nostrils being filled with the smell of Valencia orange peels, his ears once again picked up that familiar sound.

“Umm, Spike? Are you okay in there?”

Curse you, universe. Curse you!

Spike maneuvered his body around into a position where he was able to see Derpy’s cute face and soft blonde mane peeking over the edge of the barrel. “Oh, uh, hey there!”

Derpy waved and gave him a soft smile. “Hey, Spike. Do you need some help? You look kinda… stuck.”

“Oh, me? Psh, no. I was just, just…” Spike attempted to pull himself up and get out on his own, but his efforts to escape the obtrusive oranges bore no fruit. It was time to be honest. “You know what, I was gonna try and make an excuse as to why I’m in here, but I really have no idea. I’d love some help in getting out of here.”

Derpy reached a hoof down which Spike happily took. With a small grunt, Derpy yanked the dragon out of the citrus prison and onto the ground.

“There you go, Spike,” she said. “You gotta be careful about hopping into barrels. I got stuck in one a couple weeks ago and they had to call the firefighters and the Royal Guard to get me out.”

Spike rose a claw in an attempt to ask how such a serious, barrel-related situation could have ever come to be, but in doing so he’d more than likely be asked as to his reason for being stuck in a barrel, and that was a conversation he really didn’t need to be having right now. Maybe later. Instead, he simply needed to save as much face as possible and get to the point.

“So, how you doin’?” Spike asked, laughing off his nervousness the best he could.

Derpy kicked at the ground a bit before responding. “I’m doing alright. You?”

“Oh, you know, same old story, just a different day. Except you know, this day’s story included a barrel of oranges.” Spike made a mental note to facepalm at a later date for that. “So, you know, I’m doing alright, hehe.”

For what seemed like an eternity, the two of the shared nervous glances and subtle coughs and chuckles, not a word being spoken. It was calm… peaceful almost. And if the awkward silence in the air around them got any heavier it could tear a rift through time and space.

Spike cleared his throat and steeled his nerves. It was go time. Now or never. However, the mare across of him seemed to have the same idea.

“I’m sorry!” The two said in unison.

Spike physically tilted back upon hearing the words that just came out of the mare’s mouth. “Um, what did you say?”

Derpy let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. About yesterday and everything.”

Spike scratched his head. “What are you sorry for? I was the one who needed to apologize. I, um, I kinda overstepped my boundaries when I shouldn’t have. I was just trying to make conversation and I stepped into something that wasn’t my business. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Maybe,” she said, bringing her eyes to meet his for the first time during the conversation. “But still, I feel bad about just running away. I was embarrassed and I shouldn’t have done that.”

Spike took a moment before responding to analyze the current state of the situation he was in. It had gone from him panicking and preparing to beg for forgiveness to sounding like one of Twilight’s old friendship lesson letters. He wasn’t sure how to feel about this.

Spike once again was about to respond before he was forced by a tapping on his shoulder. The dragon turned around and was face to face with a large, tan stallion with a noticeable cutie mark that looked suspiciously like an orange tree.

“Excuse me, sir,” the stallion began in a deep, gruff tone that would send Chrysalis running for cover. “I don’t mean to interrupt your lovely heart to heart here, but I couldn’t help but notice that a few moments ago you thought it was high time to invade my barrel of produce.”

Spike gulped as his eyes sized up the stallion towering over him. “Well, I, uh… Yeah, that was me.”

The stallion’s calm expression turned into a grimace. “I see. Now, considering that I highly doubt my customers would appreciate being sold dragon-tainted oranges, how will you be paying for these today? We accept bit or check for your convenience.”






Spike and Derpy slowly walked away from the town center, out toward a grassy patch in the park. Spike, to be exact, had a rather grumpy scowl on his face after his recent interaction turned sales transaction.

“Wow,” Derpy said when they came to a stop. “That stallion sure wasn’t very happy. He always seemed so nice when I see him on my mail route.”

“Yeah, well,” Spike said turning to look at her, “that’s what happens when you mess with someone’s bits. But, if you think that was bad, wait until Twilight sees the bill when the check gets cashed. Not to mention when the barrel of oranges shows up on our doorstep.”

Derpy rubbed her chin for a moment. “With a whole barrel, I bet you could make a lot of orange juice.”

Spike chuckled. “No joke. At least we’ll have meals taken care of for awhile.”

The two shared a brief laugh together. It was a beautiful scene. The calm wind and bright sunshine illuminating the small park. It was a quiet afternoon there, Spike and Derpy being the only ones at the moment.

Spike looked at the mare before him, the sun glinting off her mane. It was quite pretty, to be honest. That shiny, golden blonde hair…

Spike realized he was staring at her for a time longer than was deemed socially acceptable and quickly shook his head clear and picked up the conversation once more.

“Anyhow, thanks for coming out here with me.” Spike took a seat on the ground, his scales enjoying the warmth of the sun. He patted the grass next to him bidding Derpy to do the same, which she gladly did. “I just figured this would be a better place to talk, away from all the craziness going on in the town.”

“Of course,” she said with a small smile, her eyes fixated on the ground. “I like talking to you.”

Spike’s heart skipped a beat at hearing that. Was she insinuating what he thought she was? Eh, probably not.

“I like talking to you, too,” he replied with a bright smile. “Plus, I really needed to talk to you about everything. I’m actually kinda shocked you’re even taking the time to see me. Not gonna lie, when you raced out of the restaurant, I figured you would never wanna even see me again.”

“Of course not, silly,” Derpy said, turning to look at him with a small smile. “It was just… Just kinda emotional for me when you asked that question. I didn’t want anyone to see me like that. Especially you, considering how nice and sweet you’ve been to me and Dinky.”

Spike couldn’t believe what he just heard. ‘Sweet Celestia, Starlight was right.’ It was of utmost importance she never learns of this or he’d never hear the end of it.

“I understand,” Spike said. “If it means anything, before I messed everything up, I was having a great time. I like that you’re not afraid to just eat whatever at a restaurant. I’ve been to enough royal dinners where everyone is obsessed with manners to the point where I couldn’t eat anything without thinking I was breaking some international treaty. Eating with you was great, actually.”

Derpy blushed ever so slightly before continuing. “Thanks, Spike. I was having fun, too. It was a nice little break from everything else going on. I enjoyed it a lot. Thank you.”

“Heh, no problem. But, you know, it’s just part of being me. I’m pretty great, sometimes.” Spike sent a wink at her followed by a small laugh that Derpy shared in as well. “But in all seriousness, like I said, I’m just glad we’re even talking. For a bit there, I thought I was doomed to just be left with a story of how I had the most epic date fail of all time.”

Derpy blinked a few times. “Date?”

And there it was. Spike had once again found a way to take a good, wholesome thing like a sweet conversation in the park and turn it into something awkward and egregious. Why did he have such a talent for these things?

Well, at this point, there was nothing left to do, He was going down with this ship… Or at least he’d dip his toes into the crashing sea.

“Yeah, I guess,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, two friends hanging out together. That qualifies as a date, right?”

Derpy tried to put on a smile but her face drooped into a small frown nonetheless. “Oh, yeah, a friend date. I guess it does qualify.”

Spike didn’t know how to respond. What did she want from him? A second ago he was sure she was put off by the just the mention of the word ‘date’. Now, she seemed almost saddened that he said they were friends hanging out. Rarity was right… Mares are complicated. He’d have better luck deciphering one of Twilight’s calculus lessons than figuring out what to say next.

But, given the circumstances, he’d have to take the same approach here as he does to every quiz Twilight throws at him: He was gonna wing it.

Spike took a deep breath. “Is that a bad thing? Us hanging out and whatnot?”

Derpy quickly turned her head around to face him. “Of course not. It was a lot of fun. Whatever kind of date it was… I’d love to be able to do it again, some time.”

Now it was Spike’s turn to blush. “I would, too.”
> Story of a Lonely Guy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The wind was calm, the sun was shining, birds were chirping their glorious songs to the heavens and all was right in the universe as Spike traversed his way back home. As far as he was concerned, the most powerful tornado ever recorded could be tearing the town apart and he'd be happy.

Life finally seemed to be going his way and boy was he enjoying it.

Spike pushed open the doors and skipped inside, a goofy smile adorning his face. Nothing was going to ruin his mood if he could help it. Not the chilly temperature in the castle, not the very expensive vase he just tripped over, not the immediately recognizable voice of an obnoxious blue unicorn coming from the living room…

“Oh no.”

Spike sauntered toward the living area and sure enough, there she was. Instantly, he was faced with a dilemma of epic proportions. On one claw, he had a guest in his home and it was of his professional and gentledrakely obligation to make her feel welcome. On the other, however, he was in a great mood and he would be damned if he was going to let Trixie find a way to ruin it for him with her nonsense.

“Spike!” The blue mare called out. “Don’t think Trixie doesn’t see you there. Come hither. Trixie requests your presence.”

Sure enough, his decision had already been made for him. No shock, really.

Spike emitted a billowing cloud of defeat, walking into the room. Trixie and Starlight were sitting on the couch, fishing donuts from the nearby coffee table.

“Alright, what do you want, Trixie?” Spike glared at her before turning to Starlight. “And hi, Starlight. Didn’t know you were having guests of the annoying variety over today.”

“Hmph,” Trixie snorted out. “And to think Trixie was considering paying you a compliment today.”

Starlight frowned at both of the bickering individuals. “Spike, be nice. Trixie, remember the first person rule. You’ve already almost reached your daily limit.”

“Fine,” they both said in a perfect harmony of annoyance and dejection.

“Anyhow,” Spike spoke up, “What'd you need, Trixie? I’m all ears.”

Trixie swallowed her most recent munch of donut and turned to Spike with a smug grin. “Well, after hearing from Starlight about your, hm, shall we say, unique first date, Trix—, er, I just had to see how things went today, what with the apology and all.”

“Starlight! You told her?” Spike crossed his arms, boring his eyes into Starlight’s soul. “Was it not enough to laugh to my face about it, but you had to tell the most loud-mouthed mare in town, too? No offense, Trixie.”

“None taken. One need not feel ashamed of the truth.”

Starlight blushed and averted her eyes. “Sorry, Spike, it just kinda slipped during our usual conversation. At least I’m not making fun of you behind your back, right? I do that to your face..”

Both the mares snickered, much to Spike’s dismay. “Unfortunately,” he said. ”But, I guess now that it’s out, there’s no point in crying over it.”

“See, that’s the spirit, Spike!” Starlight nodded with enthusiasm.

Spike grinned. “But it’s not gonna save you from having Twilight find out about the trashy fanfiction you write and keep under your bed. You've made your bed there, Starlight.”

“Ha!” Trixie chuckled and reached over to give Spike a hoof/claw bump.

“Hrrm, fine, that’s fair,” Starlight huffed, “But, if we could please continue on and leave this petty squabbling behind us?”

“Right,” Spike said. “So, yeah, I had a screwy date, as I’m sure you know, Trixie. What about it?”

“Well,” Trixie said, “I find it quite entertaining, to be honest. But I have to respect that you tried to fix it, as Starlight told me you were attempting to do today.”

Spike blinked a few times. “Um, thank you. I’m not quite used to hearing compliments from you of all ponies. I’m not sure how to take it, to be honest,” Spike switched to a quiet murmur, “Or where it even came from...”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Spike, by virtue of Starlight being my best friend, you’re my friend too. And given that, it’s only correct that I congratulate you on your accomplishments. Aaand, Trixie may or may not find it cute that you went through so much trouble to apologize for something so trivial as a first date.”

“Oh sweet Celestia,” Spike said, “Trixie is calling me cute? I must be doing something seriously wrong in life.”

“Spike!” Starlight shouted, berating him with a hoof.

Trixie frowned. “Or, Spike, you could just accept a compliment from The Generous and Charitable—”

“Trixie!” Starlight shot her other hoof at her.

“Exactly!” she finished.

“No!” Starlight yelled out. “Both of you! Thought it might be difficult to fathom the idea, please find a way to act like respectable adults for the next few minutes.”

Spike and Trixie both nodded in affirmation; Trixie suddenly became very interested in the floor.

"Now, Spike, if you would, what we really want to know is how things went this morning with Derpy.”

Spike shook off his frustrations, replacing his grimace with a smile as he thought back to earlier. “Well, I’ll have you know, things couldn’t have gone better! Well, I mean, they probably could have, but I’ll take what I can get at this stage.”

“Oh, do tell,” Trixie said, sitting back and levitating another donut to her lips.

Spike smiled and began pacing the room as he regaled them with his tale. “So, there I was, questing across the vast city in my search for her. Harsh stone underfoot, the burning heat from the sun on my scales, the harsh winds on my face, but I pressed onward.”

Starlight rose her hoof and spoke up. “But Ponyville’s a village, and it was only like sixty-five degrees this morning.”

“Shh,” Trixie said. “It’s a story. It’s supposed to sound better than it was. Continue, Spike.”

Starlight rolled her eyes and slouched back in the sofa.

“Anyway,” Spike continued, “I looked all around town, but with no luck. Before long, I was beginning to wonder if this mare even existed at all. Perhaps she was just a figment of my imagination? Or worse, perhaps this was all just a sick joke devised by the gods. Whatever it was, though, I refused to be denied success. I left no stone unturned, no mailbox unopened.”

“That’s illegal, you know,” Starlight interjected, earning a quick set of glares. “Fine, fine, I’ll let you finish.”

Spike cleared his throat. “Now, right as I was nearing my wits’ end, it happened. The wind carried a voice to me, a distinct voice belonging to only one mare I knew. And then I saw her face. I wasn’t a believer in miracles before this moment, but I’m a believer now.”

“And then what happened?” Trixie asked, eyes wide, her mouth full of donut.

Spike smiled. “Well, as it would turn out, she was engaging in business with a shopkeep at the time. And, well…” Spike quickly decided that no good would come from telling them about the barrel incident, so he’d take his chances and hope they didn’t find out. “Well, I went up to her, threw caution to the wind, and told her what she needed to hear.”

“So, you managed to apologize to her, right?” Starlight asked. “Good for you.”

“That’s not all, is it?” Trixie asked. “What happened after?”

A smirk found its way onto Spike’s face. “Oh, now’s the part where it gets good. Because right after I apologized, we decided to go to the park and—”

“Spike! Amadeus! Dragon!”

“Oh no,” Spike said under his breath. “Um, yeah, Twi?”

Twilight stormed into the room, holding a piece of parchment in her magical grip. “There you are. I’ve been waiting for you to get home.”

“Ahh, come on, Sparkle,” Trixie stated. “You’re ruining the story.”

“Your little fun time can wait,” she said before returning her gaze to Spike. “Now, would you like to tell me why I not only got billed for an entire barrel of oranges but also was made known of a citation you received for  personal property damage?”

Spike facepalmed. Can’t I just have one day?

“Well, you see, Twi,” he began. “It’s actually a really funny story.”

“Oh, I’d love to hear it,” she replied.

In the background, Starlight grabbed a donut and leaned over to Trixie. “Now this is what I call entertainment.”

“Well, you see,” Spike said, “everything was going great. I was out in the markets and then suddenly, this huge blast of wind literally lifts me right up off my feet. Before I know it, I'm inside this barrel of oranges! I swear, it really… happened... “

The look from Twilight instantly told Spike all that he needed to know.

“Okay, fine, I leaped in there on purpose. I went to go talk to Derpy today, freaked out and jumped into the nearest hiding spot.” Spike hung his head in shame, a move that was warranted by the muffled laughter coming from the mares behind him.

“Well, Spike, despite your painfully poor attempt at lying to me, I appreciate you telling the truth. Then again, I already knew what happened, because the shopkeeper's testimony was included with the citation.” Twilight held out the piece of parchment to Spike so he could see his undoing clear as day. “However, that doesn't solve the issue of what we’re going to do with an entire barrel of oranges or how you’re going to replace the cost of them.”

Spike huffed and kicked the ground. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I’ll pay the bill back to you. As far as the oranges go?” Spike scratched his head before offering a sheepish smile, “I suppose we can have a lot of orange juice?”

Twilight sighed. “I suppose so. But Spike, please be more aware of your surroundings in the future? You may not be royalty but you still reside at the castle and associate with all the princesses, so it looks terrible on all of us for your name to have any kind of criminal history attached to it.” Twilight rolled her eyes, walking away and leaving Spike alone with two smiling mares.

“So, Spike, what was that about jumping into a barrel?” Starlight asked as Trixie erupted in laughter.

“Ha, ha, ha, very funny,” Spike said with a scowl. “I got nervous, fine. Who doesn’t?”

Trixie rose her hoof with a cocky grin before having it smacked down by Starlight.

“That’s true, Spike,” Starlight agreed. “But for most creatures, jumping into a barrel of fruit isn’t the first plan of action during a fight or flight response.”

Spike grumbled. “Yeah, well, if you ever actually get a coltfriend, come back and talk to me, alright?”

Starlight opened her mouth to retort but produced only a wordless flap, realizing that no amount of words could properly ice the burn she just received. “Fine, let’s just hear what happened at the park.”

Before Spike continued, Trixie reached out her hoof, beckoning once again for another hoof/claw bump. “Nice one, Spike.”

“Hey, whose side are you on?” Starlight asked, her jaw slacked.

“Trixie prefers to be on the winning side of any argument.” She chuckled and winked at Starlight, relaxing back in her seat.

“Now that that’s over,” Spike said, “here’s what happened. We were just chatting, you know? You doing good, how’s the weather, that kind of thing. We talked a bit about the day before, what happened and so on. Turns out… I have no idea what she thinks of me.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I mentioned the word ‘date’ to her, and she seemed almost shocked. And then, I corrected it to ‘friend date’ and she seemed depressed!” Spike was vaguely aware of the waving of his arms, “Like, I don’t know what she even wants.”

Trixie and Starlight both turned to each other, meeting eye to eye, then proceeded to nod in mutual understanding.

“Go on,” Trixie said.

“Well, that’s pretty much it,” Spike shrugged. “She said something about wanting to do it again, but not much else happened. No biggie.”

The sound of Starlight’s hoof colliding with her face echoed throughout the walls of the castle. “Are you serious?” Starlight rose from her seat and marched up to Spike, bringing her face inches from his. “She said that and you have no idea what’s going on?”

Spike cowered back. “Umm… yes? I mean, ponies hang out all the time. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Starlight turned to Trixie. “Trix, you’ve been around. Are males in other towns as stupid as the ones here in the Castle?”

Trixie nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid so. One is just as clueless as the next.”

Starlight rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the confused dragon before her. “She just asked you on a second date! Well, not asked, per se, but practically begged you to ask her. Did you guys at least go do something after she said that?”

Spike shook his head. “Uhh, no? I told her I had some things to do and left.” Spike thought back to the encounter; his eyes darted to Starlight in newfound panic. “Is that okay?”

Starlight sighed. “Are you serious? Spike! Please, for the love of all things good and holy, tell me you at least set something up for the future and didn’t leave her hanging.”

Spike gulped down a large breath before responding. “Well, uh, I said we could talk more tomorrow if that counts. Does it count? Please? I hope so.” Spike awkwardly glanced to Trixie and back, “...Don’t hurt me.”

Starlight pulled herself back and rolled her eyes. “It’s not ideal, but I suppose it counts. Did you have any specific place or time?”

Spike wiped the suddenly present sweat from his brow. “Uh, yeah. I asked if we could just talk at the park, same time. I thought it sounded like a good idea.”

Starlight nodded. “Okay, that’ll do. You saved yourself at least some mockery for the rest of the night.”

Spike smiled. “It’s the small victories, right?”

Starlight chuckled and nudged him on the shoulder. “Sorry if I was a little tough on you. Just, deep down, I care about you and I want you to be happy.”

“It must be real deep down then because I’ve never seen it,” Spike said with a snicker.

“Oh yeah,” Starlight said. “So deep the fish at the bottom have never seen sunlight. Can’t start looking mushy. Might ruin my image.”

“And nobody wants that. If it makes you feel better, you’ll always be a heartless dictator to me. And Trixie,” Spike said, looking past Starlight to the mare stealing the last donut. “You’ll always be annoying, but we love you anyway.”

Trixie put on a proud smile and hummed happily as she partook of her savory sweet snack. “Trixie can live with that.”

“Anyway, Spike,” Starlight said, “Trixie and I were thinking about hitting up the bowling alley today. You wanna come with?”

Spike put his claw to his chin for a moment but ultimately shook his head. “Nah, not today. I”m feeling pretty tired. One of those days, you know?”

Starlight opened her mouth to push the issue but quickly shut it. “Alright Spike, it’s cool. Get some rest, alright?”

He gave her a thumbs up and walked over to the stairs. Despite all the chaos that had transpired that day, he had a smile on his face.

Life finally seemed to be going his way.
> Heaven Must Be Just Like This
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The wind blew through the trees, adding a welcoming tone of cool warmth to the beautiful sunlit park. Derpy brushed her mane out of her face so she could get a better glance at the dragon walking beside her.

“So, then I said to her, ‘Twilight, that’s not a test tube, that’s Celestia!’” Spike burst out in laughter, followed by Derpy who did the same.

“Oh my gosh, that’s so crazy!” Derpy said, trying to control herself. “How’d she respond to that?”

Spike smirked. “Well, after Celestia reverted back from being turned into a gopher, Twilight immediately began working on an apology gift basket. However, Celestia eventually just laughed the whole thing off and chalked it up to magical mishap.” Spike shook his head and chuckled. “Twilight’s gotten a lot better about magical stuff since our days in Canterlot, but those times were always fun. A lot simpler, too.”

“A lot simpler?” Derpy responded.

“Oh yeah,” Spike replied. “You’d be amazed how relaxing life can be when you’re not consistently asked to save the world. These days, it’s dangerous business going out our front door, even.”

“I can only imagine.”

An awkward silence hung in the air as the two continued walking down the sidewalk. Spike tried to think of something to say to break the silence, but he found nothing to say.

Luckily for him, Derpy decided to save the moment.

“Do you miss it?”

“Huh? Miss what?”

“Those simpler times.” Derpy blinked once. “What was Twilight like before she came to Ponyville?”

“Imagine the egghead she is now, but like, ten times worse.”

She giggled. “Really?”

“Celestia, it was bad. She’d rather talk to Smartypants than any colt or filly.”

“Smartypants?”

“Smartypants, Twilight’s old stuffed animal from when she was a kid. She grew out of it eventually, but that reclusive filly is still there if you look hard enough.”

“Dinky loves her toys,” Derpy mumbled. “I bet she would’ve liked Twilight as a friend. She doesn’t have too many at school.”

“That’s a shame,” Spike said. “She’s probably the sweetest filly I’ve met.”

“Heh, that’s because you’ve only seen her on a good day,” Derpy said with a chuckle. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of trouble she’s caused for me.”

“Oh? I can’t help but feel there’s a story here.”

Derpy smiled and rolled her eyes. “So, one time a couple years back, I made the mistake of leaving my mailbag on the living room floor before going out to my route. I get back from taking a shower and I found letters all over the floor with crayon scribbled all over them! And of course, Dinky was sitting in the middle of it all, smiling like she was the happiest filly on Earth.”

Spike tried to hold a serious face, but couldn’t help cracking a smile. “Oh man, how’d you deal with that mess?”

Derpy shook her head. “Let’s just say there were a lot of confused ponies that day.”

“Well, at least you have a story you’ll remember for the rest of your life.” Spike shrugged. “Awkward moments have a tendency to stick with us.” Spike’s mind couldn’t help but flash back to the scene of Derpy streaking out of the restaurant in tears. That memory sure wasn’t going anywhere.

“So, outside of Twilight’s, umm, ‘egghead-ness,’ what was it like back then?”

Spike scratched his head. “Before Ponyville? Well, things were definitely… different. It’s kinda hard to explain.”

“Oh, I see,” Derpy said. “You don’t have to talk about it just for my sake.”

“No, it’s cool.” Spike let out a deep breath. “Honestly, I really miss those days. A lot. Sure, Twilight was always going on about some new magic spell or book she read, and we didn’t have nearly as many friends as we have now, but it was nice. Things were a lot less stressful, that’s for sure. And, honestly, there was something kinda great about it being just me and Twilight. She’s really the closest thing to family I ever had. We didn’t really do much, but just the two of us hanging out at the library all day… we were happy.”

Derpy nodded. “I know what you mean. I remember that me and Dinky… well, things were a lot different, to say the least.”

Spike had to fight every immature bone in his body to poke and prod her for more of an explanation. But, of course, he remembered what happened last time. He’d simply have to ignore his curiosity for now. As Starlight said, she’d talk about it when she was ready.

Spike was able to beat out the nagging desire for information and decided it was time to change the subject. “Speaking of different, any news on Dinky? I’m not sure if you had a chance to see her today or anything.” .

“Oh, yeah, I stayed the night there last night. She actually seems to be  a lot more active and stuff, now. Doctors say that with any luck, she should be able to go home, soon.”

“That’s great!” Spike said. “How soon is ‘soon’, exactly?”

Derpy frowned. “I don’t really know, yet. I just, you know, keep hoping. Even with all the trouble she’s caused, I can’t wait for her to come back home.”

Spike stopped and laid a claw on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, it’ll happen. I know it will.”

The two continued meandering for a moment, this time a natural and comfortable silence between them. Bliss. Just the two of them enjoying the weather and each other’s company. It was nice.

However, as he’s prone to do, for better or for worse, Spike had an idea.

“So, Derpy?”

“Yeah?”

“Given how much we’re talking about the past and all that jazz, there’s something I want to show you real quick if you have the time.”

The mare nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, sure! What is it?”

Spike began walking toward a branching pathway leading away from the park. “You’ll see.”






After a brief stroll through the dirt roads of Ponyville, they finally arrived at the desired destination.

“Well, here we are.” Spike pointed his claw toward a small patch of grass and dirt in front of them. “Do you know where we are?”

Derpy looked around. “Umm, downtown Ponyville?”

“...Yes, but, more specifically, do you know what used to be here?”

Derpy rubbed her chin but was unable to come up with anything. “I don’t really know. I guess I never paid attention, before.”

“That’s okay. It wasn’t anything necessarily remarkable,” Spike said. “Unless, of course, it was your home.”

Spike held out a claw, gesturing for Derpy’s hoof. Her eyes traveled to his outstretched palm for a moment before she gently placed a hoof in it. Spike led her off the pathway and onto the grassy area. Once they reached the center, he let go. Spike knelt down and ran a claw through the grass. He could still feel the soft dirt melding with the fresh blades of grass. He grabbed a handful of soil and stood up.

“Golden Oaks Library used to be here, once upon a time. It’s been a few years now, so it doesn’t surprise me you don’t remember.” He opened up his call, letting the dirt slip through and return to the ground. “This is all that’s left of it. Some soil and grass.”

Derpy looked around. It didn’t look like anything special off the bat, but then it hit her. “Oh yeah! I do remember. It was in a tree or something, right? I never really had time for reading, so I didn’t come around much.” She blushed and emmitted a nervous laugh.

“Don’t worry, I get it,” the dragon responded. “After being around books so much, I kinda lost a passion for reading myself for a while. But, despite how unimpressive this may seem, this was my home when we first moved to Ponyville. For two or three years, I can’t remember exactly, me and Twilight lived here while we adjusted to life outside Canterlot.”

Derpy nodded. “I remember when you two first came. Everyone was kinda worried at first if I remember correctly. A dragon and a student of Celestia coming to town. It was definitely new.”

Spike released a quick laugh. “Oh yeah, we know. We were just as freaked out about the whole thing, too. Especially Twilight. Having to make friends after having her nose in a book for so long. It was definitely a change. But, all in all, it was a good thing.”

“I imagine. Friends are always good to have around.”

“Yeah, but it was something more than that. Before Twilight became a princess, it was just about making friends and fighting off the occasional foe. We were happy back then. Honestly, I think Twilight was a lot happier, too.”

Derpy shook her head. “You don’t think she’s happy, now?”

Spike shrugged. “I’m not really saying that. Things are just… different. But I guess that’s what time does, right? Changes things. And we just have to make do the best we can.”

Derpy nodded. “I guess so. But, you have a lot of memories, don’t you? Good ones? Those kinda help us deal with change, too. Or at least that’s what I always thought.”

Spike smiled and turned his attention away from the grass and back to Derpy. “You’re right. I guess that’s better than just dwelling on how things used to be.”

Derpy beamed and nodded. “Yep!” She inched a few steps closer to Spike. “And that’s why it’s so important to keep making memories. That way, when things change in the future, we’ll be able to look back to now.”

Spike mulled what she said. For someone who could be so goofy and unpredictable at times, she certainly had a fresh view of the world. It was special.

After processing what she said, Spike had to be quick about responding. Standing under the sun, just the two of them, making memories… He’d read enough of Starlight’s cheesy romance novels to know that this was a ‘defining moment of a relationship.’ Granted, they weren’t really in a relationship, but if he ever wanted things to move that way, this was as good of a moment as any to get the ball rolling.

“Well,” Spike said, eyes darting around the ground. “Let’s go ahead a make one right now.” He scanned his eyes around a bit more before locking onto his target. “Aha!”

He bent over and plucked a flower off the ground. A soft-yellow daisy. “I hate picking the only flower that’s managed to grow here, but I couldn’t help noticing it matched your mane really well.”

Derpy’s mouth opened ever so slightly as Spike gently brushed her mane back. Without a word, he tucked the flower into it, right behind her ear. A deep crimson flushed over her face.

“There,” Spike said. “Now we have a memory here. Good thing, too. I’d rather not forget this if it’s all the same to you.”

Derpy tried to hide her grin but to no avail. Instead, she just turned her attention to the ground. “Y-Yeah. Same here.”

Spike could barely contain his excitement. That’s right, he did something good on a date once. Well, kind-of date. Whatever it was, it was going well, and that was good enough for him.

Now to put the final touch on the afternoon.

“So,” he spoke up. “I think that’s enough soul searching for one day. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe you’ve ever actually seen the castle, have you?”

Derpy nodded. “Of course I’ve seen it, silly! I deliver mail there almost every day. Not to mention it’s visible from pretty much every corner of town.”

Spike chuckled. Her simple way of thinking was positively adorable at times. “Okay, but that’s not what I meant. Have you ever been inside? Like, actually gotten to look around?”

“Oh,” Derpy said. “No, I never have. I know Twilight has the occasional dance there and stuff, but I’ve never really had the chance to go.”

“How about we change that?” Spike shifted his foot around on the ground. “If you’re not doing anything, would you be down to come over for dinner tonight? It’s Starlight’s turn to cook and she makes some mean soup. Not to mention it’d be a great chance to show you around a bit.”

Derpy tapped her chin with a hoof. “I’d love to! Umm, what time should I come over?”

“Well, it’ll take us a few hours to get everything ready and stuff, so how about 6 o’clock? That’ll give us both some time to do whatever.”

Derpy bobbed her head. “Sounds like a plan! I guess we should leave now?”

“I guess so,” Spike said. “But not quite yet. There is one more thing.”

He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her neck in a quick hug. Was it awkward? Yes. Was it embarrassing? Probably. Did either of them care? Absolutely not.

After Spike stepped away, they were both wearing the same color of red on their face.

“I’ll see you later, Derpy,” Spike said, stumbling away.

Derpy chuckled and walked the opposite direction. “Yeah, definitely. See you later, Spike. I can’t wait.”

Spike, being lost in his own world of thought at this point, could only think of one thing on his way home.

Starlight is gonna finally have to give me credit. I can’t wait to tell her about this.
> A Call To Arms
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I should’ve known better.

The verbally battered dragon was trying to focus on anything but Starlight’s laughter, but considering she was only a few feet in front of him, there was little he could do. He would just have to wait for it to end.

I should’ve seen this coming.

“So let me get this straight,” Starlight huffed between bouts of laughter. “You take her to your old home, then put a flower in her mane?”

Will I ever learn?

“Yes, that is correct.”

“And you capped it with saying ‘let’s make a memory’?”

“You heard my words!”

Starlight shook her head, making sure to wipe away a few tears in the process. “Spike, I gotta give you points for capitalizing on the moment, but still. What cheesy romance novel did you pick that up from?”

“Oh, you know, one of your personal favorites,” Spike stated with a snicker. “‘The Young and the Trotless’ I believe it was called.”

Starlight blushed. “How do you know about that?”

Spike wasn’t one for throwing anypony under the bus, but he and the guilty party didn’t necessarily share any kind of special bond. “Trixie told me. Lucky for you, I know how to keep my mouth shut, unlike her.”

“Lulamoon,” Starlight uttered through a sneer.

“Anywho, are you done with your nonsense, or do I need to grab some coffee and a comic book?”

Starlight inhaled deeply, stifling the rest of the laughs threatening to leave her throat. “Okay, I’m done. So, what happened next?”

Spike nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, about that. That’s what I’m gonna need your help with.”

“Oh, boy, here you go. You didn’t try to make a move on her, did you? Because if you’re gonna ask me to go to her house and convince her that you’re not a sexual heathen, you can count me ou—”

“No, no, no,” Spike said, waving his claws. “Despite my track record, I’m not that inexperienced.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

Spike folded his arms and drummed his claws. “There’ll be time for snark and banter later. But, to answer your question, I invited her over for dinner tonight. So, you know…”

“You invited her over for dinner? That’s… that’s actually impressive.” Starlight nudged him with a hoof. “Good on you, Spike. There may be hope for you, yet.”

Spike beamed ear to ear. “Thanks! Now, as to what you should make for dinner. I was thinking your special soup.”

“Oh, curses!” Starlight yelled out, stomping her hoof. “I actually have to cook now.”

“What do you mean?” Spike asked. “It was your turn to cook, anyway!”

“Spike, you know as well as I do that I was planning on forgetting making dinner tonight so Twilight would order pizza. You know how I work, c’mon.”

“That just may be, Starlight, but this is no time for pizza. This is time for action! The meal has to be perfect. Or, you know, as close as somepony like you can get.” Spike chuckled. “I’ll make sure to keep my expectations reasonable.”

An eye roll was all it took to tell Spike not to push his luck.

“Alright, in honor of the friend code, I’ll have your back.” Starlight began pacing back and forth. “What do you think we should have? I don’t really have time to make my soup tonight. That’s more of an all-day endeavor.  Hayburgers sound good?"

"Eh, we’ve already had those on the first date. Not a good moment.  Besides, maybe Derpy wants something fancier?"

"Okay, how about tacos? Everyone loves tacos, right? Considering you can't stop thinking and talking about her, you should probably go with a more safe choice for dinner, anyway."

Spike shrugged. "Maybe. Tacos are pretty great. Gah, I normally don’t have to think this hard about food. I don't know why I can't stop thinking about her. It's like I can't resist her."

"Red beans and rice?"

"I miss her."

“Spike!”

Spike blinked a few times, snapping himself out of his infatuation induced trance. “Sorry, Starlight. You know what? Let’s do tacos.”

Starlight smiled. “Good choice. Tacos are yummy and easy to make. As far as I’m concerned, we both win. Not to mention, if everything blows up in your face and she runs out crying again, you’ll have tacos to help ease the sadness and heartache.”

“Har har har, very funny.” Spike turned to look at the clock. “Well, we’ve got three hours to get everything ready before she gets here. You think you can get the food ready and table set by then?”

“I suppose,” she replied. “And what exactly are you gonna do?”

“Umm, I was thinking about taking a shower. And probably reading a comic book. You know, the usual way I spend my afternoons. Is that okay?”

“I thought as much. You think you might wanna pick up a bit around here? It’s not exactly date ready.”

Spike waved around at the room. “Pfft, nah fam, It looks great!”

Starlight’s eyes darted between several obvious messes in the vicinity. “So, that stack of comic books on the table and trail of hayfries leading up the stairs are A-OK in your book?”

“Okay, you might have a point. I’ll get to that, too.’

“Geez,” Starlight said. “You better hope things don’t escalate too much. I’d hate to see her reaction to what your room might look like.”

Spike and Starlight shared a laugh before departing to complete their tasks. With any amount of luck, this would be a great dinner, and hopefully a great first impression of his home for Derpy.






The next two hours went by in a breeze. Between picking up every fry lodged in the carpet, every stray comic book and just in case, tidying up his room, Spike’s afternoon was full. And, if there was anything good about Twilight’s scheduling that had rubbed off on him, it’d be the fact that he was still able to leave himself enough time for personal TLC, which he took full advantage of.

Spike was standing in the bathroom, looking himself up and down in the ovoid mirror above the sink. He was close to being tall enough that he didn't have to use the stool anymore, but he was just shy. He could still feel a tad bit of shame rumble in his chest every time he had to step up the small ladder.

But there was no time for shame. Not tonight.

Spike eyed himself up and down beneath the bright lights. Scales polished, fangs brushed, head frills brushed to achieve the perfect curve to bounce ratio. He wasn’t half bad looking.

His eyes traveled a bit farther south to his belly, which was protruding ever so slightly. He probably could’ve used a stop at the gym. But no use in breaking the nineteen-year streak he had going just for some date. He was consistent, if nothing else.

“Alright, Spike, it’s almost time.” He gave himself a few devilish looks in the mirror before feeling satisfied. “One last stop before dinner.”

Spike hopped off the stool and calmly strode down the hall until the familiar site of Twilight’s door was within his sight. It was common knowledge that Twilight wanted to be aware of any and all guests within her castle home.Spike thought this was fair, since he’s read up about assassination attempts of Princesses in the past, and he knew that Twilight has read them too, a bit too much for his liking. However, this particular guest and the particular circumstances surrounding their visit was a reason to give Spike pause.

The dragon shuddered as he remembered the last time he had a mare over with Twilight present. Luckily, his past experiences with what he called the Twilight Factor have taught him well and this time, he was going in prepared.

Spike gave a few raps on the door. “Yo, Twilight, you in there? I need to talk to you. It’s kinda important.”

His ears picked up a bit of shuffling from the other side. “Uh, yeah, c’mon in Spike!”

She seemed to be in a pretty good mood. That was as good of a start as any.

He opened the door and took in the usual site of Twilight’s room:scattered papers across the wooden floor, piles of books stacked in inappropriate places and a purple alicorn with her nose shoved in a book at the center of the madness. Yep, everything seemed to be in order.

“So, Twilight, about dinner tonight…” Spike said as cool as he could, taking care not to step on anything that could be a priceless legal document.

Twilight looked up from her book. “Let me guess: Starlight forgot to make dinner and you need me to order pizza. Pineapple for her, extra cheese for you. The usual.”

“Ha, not this time,” Spike said with a smug grin. “I’ll have you know that we actually managed to be responsible for once. Dinner will be ready within the hour and I managed to clean the living and dining rooms. How about them apples?”

Twilight’s eyes grew wide. Forget about saucers, these were full-fledged dinner plates. “Are you serious?’

Spike nodded. “You bet.” This couldn’t be going any better as far as he was concerned.

“Wow, I’m so proud of you tw— Hold on.” Twilight took a few sniffs of the air before walking over to Spike. “If I’m not mistaken, which I rarely am, would that be the smell of Lust and Luxury… for him?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Spike’s confident smile was immediately replaced by a nervous one as Twilight's face grew serious. She was on to him.

“Hmm, I thought as much. And what’s that? A fresh scale polish?” Twilight tightly gripped Spike’s muzzle with her magic, opening his mouth. “And not only did you brush your teeth, you flossed as well.”

Spike snapped his mouth shut. “What? Can’t a dragon look nice for dinner?”

“Sure he can. But not you. Normally, we’re lucky if you don’t show up in pajamas. So, that can only mean... “ Twilight shot him a look that could send Sombra himself running for cover. “Who is it?”

The dragon let out a huff. “How do you always figure these things out? Not that it needs any more clarification, but yes, there is a mare coming over for dinner. And that mare would happen to be Derpy.”

“I see.” Twilight immediately traversed over to her bookshelf and pulled out the dreaded folder. The whole reason Spike came here in the first place. “Well, I certainly don’t have a problem with this.”

“Twilight put the interview folder away. We can talk about this like civilized adults. No need for extremities here.”

“Extreme times call for extreme measures, Spike. And having a mare over for dinner that I don’t know certainly qualifies as an extreme time.”

Spike frowned. “Twilight, no. Please. Remember what happened with Flitter? You interrogated her five minutes after she walked through the door and nopony has seen her since.”

“Spike,” Twilight said. “Excuse me for trying to be cautious with strangers in my home. Besides, I spent an hour or so last month making it more concise, so it’s not nearly as threatening.”

“That’s not the point, Twi,” Spike said, his voice growing more firm by the second. “I just want to have a nice dinner tonight. No interrogations, no entrance exam, no dirty looks from across the table. I think I really like her and I’m pretty sure you will too if you give her a chance.”

The mare looked back and forth between her folder and Spike. After a brief moment, she finally reconciled and placed the torturous piece of paper back on the shelf. “Alright, you win. But, the moment I think she’s up to no good, I reserve the right to banish her from the castle.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Fine.” It wasn’t perfect, but it was a step in the right direction.

“Excellent,” Twilight said, her demeanor flipping back to one of pure chipperness. “Now, just give me one second to draw up a contract…”

“I’ll see you at dinner, Twi,” Spike said before dashing out the door.

He couldn’t help but dance his way down the halls. Twilight loved him, no doubts, but her overprotectiveness caused more than a few problems over the years. However, she was nothing if not loyal to her word, so with the Twilight problem taken care of, it should be smooth sailing.

Spike eventually found his way to the kitchen where Starlight was putting the finishing touches on their dinner. A large tray loaded with empty taco shells had just been pulled out of the oven, along with several trays of various vegetables. Bell peppers and all other sorts of goodies. The fresh steam wafted off the food, filling Spike’s nostrils. A few stray strands of drool dripped down his chin.

“You know, Starlight,” he said. “For your inherent distaste for cooking, you’re actually really good at it.”

“Thank you, I suppose.” She popped the oven mitt off her horn and turned to face him. “Must everything you say be passive-aggressive?”

“Yeah. But hey, compliments are few and far between these days. You gotta take what you can get.”

“Fair enough. Now, as for dinner, let me show you what I did.” Starlight beckoned Spike over to show him her creation. “I’ve got all the empty shells here, steamed to a perfect three hundred degrees. As for the vegetables, I’ve got one tray of mixed squash and bell pepper, a more mild flavor. And just in case she likes spicy food as much as me and you, I’ve got a full tray of roasted red pepper, cayenne chili powder and a few sliced ghost peppers for extra kick.”

“Starlight,” Spike said. “You are literally the best, sometimes. This is perfect.”

“Hmph, I know. Now, for added measure, I made sure to outfit the dining table with extra spoons, forks and a bottle of hot sauce.  I also threw a bowl of shredded cheese, just in case that’s her bag.”

Spike glanced over at the table. Sure enough, everything was set up perfectly. “Starlight, I’m about to say something and I swear if you ever repeat it, I’ll deny it and take it to my grave. But…” Spike steeled himself before wrapping her up in a hug. “I love you, girl.”

She wrapped a hoof around him. “Of course. Love you too, Spike. Look, I want this to be successful as much as you do. I mean, if you never get a marefriend, how’re you ever gonna get out of the castle and let me get some peace?”

Spike smiled and shared a quick hoof bump. “Of course. Gotta leave the nest sometime, right?”

“Definitely. Now, onto one last point of all this. After the Flitter incident, I realized we’d need a backup plan just in case Twilight busts out the interrogation log again. I figure if we go overboard with making dinner awesome, it’ll hopefully keep her around a bit longer than five minutes.”

Spike chuckled as a cocky smile curled on his lips. “Already taken care of. Let’s just say I had a little talk with Twilight and we shouldn’t have any problems. She tried, don’t get me wrong, but experience has taught me well.”

“We can only hope,” Starlight stated. “So, you know what that means?’

“What’s that?”

“It’s all up to you, now. Dinner will be great, the rooms are clean, Twilight will hopefully shut up for the majority of the night… so you just gotta do your part and make sure she wants to see you again.”

Spike sighed deeply. “I understand. Easier said than done, I imagine.”

“Not really,” Starlight said. “This is gonna’  sound cliche as all get out, but just be yourself, alright?”

“You know, I’d have more confidence in that statement if being myself hadn’t let to immeasurable sadness and romantic failure up until now.”

“Spike, get real. Obviously, you’ve been doing something right if she’s even coming over here. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing, don’t try too hard and at the end of the day, just think about like your having dinner with a friend. No need to go overboard, just keep things simple. Go with the flow, you know?”

“I think I get it.” Spike nodded and smiled. “Go with the flow. ...I think I can do that.”

The two were about to continue their banter but were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Hold on,” Spike said, flipping around to face the clock. “She’s fifteen minutes early! I’m not prepared for this! Five minutes, sure. Ten minutes, maybe. But fifteen! What do I do?’

Starlight’s eyes followed the panicked dragon as he dashed in circles before putting a hoof to her face. “Hey, genius. I’m no scientist, but answering the door might be a good start. I’ll go get Twilight.”

“Answer the door, right. I can do that!”

Starlight gave a curt nod before disappearing up the stairs.

Spike steeled himself and cleared his throat as he approached the door. “Alright, Spike. It’s go time.”
> ...et ducit amorem aurorae
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are a few moments in every male’s life where life decides to smack him upside the head with a realization that he’d have never learned otherwise. One of those moments happened to Spike on this occasion. What was the realization that life saw fit to forcibly teach him?

That in the face of a beautiful mare in a romantic setting, his once active, vibrant brain became  a substance of unintelligible mush.

“Um, hiya there, Ditzy! Oops, I mean, Derpy!” Spike could only hope that the heat on his face was not visible to the blonde mare.

“Hehe, hi there Spike,” she said. “Sorry, I’m a bit early. I wanted to leave room for extra time  just in case of traffic and whatnot.”

Traffic? In Ponyville?

Spike chalked it up to her inherent goofiness and decided against questioning her logic. Besides, he found something endearing about it.

“No problem, Derpy,” Spike said, still sporting a goofy grin. “You look great!” He quickly jotted his eyes on her figure, hoping to notice something he could complement. “Did you shower… with extra conditioner?” Spike sorely wished he could capture those words and shove them back into the depths of his conscious from whence they came.

Derpy pulled a hoof to her mouth to try and stifle a laugh. “Umm, no, but I did shower if that means anything.”

Spike grinned back at her. “Oh, yeah, I totally did, too!” And once more with feeling did the awkwardness spread. “I mean that’s great! Oh, wait, that’s not right, I mean, uh…”

Derpy had been content to just let him continue rambling in an attempt to regain his footing. If her occasional giggle served as any indication, she thought it was rather cute. However, after another moment or so of Spike attempting to communicate like a sentient being, she spoke up to give him some help.

“Is it alright if I come inside?”

Spike wiggled his head to shake off the nonsense that attempted to take over his mental faculties. “Oh, yeah! Totally. Come on in.” The dragon stepped aside, continuing to hold the door open for her. “Make yourself comfortable anywhere. Twilight and Starlight will be down in a bit so we can start eating.” Being the first coherent thing he’d said in the last five minutes, Spike couldn’t help but wear a proud smile.

His words were lost on Derpy however as her eyes were wide, taking in the sights of the crystal castle home. Her head scanned the room, back in forth, her mouth agape all the while.

Derpy flipped her body around to address Spike. “You live here? It’s so… beautiful! And amazing! And ginormous!”

Spike continued smiling as he stepped forward next to the pegasus. “Yeah, it’s pretty great, right? I was thinking that if you had the time after dinner I could take you on a quick tour of the place. Is that cool?”

“I’d love to!” Derpy practically shouted as her head snapped to look at the dragon. A look of pure elation etched across her face. The sight of her wonderment at his home made Spike’s heart melt. No matter how old somepony was, there was something kinda wonderful about seeing another individual happy.

“Great!” Spike said. “But for now, let me give you a tour of the most important room in the castle: the dining room.”

As if on cue, the two heard the sound of hoofsteps descending the stairs followed by the sight of Starlight and Twilight.

“Hey, guys!” Starlight said with a wave. “Derpy, great to see you again.”

“Hi!” She said with her own polite wave. “And, uh, hi Princess Twilight.” Derpy leaned toward Spike and whispered into his ear. “Do I need to bow? I can’t remember.”

Spike shook his head. “Nah, for the purposes of tonight, we’re all just normal ponies. No titles or anything, alright.”

Derpy blinked a few times before nodding. “Okay, thanks. That’ll make things less confusing.”

Spike simply nodded but knew to keep his mouth shut as Twilight approached. He had, by some miracle from the heavens found himself  in her good graces already as far as the dinner date was concerned and he intended to keep it that way.

“Good evening, Derpy,” Twilight politely said. Her voice carried her usual softness, but a dull edge snaked around the words, one that only her closest of friends could notice. “I’m glad you could come for dinner.”

Derpy blushed. “Oh, well, Spike asked me if I could come and I really didn’t have anything going on. I’m really glad I did, though. Your castle is beautiful.”

Twilight gave her a weak smile as if she wanted to question the validity of the compliment. “Well, I appreciate that. This is your first time seeing the castle from the inside, correct?”

Derpy enthusiastically nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’ve never really had the chance before.”

“Yeah, it’s a pretty sweet dig,” Starlight stated, cutting in. “The structural design could’ve used a bit of work, though. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I got lost when I first moved in.” Starlight turned to Spike. “Remember the time I walked in on you when you were showering? Talk about awkward.”

Derpy covered her mouth, emitting a small chortle. Spike, as an appropriate response, gave Starlight the best evil eye he had.

The dragon diligently darted to her side and pulled her ear to close enough to hear a whisper. “Starlight, you’re supposed to be my wingcolt, er, wingmare tonight. Please, keep the embarrassing stories to a minimum?”

Starlight rolled her eyes and nodded. “Fine, I’ve got your back.”

The two separated with equally innocent smiles before Spike decided it was high time to move the night forward, lest anything else happen to destroy his reputation. “Alright guys, if you ask me, it’s time to grab some grub. Anyone else think so?”

Derpy and Starlight nodded in unison, followed by Twilight who wouldn’t spend more than a few seconds without casting a watchful eye on the blonde pegasus.

Spike strode toward the kitchen with confidence. It was time.





The four of them sat around the table, a large spread of taco shells and steaming vegetables awaiting them. Twilight and Starlight sat on one side, directly across from Spike and Derpy. Spike wasn’t sure about the romantic dinner standard for seating, but as far as he was concerned he wanted to sit next to Derpy. Social graces be damned.

Derpy’s eyes widened as she took in the sight of the food spread. “Oh my gosh. I’ve never seen so much food in one area!”

“I know, right?” Spike said, licking his lips. He immediately reached out to grab a taco shell but had his claw swatted away by Starlight.

“Spike! Have you no manners?” Starlight glared at him.

“Yes, but I also have an empty stomach. Instinct kinda took over, there.”

“Be that as it may, you’ll wait your turn.” Starlight turned her attention to Derpy. “Go ahead and get your food, Derpy. As much as you would like.”

“Really?” she asked, eyes managing to grow even wider.

Starlight simply nodded, as well as Spike.

“Oh, okay.” She reached over the table and grabbed a few tacos and loaded them with vegetables from the spicy tray. “Sorry, I’m just not used to food like this. It looks amazing.”

“Well, I’m glad you think it looks good.” Starlight hummed a bit in pride. “Maybe I should do this cooking thing more often.”

The group all grabbed their food, Spike waiting until last, as upsetting as it was. As they all dove into their food, only a little conversation was to be had. Not necessarily awkward given that their mouths were full of food, but some conversation would be nice.

Spike racked his brain trying to come up with something to say to keep things lively. The last thing he needed was to give Derpy the impression that he and his family didn’t know how to have fun at home. Who wanted to spend time with a boring dragon? Finding a pony who wanted to be with a dragon of any variety was a challenge in of itself, much less a dull one.

However, for better or for worse, Twilight beat him to the punch in the social department. Spike held his breath, fearing the words that may come out of her mouth.

“So, Derpy,” Twilight stated. “How long have you lived in Ponyville?”

Spike looked at the alicorn in shock. A normal question? What sort of sorcery was this?

Derpy set down her taco and waited a brief moment to swallow her food before responding. “Oh, it’s been a little while. Seven or eight years now. I lived in Cloudsdale before.”

“What brought you here?” Twilight continued.

“Well, I needed a change of pace. Not to mention after the Rainbow Factory incident… I didn’t exactly have the best reputation.”

Starlight set down her food. “Oh, this sounds like a story.”

“Yes, do tell,” Twilight added.

The pegasus shook her head. “You guys didn’t hear? I thought the word might’ve traveled to you, princess. Well, I’m not really sure what happened. I was working with the rainbow mixing team in the factory. I remember I was eating a sandwich and—”

“While you were working?” Twilight asked.

Derpy’s face heated up. “Shifts are long and I was hungry… Well, I tried to throw the crust away, but I guess I missed and it landed in a pool of rainbow mix and let’s just say honey wheat bread doesn’t mix well with rainbow. Before I knew it, the machine overloaded and the facility shut down for over a week. Suffice it to say I got fired the next day.”

The sound of silence took a deathgrip on the table with no plans to release it. Of course, Spike had other ideas.

“Well that sucks,” Spike said.

And then the floodgates were opened. The four of them erupted into a fit of laughter. Any awkwardness that had been present before seemed like a thing of the past. Even Twilight herself couldn’t stop.

The laughter went on for a bit longer before things finally started to settle down.

Wiping tears from his eyes, Spike placed a claw on Derpy’s shoulder. “Sorry about that. It’s just… you don’t really hear about something like that happening every day.”

“Y-Yeah, I guess not.” Derpy chuckled a bit, her eyes drawn down to the plate in front of her. “It’s pretty bad, huh?”

“Are you kidding?” Spike asked. “That’s nothing compared to what the three of us have done.”

Derpy looked over at him. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we try to keep it on the down-low, but Starlight over there? She almost destroyed the entire fabric of time.” Spike received a cold glare from the unicorn in question.

“Well, let’s not forget about you, Spike,” Starlight said with a sneer. “Wasn’t there that time you grew to the size of a mountain and terrorized the village? Or am I confusing you with another dragon in town?”

Spike twiddled his fingers against the table.

“Oh, wait, what’s that? There is no other dragon in town? Must’ve been you then.”

“Oh yeah?” Spike retorted. “Let’s not forget your efforts to make hate-mongering and fascism relevant again.”

Starlight leaned forward over the table. “Well how about your little stunt trying to take over for Twilight? I’m pretty sure you almost caused a war between the cities.”

“Pfft, well you—”

“Guys, guys!” Twilight shoved both of them back into their seats with a blast of magic. “You’re both terrible, okay?”

The two looked at Twilight, then at each other. Starlight waggled her eyebrows at Spike before addressing Twilight. “Whatever you say, Ms. Want It, Need It.”

“Spike!” Twilight squealed, shooting up out of her chair. “You told her?”

“What can I say? I’m an equal-opportunity trash talker.”

Twilight grumbled and sunk into her seat. All the while, Derpy made several failed attempts to control her own laughter, but found it increasingly difficult to do so.

Spike let out a sigh and turned toward her. “So, the long and short of it is we’re all normal and make mistakes. If you can’t laugh at them, then you’ll never be able to—” Spike halted as he suddenly grabbed his side, an intense pain radiating.through his rib cage. “Ahh!”

Twilight jumped up, knocking over her plate of food in the process. “Spike?! What’s wrong?”

He waved her off with a claw. “Oh, nothing. Just… ugh, too much spicy food. I can’t resist it’s aura and this is my punishment.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, Spike, we need to get you to a doctor and—”

Starlight put a hoof on Twilight shoulder and gently pushed her back into the seat. “No, Twilight, it’s fine. I just probably put a bit too much chili powder in it. Or maybe it was the ghost peppers? Anyhow, you mix that with Spike’s natural flammable biology and you have a recipe for disaster.” Starlight winked at Spike very quick. Her ability to tame Twilight… a thing of pure beauty.

Twilight inhaled a deep breath. “Okay, if you say so. You might try controlling yourself a little better next time.”

Spike nodded. “I can’t help it! It’s just so delicious!” The pain began to subside, thankfully, so Spike brought his attention back to the others.

Derpy smiled and nodded. “I agree! It’s super fantastic. Thanks so much for cooking this for us, Starlight.”

“You’re most welcome, Derpy” Starlight stated. “You know, Spike, you should probably take some lessons on manners from your marefriend there… uh, friend that’s a mare, I should say. Whoops.”

Spike dropped his face into his palm, followed by Derpy attempting to hide her inflamed cheeks behind her mane. Spike shot out a foot, landing a quick kick to Starlight’s shin. As they both had agreed before dinner, that would be the sign that Starlight needed to step up and be a true wingmare to Spike. Given that she just made a monumental blunder, she knew she had to follow through.

“So, um, Spike.” Starlight cleared her throat, attempting to think of something on the fly. “I saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake today. They wanted me to thank you again for saving their twins from that Timberwolf last Tuesday. You really saved the day.”

Twilight cocked an eyebrow, followed quickly by a pleading face from Starlight. Twilight rolled her eyes and went back to munching on a taco.

“Timberwolf?” Derpy said, eyes wide with wonder. “What happened?”

Spike shot a quick thumbs up at Starlight before turning to Derpy. “Oh, it’s no big deal. There I was, walking near the edge of town, minding my own business and boom! A giant Timberwolf, as ugly as Tirek himself,  springs out of the forest. Normally, I’d just give it the evil eye and it’d run on home. But, much to my dismay, the Cake twins were playing in the nearby field while their parents had a picnic. Far be it from me to take pleasure in killing another creature, but I had no choice. I grabbed the nearest boulder I could find and—”

“Boulder?” Twilight deadpanned.

Spike cleared his throat. “Well, you know, a larger rock. Anyhow, I grabbed it, chucked it as hard as I could and made contact right with its chest. It was bowling for timberwolves out there. Needless to say, I saved the day.”

Derpy’s eyes were still wide. “Wow! That’s amazing! I’m amazed it didn’t make the paper. I see the headlines every day. It’s a shame.”

Spike felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. “Oh, well, you know. I don’t like to publicize my accomplishments. A quieter life is all I need.”

Twilight shook her head. “You’re definitely something else, Spike.”

The dragon nodded, leaning back in the chair, grinning ear to ear. “Yeah, I know.”

The dinner carried on for another hour or so, casual conversation being had all around. It didn’t just meet Spike’s hopes, it eclipsed them. Even Twilight, who had caused him extreme amounts of anxiety throughout the afternoon, seemed to have a good time. It had been so long since they had a nice family meal, but Spike couldn’t think of a better occasion for it than this.

Wonderful couldn’t begin to describe it.





“Thank you so much again, guys,” Derpy said as she walked toward the door.

“Of course,” Starlight said, a sweet smile adorning her face. “Feel free to stop by anytime.”

Twilight nodded her agreement. “Absolutely. We could probably use a few more guests around here, to be perfectly honest. Anyhow, I’m gonna head back up for the night. I have a few more things to do before bed. Have a good night, guys.” The three of them waved their goodbyes as Twilight traveled up the stairs.

Derpy started walking over toward the door, signaling Spike to followed behind her.

“Here, let me get the door for you,” Spike said, racing in front of her. He heard Starlight chuckle in the background as he opened the door, but he paid it no mind.

Derpy walked out the door and turned around to face the dragon. “Thanks again, Spike. I had a great time.”

“Me too,” Spike said, blushing ever so slightly. “I’d, you know, really love to see you again. Sometime soon, maybe? Possibly? Perhaps?”

“Definitely. I’d love to.”

“Really?” Spike said, hopping with joy, before realizing his reaction was... not entirely appropriate. “I mean, uh, yeah. I’ll try and come to the hospital to see you and Dinky tomorrow. Is that okay?”

The mare nodded vigorously. “I’d love that, and so would she. Well… goodnight, I guess.”

A still silence hung in the air, the moment weighing heavily on the two of them. Instead of walking away, Derpy locked eyes with Spike, biting her lower lip ever so gently. Spike returned the look, heart racing as he did. Derpy leaned her head toward him slowly, inch by inch, until…

“Good night!” Spike shut the door and immediately turned around toward Starlight. “I think she likes me!”

Starlight’s jaw slammed to the floor. “Spike?”

“Yeah?” He asked, beaming.

“You’re an idiot. I just want you to know that.”

His smile disappeared, morphing into a look of shock and confusion. “What? How?”

Starlight whacked upside the head with a hoof. “She wanted to kiss you, genius! Did you not pick up on that?”

He scratched his head. “Uh, I guess not… I thought she was just waiting for me to shut the door. You know, to be polite or something.”

“You really are hopeless aren’t you?” Starlight let out a sigh. “Well, I can tell you one thing. You’ve definitely found a keeper. Don’t be stupid.”

Spike shrugged. “I don’t plan on it. Then again, stupidity isn’t really something you plan for. It kind of just happens.”

“And it tends to happen to you more than others.” Starlight said with a grin, pushing the dragon lightly. “Now, Twilight’s upstairs, there’s still a few hours left before your usual clock out time. You wanna sneak some dessert from the freezer and help me clean up?”

He nodded and followed her to the kitchen. “Sounds good. And thanks for having my back tonight, by the way.”

“Anytime, Spike. Anytime.”
> It's Not My Weekend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike eyed his target with the most extreme amount of fervor a dragon could possibly give to his prey. It was so small, so insignificant, so meager in its being that he almost felt bad about running it through. But, he had a job to do, so there was little point in arguing with his conscience.

He was a loyal dragon, after all.

“Aha! I got it!” Spike pulled the needle the rest of the way through the thread before breaking off the loose end. “You see, Rarity? I told you I was getting better at this whole claw-stitching thing.”

Rarity trotted over from her place by the sewing machine to inspect his work. She dropped her glasses over her nose and eyed it carefully. “I do say, Spike, well done! Of course, the length is slightly off, but nothing that takes away from the piece as a whole.”

Spike beamed. “Thanks, Rares. Now that that’s over, you mind if I finish my story?”

“Of course, dear,” she replied, walking back to her station. “Where were we? Ahh yes, Derpy and yourself were walking around the park, discussing things, correct?”

Spike scratched his chin for a second before pointing to the air. "Right! Okay, so there we were: just chatting, killing time, y'know, the usual!"

“Mhm. Then what happened?”

“Well, I don’t know what was in the air that day, but I was on another level. I was executing conversational skills like it was nobody's business and before you knew it, we were at the spot where the old library used to be. You know the one.”

Rarity glanced up from her garment. “Yes, of course. But why did you bring her there? It’s nothing more than a patch of grass at this point.”

“That’s true,” Spike said with a nod. “But like, we were talking about the past and stuff and it just seemed to fit the mood, I dunno.”

“Hmm, I suppose there is a certain poetic flair to the idea,” Rarity said. “Very well, Spike, I approve.”

The dragon smiled, a proud gleam on his face. “Thank you. But, if you think that was good, wait until you hear what I did next!”

“Ooh, the suspense is driving me mad,” Rarity said as she emitted a playful chuckle. “What happened next?”

“So, there we were, standing on that little patch of grass.” Spike paced back and forth around the room, claws wrapped behind his back. “We’re talking about our pasts and memories and what not. She says something like ‘Oh, Spike, memories are cool’ or however she said it. So, I'm not sure if I ate something good that day or if the powers that be finally decided to smile down on me, but you’re not gonna believe what I did.”

“Oh?” Rarity was not giving her full attention to the dragon. “Should I be sitting down for this?”

“You may as well be,” Spike said with a cocky grin. “Because let me tell you… I looked her in the eye, smiled, then picked a flower that was growing nearby. I then threw caution to the wind, rolled a perfect nat-twenty on charisma, gently pulled her mane back, and put the flower in her hair.” Spike saw Rarity’s eyes widen ever so slightly as her lips began to curl into a smile. “And to send it on home, I told her ‘Now we’ve got a memory together,’ … or something like that.”

Rarity squealed with excitement before leaping out of her chair. She wrapped Spike in a hug that was roughly reminiscent of the time he was stuck in Chrysalis’ insect goo… except this constriction was warm and fuzzy. If only he could move his arms enough to reciprocate the hug.

“Oh, darling, that’s so wonderful!” the mare exclaimed, finally releasing the suffocated dragon. “I always knew you’d have it in you to win over a mare of your own, but to do it in such, such… style! I’m so proud, dear.”

Spike dusted some pretend dirt off his shoulder. “Yeah, well, I do have the ability to be pretty charming when I want to be. I just wish it didn’t require so much effort.”

“Psh,” Rarity said, shooting the dragon a playful wink. “Being charming is simply a way of life for some of us.”

“You know it.” Spike let out a sigh and took a seat on the nearby couch. “So, that’s all well and good, but I didn’t even tell you that I invited her over for dinner. That was an experience.”

Rarity, who had resumed sewing, nearly stitched her hoof due to loss of concentration. “D-Dinner? Already? Spike, that’s fantastic!”

The dragon nodded. “Thank you. It just kinda happened, though. We were about to part ways after walking in the park and I just…. I guess I just didn’t wanna say goodbye, yet. So, I invited her over to the castle for dinner.”

Rarity once again leaped from her seat, this time landing on the couch next to Spike. “Darling, the first dinner together, especially with one’s family, is above almost all else in relationship importance. More than the first anniversary, the first present, the first night al—well, it’s just really important. How’d it go?”
“Trust me, Rarity, I knew it was important.” Spike gave her a thumbs up. “All in all, it went pretty great, or so I think. Twilight likes her, which is a lot more than I could say about her experiences with my previous marefriends. Starlight made an awesome dinner and we all had a good time. And, uh, yeah… everything was smoothe.” Spike’s twiddling thumbs and inability to make eye contact did not go unnoticed.

“Spike? What did you do?” Rarity blinked a few times. “How bad was it?”

Curses!

“Eh, well, she was on the porch and I was saying goodbye and all.”

“And?”

“You know, I was kinda getting nervous after we arranged to meet again today, so…”

“And?”

“I paused for a second, I guess she kinda moved in a bit closer to me, biting her lip…”

“And?!”

Spike took a deep breath. “I may have said goodnight and shut the door in her face.”

Rarity brought her hoof to her face at the speed of lightning.

“Yeah, so, it wasn’t my finest moment,” Spike said. “But, you know, I’m still learning this whole dating thing! It’s complicated! You have to pick up on all these signs, try to keep your claws to yourself even when it’s hard, you have to shower on a regular basis…”

Rarity giggled and brought a hoof to her mouth. “Spike, sweetheart, you need to go easy on yourself. Yes, slamming the door in a mare’s face isn’t exactly ideal, but the events leading up to that point more than demonstrated how much you care for her.”

“You think so?”

“I know so,” she reassured him. “But what’s even more important, Spike, please don’t fall into the hole of trying to be somepony you’re not. I know you’ve heard it before and you’ll probably hear it again, but don’t worry so much about impressing her. She likes who you are, already. If you try to be somepony else, she’ll see right through it.”

Spike nodded. “Yeah, Starlight said something similar. Look, Rarity, you know more about love and all that jazz than anyone I know. That’s why I’m talking to you about it. I’m honestly kinda scared. But not like, frightened scared. More like ‘Sweet Celestia, don’t let me screw this up’ scared. I just feel right spending time with her. I don’t wanna lose that. At least not as long as I can help it.”

“Spike,” Rarity said. “Don’t worry. Just keep being the amazing dragon you’ve always been. You’re quite wonderful, to be honest. And as for moving forward, just keep a broad mind regarding things. Don’t limit yourself to what you think you should do. Just do what feels right.”

The dragon chuckled. “Heh, my mind’s broad enough. I already have a hard time finding hats that fit.”

The two shared a quick laugh before they were interrupted by a knocking at the door.

“I wonder who that could be?” Rarity asked.

“I’ll go check,” Spike replied.

The dragon traveled over to the door and slowly creaked it open. On the other side stood a stallion, a good head taller than Spike. He was wearing a flashy business suit and wore a big smile.

“Um, can I help you?” Spike asked.

The stallion shook his head and smile. “I apologize for bothering you this morning, sir. I’m just simply going door to door to inform the residents about the Fun Fair going on in Ponyville today.”

Spike opened the door the rest of the way. “Fun fair?” He was always down for some fun.

“Yes sir,” the stallion said. “For just a few bits a pony, your whole family can enjoy an afternoon of rides, meet and greets and junk food! Let me leave you this pamphlet with more information.” He pulled out a small booklet and handed it to Spike. “Any questions you have will be answered within. If you’re interested, it’s being hosted on the outside of town, just by the river. We hope to see you there!”

“Very cool. Thanks!” Spike shut the door and traversed back to the couch. He plopped down next to Rarity and started flipping through the booklet.

“What’s that dear? I hope it wasn’t that insurance salesman again.” Rarity scrunched her face up. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell them that I’m not interested in meteor coverage. The nerve of some ponies!”

“Steady girl,” Spike stated. “It was just a guy advertising some kind of fair going on today. I guess they’ll have rides and a bunch of other stuff.”

“Oooh,” Rarity cooed. “That does sound fun. But, I do wonder how they set these things up so quickly. You walk by an empty area one day, the next there’s a rollercoaster and cotton candy machine.”

The dragon shrugged. “One of life’s great mysteries. But, it does look pretty co— Hold up a second!”

Rarity leaned over his shoulder to attempt to see what he was seeing. “What is it, darling?”

“Right here, under the ‘Meet and Greet’ section!” Spike followed the text with his claw. “‘One day only, meet children’s book heroes Poptart and Notepad! Do you know what this means?” Spike flipped around, whacking Rarity in the muzzle by mistake. “Oh, sorry.”

She rubbed her muzzle, checking her hoof for any blood. “Oh, it’s uh, it’s quite alright dear. What does it mean?”

“Poptart and Note Pad, the two ponies from those stories I read at the hospital. They’ll be in town! Today!”

Rarity chuckled. “Darling, I thought we talked about this before. Storybook characters aren’t real. It’s just actors pretending to be them.”

“I know that,” he said, “but it’s not for me, anyway. Dinky loves Poptart and Notepad! If I can convince the doctor to let me and Derpy take her out to the fair today, do you have any idea how happy that’d make her?” Spike couldn’t control his excitement at the thought. “A little fresh air, some fun rides and getting to meet her heroes! What a day!”

Rarity watched the dragon bouncing across the room, shouting his plans to himself. She placed a hoof over her heart and sighed. “Spike, you really are the sweetest. Nopony else I know would go so far just to brighten up a filly’s day.”

Spike paused and looked at her. “Really? Well I.. You know… I just wanna try and make a difference is all. Poor Dinky’s been cooped up in there for months. Not to mention I think it could do Derpy some good, too, to be able to spend time with her sister. Is it so strange to want to see somepony happy?”

“No, not at all. I only wish there were more dragons, or ponies for that matter, like you.”

Spike blushed and rubbed the back of his head. “Gosh, Rarity. Thanks. But, you know what Starlight always says. One Spike is more than enough.”

“True, true,” she replied. “If there were too many of you, I doubt Equestria could remain standing for too long.”

“You know it,” he replied with a wink. “On that note, though, I’ve gotta get moving. I need to get to Ponyville General ASAP to talk to her doctor. You know how long doctors take to do things. Getting a bandaid takes three hours these days. But, this way we’ll have at least a four-hour buffer to get a decision. Either way, I’ll figure something out because this is too perfect to be a coincidence. It’s fate. Fate I tell you!”

The dragon dashed toward the door and flung it open. However, remembering his manners he quickly dashed back from whence he came and gave Rarity a quick hug and a light kiss on the cheek. “Thanks so much for listening and your advice. Love you, Rares.”

Rarity chuckled. “Of course, Spike. Now stop wasting time here and go get ‘em!”

Spike nodded and dashed out the door. If fate was truly on his side, things could only get better.
> ...But It's Gonna Be My Year
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike raced down the hallways of the hospital, throwing his normally polite greetings out the window. He had a mission to accomplish and nopony could stand in his way. Not if he could help it.

After a few twists and turns through the cold halls, he skidded to a halt at the visitor’s desk.

“Ma’am, quick… need….” He attempted to catch his breath after getting more physical activity than he had in his entire life up until this point.  “I need a visitor’s pass. It’s an emergency!”

A unicorn with a poofy mane spun around in her chair to greet him. “Oh, how you doin’, sweetie. I’ve got you covered.” She produced a visitor’s badge for him and handed it across the counter. “Here ya are, baby.”

Spike grinned. “Thank you!” And it was off to the races once more.

He flashed his badge at the door to gain entry to the colorful halls. He could hear the sounds of laughter mixed with the occasional crying. For all its brightness, it never got any less depressing. But that’s why he was here. He couldn’t cure them, but he could at least help the process along a tad. It was better than nothing.

He continued his stroll down the halls, moving at a bit of a slower pace this time. He was trying to find the nurse on duty because, despite his regular visits, permission was required to see anypony.

Spike eventually came to the main recreation area. He couldn’t help but chuckle when he reflected on the ‘magic’ performance Trixie put on there a short while ago. But, more importantly, he spotted Nurse Redheart walking down the adjacent hall.

“Yo! Nurse Redheart!” Spike called out, running after her. “Nurse!”

She stopped in her tracks and turned her head around. “Oh, Spike!” She turned around and walked over to greet the dragon. “I wasn’t expecting you today. Did I miss the memo?”

“No, don’t worry,” he replied. “This isn’t so much a formal visit as it is a personal one.”

“Oh, okay, I see. Are you here to see Dinky? I think her and Derpy are in the room.”

“You got it,” he said with a smile. “I have some great news I think they’ll both be excited to hear.”

“Oh? Well in that case, by all means, head on back.” She pointed to the back hallway. “Just so you know I’m pretty sure Derpy will be especially happy to see you. She hasn’t stopped talking about you since she showed up.”

Spike’s cheeks flushed. “Really?”

“Heh, go see for yourself. I’m sure you remember which room is hers. But just in case, it’s fourteen. Knock on the door if it’s closed and they’ll let you in, I’m sure.”

Spike gave her a quick thumbs up and headed down the hall. “Thanks a lot. I really hope everything works out.”

“Oh, Spike,” she said. “Just out of curiosity, what do you have planned?”

“You’ll see… hopefully.”

After a short walk down the hall, he finally arrived at the room. He could already hear the chipper sound of Dinky rambling about something or other in excitement. If she didn’t have the paperwork to prove it, he would question if she was actually sick with all the energy she had. If only that was actually the case.

The door was slightly cracked open, so Spike gave a few light knocks on it. “Hey, guys. Is it cool if I come in?” He lightly pushed the door open and was greeted with the most exaggerated gasp of excitement, courtesy of the small filly sitting on the edge of her bed.

“Spike! It’s you! It’s you!” Dinky kicked her hooves against the bed in excitement before leaping off. “You’re here! I didn’t know you were coming, but I did know because you always come when I need you!” She began running in circles around him before latching onto his waist, which was as high as she could reach, and wrapped him in the tightest hug she could muster. “I missed you…”

Spike smiled and patted her head. Curse this filly and her adorableness. It’s too much for my heart to take!

“Well, I’m here now and hopefully, I’ll have an exciting surprise for you a bit later.” Spike picked her up and put her back on the bed. “But you have to be good and get some rest in the meantime.”

Dinky’s eyes widened to the point of no return. “Surprise?”

“That’s right. But first, I’ll have to talk to your sister about it. Speaking of which…” Spike looked around the room. “Where is she?”

“She’s in the bathroom,” Dinky said, childhood honesty in full swing. “But she should be back soon. Especially if she knows you’re coming.” Dinky darted her eyes back and forth across the room before waving Spike over. He followed her bidding and walked over to her. She grabbed his head and brought it down to whisper in his ear. “Don’t tell anyone, but I think she likes you.” She finished it off by putting a hoof up to her lips, swearing him to secrecy.

Spike chuckled but crossed his heart. “Of course, Dinky. I won’t tell a soul. But just between you and me…” Spike leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I kinda like her, too.”

Dinky threw both hooves over her mouth and gasped. “Huh, no way! But don’t worry, I won’t tell.”

Spike backed up from her and winked. Their secret confession session was interrupted however as they heard the sound of the hospital door swing open behind them.

“Derpy!” Dinky shouted out. “Look who’s here! It’s Spike! He’s the one who’s here!”

Derpy grinned, letting her face hide behind her mane as she walked in. “I can see that, Dinky.” She walked over to Spike and gave him a quick hug. “Hi, Spike. I’m really glad you could come. I know how busy you are.”

The dragon waved her off. “Psh, oh yeah. Between napping, comic books and harassing Starlight, I’m way overbooked,but I don’t mind making some room for you.” Spike had to do a mental double-take. Did he just flirt with her? Without stuttering or saying something stupid? This was unexplored territory.

“Oh, well I appreciate it,” she replied, brushing her mane out of her eyes. “It’s nice to be… scheduled, hehe.”

“So, on a slightly different note,” Spike began, trying to change the subject before his hormones got the best of him, “I have something that I think might interest you. Would you mind stepping out into the hall with me for a sec?”

“Oh, sure!”

“Aww, I wanna hear!” Dinky moaned. “Why can’t I hear?”

“Because… this may or may not have something to do with your surprise, Dinky. So be good for a minute and we’ll be back soon.” Spike gave her a thumbs up, which seemed to alleviate her mood a tad bit.

“Okay… I hope it’s a good surprise.”

“It will be.” Spike held the door open for Derpy and the two stepped out into the hall.

“So,” Derpy started the moment the door closed behind them. “What’s this about a surprise? Did I forget something? Oh gosh, I’m sorry! Things have been all crazy and whatn—“

“Shh,” Spike said, placing a claw over her mouth. “You didn’t forget anything. I just came up with this today, actually.  Check this out.” Spike produced the small booklet he received earlier and showed it to Derpy. “You know what this is?”

Derpy studied it intently for a second. “Cheap advertising?”

“Well, yes, but more than that!” Spike flipped the booklet open to a picture of a carousel. “There’s a fun fair coming to Ponyville. It’ll be here all afternoon and night! Rides, junk food, the whole shebang! But what’s better? In the kids’ section, they’ll be having a meet and greet with Poptart and Note Pad!”

“Oooh, that sounds fun! I take it you wanna go?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love fun as much as the next guy, but no. I was thinking…” Spike motioned for Derpy to come closer so he could whisper, lest Dinky hear. “I’m thinking we should ask the doctor if Dinky can come out for just a little while tonight to the meet and greet. She loves the Poptart and Note Pad stories.”

Derpy’s mouth slacked open. “Spike… that’s an amazing idea! She would absolutely love it! I can only imagine how happy that’d make her.” Derpy jumped forward and nuzzled Spike’s cheek. “I can’t believe you’re doing this for her.”

Spike, still reeling from the idea of a beautiful mare giving him any kind of affection, took a second to respond. “Oh, well… I can’t really decide anything. We still have to get it cleared with her doctor.”

“Oh yeah,” Derpy said, her elation fading ever so slightly.

“But hey,” Spike said, lifting her head up gently with a claw. “The way things have been going recently, there’s no way he’ll say no.”





“Absolutely not.”

“What?!” Spike leaped up from his seat on the other side of the doctor’s desk. “How can you speak such atrocities? I demand an explanation!”

The doctor, a dark brown earth pony stallion, kept looking at his papers as he responded. “Dinky’s immune system is still in a compromised state. Letting her be in public at all, much less a fairground is simply out of the question.” He took a sip of his coffee, before he resumed his quiet study.

Spike frowned and took a seat. If he was going to plead his case, he had to remain mature and cool-headed. In his experience, doctors spoke one language and one language only:

 The language of professionalism.

“…Please! If not for me, do it for the children! Think of all the unfortunate souls that wish to experience fresh air, dangerous carnival rides, and deep-fried candy bars!” Spike dropped to his knees. “This is a once in a lifetime chance for this filly. She needs this.”

The doctor set his glasses to the side and finally made eye contact with Spike. “Look. I want these kids to get better just as much as anypony. But it’s simply too dangerous for her to go out, right now. Also, let’s say I did let her go out. How do you think the other colts and fillies would feel when only one of them got to go have fun? It’d be anarchy!”

“I’ll take all of them, then!”

He shook his head. “Spike, your commitment to the kids here is admirable. Inspiring even. They love you and you’ve genuinely done good things for them. But, right now, the thing they need the most is medical attention and a chance to get better. I’m not being heartless. I’m doing my job. Do you understand?”

Spike deflated and slowly rose to his feet. “Yeah, I guess I do. You can’t blame a dragon for trying.” He slumped and slinked toward the office door.

“Oh, Spike, real quick.” The doctor grabbed a large binder and flipped through it. “If I’m not mistaken, you have your next check-up appointment in three weeks. Make sure you make it. You missed your last one.”

He rolled his eyes and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here. Heh, as much time as I spend here, you’d be surprised at how much I hate hospitals.”

The doctor gave him a brief smile before returning to his work. “It’s never fun being the patient, is it?”

“No sir, it is not.”





Spike picked up his stride a bit as he made his way back to the room. He wasn’t going to enjoy dashing Dinky’s hopes, especially after he promised her a surprise. He’d just have to make it up to her some other way.

As he turned down the hall, he saw Derpy fighting with the candy machine… and she appeared to be losing.

“You having some trouble there?” he asked.

She grimaced and pounded her hoof against it. “You could say that. My candy bar got stuck.”

Spike took a glance inside the machine and sure enough, there was a 23,000 Bit Bar hanging perilously from the top shelf of the machine. “Ahh yes, the dastardly foe strikes again. Step aside, Derpy. I’ve gone into battle with these things enough, I’m pretty sure I can help you out.” Spike cracked his knuckles and pressed his claw against the smooth plastic window. “It’s not a matter of strength as much as it is strategy and delicate force. Just find the right point and…” Spike knocked the glass a few times and sure enough, the candy bar fell to the bottom. He scooped it out and handed it to the shocked mare next to him. “There you are, my dear. All in a day's work.”

“Wow, that’s so cool!” Derpy said, still stunned. “Thank you.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, well, you might not think I’m so cool after what I have to tell you.”

“Did the doctor not go for your plan?”

“Yeah, it’s a no-go,” Spike said. “I tried, but in the end my efforts were useless. I just feel bad for Dinky. I was hoping to pull through for her.”

Derpy placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Don’t feel bad, Spike. You’ve done so much for her before and the idea was so sweet. Trust me; you’re practically a hero to her.”

“I don’t feel much like a hero, to be honest.”

The mare shook her head. “You go out of your way to help others, you care about everypony and not to mention you saved the Crystal Empire once upon a time. I looked it up. So… You’re a hero to me. And Dinky, too.”

That put a smile on his face. “Thanks, Derpy. I appreciate it.”

“Of course. It was my turn to cheer you up for once, anyway.” She gently nuzzled his cheek once more, which Spike was admittedly growing very fond of. She stepped back and began slowly walking back and forth in front of him. “Maybe we can do something else, though. We could always go down to the fair and bring her a souvenir or something.”

“Bring her back something? That could work…” A light bulb exploded in Spike’s head. “Derpy, I have a great idea! Follow me.” He took her hoof and led her down the hall at breakneck speed. “We may be able to make her day after all!”
> Love Like Rockets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike held onto Derpy’s hoof until they reached the edge of town. Disrupting the beauty of the grassy knoll in front of them was the large fair they were searching for.

They approached the grounds, walking side by side until they reached the entry gate. From there they could get a much better view of the goings-on. With every step closer, they could feel their nostrils fill with the scent of fresh cotton candy, sweet popping corn, and objects that had no business being deep fried… being deep fried.

“Wow,” Derpy said, eyes aglow. “This is so cool! A Ferris wheel? Even a roller coaster? How’d they do it so fast?”

“A mystery that has baffled Equestria’s greatest minds for centuries.” Spike shook his head. “Honestly, though, I think the way they do it is they just dismantle all the rides into parts every night and ship them to a different town by train.”

Derpy rubbed her chin. “That doesn’t sound very safe.”

“It’s not,” Spike said with a grin. “But that’s why these rides are the best! Every time you get on one you run the risk of horrible death. If that doesn’t get the blood pumping, I don’t know what will.”

Derpy shrugged and followed Spike as he sauntered over to the ticket booth.

“Good evening, you two!” A stallion with a wonderful handlebar mustache exclaimed with a bright smile. “Just two tickets?”

“Uh, actually, we just need to go in real quick to chat with somepony,” Spike said. “We’ll be in and out in the blink of an eye.”

The stallion shook his head and pointed to a sign hanging underneath the stand. “Well, my apologies sir, but as the clearly visible sign states, ‘Nopony Admitted Without Payment’. I don’t make the rules, I just ensure they’re followed.”

Spike grumbled and produced a few bits. “Alright, fine. How much?”

“Five bits apiece for adults, four for seniors and ten for foals and fillies.”

“Ten for foals and fillies?” Spike shouted in pure shock. “Isn’t that a bit… shady? I mean, kids are the target audience!”

“Of course! That’s why they’re the most expensive.”

“Psh, you and your capitalist hierarchy,” Spike mumbled a few choice pieces of profanity under his breath and threw the bits on the table. “Fine, take your filthy bits. Two adults. May as well be highway robbery at this point…”

Derpy chuckled and followed Spike inside. “Oh, I’m sorry, Spike. If I would’ve known it’d be so expensive, I’d have stayed behind.”

“No, of course not,” Spike said, waving the idea off. “I’m glad you came. It wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable a walk through town without you.”

She grinned. “Y-Yeah, I agree. Oh, walking with you, I mean. Not… walking with… myself. You get the idea.”

“I got it. No worries.”

Derpy looked around in wonderment at all the goings-on. She almost tripped over a few loose foals in desperate need of parental supervision. “Wow. I haven’t been to one of these since I was just a filly. I find it kinda silly, actually. I just haven’t had the time.”

“Oh, they’re pretty great!” Spike said with a smile. “Someday, I’ll take you to a real one. Like, one that doesn’t run the risk of falling to pieces the moment hooves make contact with it. Deal?”

“Deal.” Derpy beamed a smile at him before pausing. “So, I have to ask. What are we doing here, exactly? You never really told me. Are we getting a souvenir for Dinky?”

“Kind of,” Spike said with a wink. “You’ll see in just a moment.”

After roaming a bit more, they reached an open segment of the grounds. Spike blocked the sun with his claw and scanned the perimeter before his eyes lit up. “There he is!”

Spike pointed with his claw to a younger pink unicorn, with a black and pink striped mane, standing across the clearing. He was surrounded by a horde of fillies taking pictures and signing autographs with him.

“Is that…?” Derpy spoke up.

“You better believe it,” Spike said. “That would be Poptart. Well, an actor playing Poptart. Either way, we’ve gotta talk to him.”

Derpy smiled and followed behind Spike as they walked over. “I’m sure Dinky would love a picture! Or maybe even an autograph!”

Spike shook his head. “I’ve got something a little better planned.”

The two waded through a river of foals and fillies, finally making their way to the unicorn.

“Um, excuse me, Poptart?” Spike asked, getting his attention.

The unicorn turned around. “Yep, that’s me! In the flesh. You need a— ...Aren’t you a little old to be at the meet and greet line?”

Spike shook his head. “Oh, no worries, bro. I’m actually just here to ask you a question. I’ll make it quick. Just down the road, there’s a hospital. In that hospital is a filly who’s your biggest fan. So, this afternoon or on your lunch break or something, I was wondering if—”

“Let me guess,” he finished for him. “You want me to go visit her at the hospital, right? Say hi, recite a few catchphrases, call her my sidekick, the whole shebang?”

Derpy looked at Spike, her mouth agape. “Spike? Are you actually doing this? I don’t… know what to say.”

Spike gave her a sly grin from the corner of his mouth before readdressing Poptart. “Yes, sir. Any chance you could make that happen?”

The unicorn rubbed his chin for a moment. “Hmm, sacrifice my time and energy to spend the night at some sick kids hospital room? Not gonna happen.”

Spike wanted to respond but had no words to follow what he just heard.

“Look, man,” Poptart continued. “This is just a side job so I can have some extra cash for my vacation coming up. I get paid to stand here, look charming, and pretend to be a book character I just happen to look like. Anything beyond that is not my concern.”

Spike snapped out of his stupor walked right up in the face of him. “Look here, you pink pretty-boy, you can just say no, but don’t you dare insult Di—”

“Hold up,” Poptart said, casually sliding Spike off to the side and eyeing Derpy up and down. “Aren’t you just lovely?”

Derpy blushed and took a few steps back from the approaching unicorn. “Me? Oh, well, I uh…”

“I tell you what,” he continued. “I’d be more than willing to waste my night in your room if you catch my drift.”

Spike snorted a billow of steam and walked between the two of them. “C’mon, Derpy. Let’s not waste our time with this loser.”

As they were walking away, Poptart opened his mouth one more time. “Hey! That counted as a meet and greet! You owe me three bits.”

He had not even the time to flinch before being pelted in the head with three coins.

Spike and Derpy walked out of the fair, the dragon still fuming.

“I can’t believe the nerve of that guy!” Spike said, stomping the ground with each word. “I go in there to try and do something nice, and what happens? I pay him three bits to insult me and harass my marefriend. “ Upon realizing what he said, he quickly covered his mouth. “Oh, whoops. Sorry. I wear my heart on my sleeve when I’m angry.”

Derpy bit her lip and gently took Spike’s claw into her hoof. “It’s okay. And, Spike?”

“Yeah?” Holding her hoof causing his voice to become much calmer. “What’s up?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked. “For introducing you to a jerk that disrespects your sister then tried to hit on you?”

“Mhm,” she said with a nod. “The fact that you even tried to do something like that… It makes me really happy. And it would’ve made Dinky happy, too.”

Spike used his free claw to rub the back of his head. “Oh, well… Yeah. I suppose its best that Dinky didn’t meet him after all. What’s the old saying about not meeting your heroes?”

“That’s definitely true, here.” Derpy let out a sigh and looked up. The two of them had slowed to a gentle stroll now, claw in hoof. “At least we got to go out on such a nice day.”

“No joke,” Spike said. “Any day I get to spend with you is nice in my books.”

Spike mentally facepalmed upon replaying what he just said in his mind. You need some crackers to go with that cheese, Spike?

“I agree,” Derpy said with a giggle. “Pretty soon, Dinky will hopefully get to enjoy these days with us, I hope.”

”She will,” Spike said. “On that note, you wanna go back and see her now?”

“Sure!” Derpy paused for a moment. “Actually, Spike? I was gonna ask if you had the time time to read her one of the Poptart and Note Pad stories. It’d really cheer her up.”

“Of course I can!” Once again, a lightbulb went off in Spike’s head. And this time, he knew what his mind was concocting would work. “You know what, Derpy? I have another plan. Come with me to the Castle real quick. We’ve got a little work to do.”





Spike and Derpy crept down the quiet halls of the hospital. It took them a bit later than expected to get everything finalized for Dinky’s surprise. It was now the late afternoon and most of the kids were already fast asleep, so they tried not to wake them.

Knowing Dinky, however, they could almost guarantee she would be awake and more than likely pestering one of the nurses about something.

They eyed her room a short way down the hall just in time to see Nurse Redheart making her way out of it, her mane frazzled.

Spike beckoned her over which she happily obliged to. “So,” he began, “is she awake?”

The nurse slowly nodded. “Oh yeah, she’s definitely awake. She’s been cranky all night. Wouldn’t eat her dinner until I cut it up for her. Didn’t like the apple juice. On and on. Can hardly blame the dear, though. She’s had to get bloodwork done all afternoon. That many needles make the toughest of creatures cry.”

“No joke,” Spike said. “Doctor gets near me with one of those things and I’m welling up. But that’s beside the point. I think this is the perfect night to surprise her. You think so, Derpy?”

She happily bobbed her head. “Definitely. Let’s do it.”

“Good luck, you two,” Redheart said. “She deserves a fun night.”

As she walked away, Spike and Derpy snuck up to her door. 

“Alright, you ready?” Spike said.

“Ready.”

With a silent nod, Spike thrust open the door, catching Dinky by surprise. Without bothering to greet her, he hopped up on the nearby bookcase and pulled out a flashlight from behind his back. 

“Note Pad!” he shouted across the room to Dinky. “Be on the lookout, because I do believe the dreaded Doctor Poniferus is right behind me.”

Dinky’s mouth opened. “Spike? What’s going—”

“Spike?” he responded. “Who is that? I’m Poptart, of course.”

The door burst open once more, Derpy dashing in. “And I’m Doctor Poniferus! I”ve come to finally get you, Poptart! And you too, Note Pad.” Derpy gave a sinister yet playful grin at her sister.

Spike thrust out the flashlight like a sword toward Derpy. “Not today, you diabolically deviant doctor!” Spike hopped through the air, landing on Dinky’s bed. He gently stepped across until he was within arm’s reach of her. He stuck out a claw for her to grab. “Note Pad? Will you please aid me in taking down this villain? I can’t do it without my trusted sidekick.”

Dinky stared at his claw, eyes widening by the second. Her eyes wandered up to Spike’s face, seeing the reassuring grin he was wearing. She instantly lit up and grabbed his claw. “Don’t worry, Poptart! I’ll help you! I promise!”

“Excellent!” Spike pulled her up to her hooves and handed her the flashlight. “Take this weapon. The doctor is dangerous. You never know when it’ll come in handy.”

Derpy looked at the both of them towering over her on the bed. “So, two against one, huh? Well, no matter! I’ll defeat you twice as easily!”

“No, you won’t!” Dinky wrapped a hoof around Spike’s leg. “We’re a team! And you’re just a meanie!” Dinky used her limited magic to throw a pillow at her sister and hopped onto her, smiling and laughing as she did so. “C’mon Spike! I left another pillow for you so you can help, too!”

Spike nodded and grabbed the remaining pillow and hopped down into the massacre.

“No!” Derpy shouted, trying to subdue her laughter. “I shall not be defeated this easily! Not by the likes of you!”

The three of them erupted into a fit of laughter and bright smiles that lasted the rest of the afternoon. And not one of them could remember the last time they enjoyed an afternoon so much.




> Fire Escape
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Derpy and Spike walked out the front doors of the hospital, laughing uncontrollably and smiles ear to ear. The sun was beginning to set in the sky at this point, it’s orange glow providing a soft illumination of the beautiful scenery of Ponyville.

“Oh my gosh, did you see her face when you busted in there?” Spike asked, managing to get the words out between fits of laughter. “She couldn’t believe it!”

Derpy nodded, trying to suppress her own chuckling. “I know. It was so great. Not to mention the look she gave you when you called her Note Pad.”

Spike grinned. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure we just made her entire night. Maybe even week!”

“Yeah, you really did,’ Derpy said, calming herself down. 

“Nah, we did,” Spike said. “I honestly wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. We both got to be heroes today, it would seem.”

“Spike…” Derpy trotted up to his side and rubbed her head against his arm. “Thanks so much.”

“It was, uh, it was no problem, Derpy,” he responded, looking down at her. 

His heart rate jumped to fifth gear as he felt her mane pressing against him. Given his general lack of remotely romantic contact he’s experienced in his life, he wasn’t sure what to do. He decided to just throw caution to the wind and gently wrap his arm around her. He heard her let out a soft hum, so he figured he must’ve made the right choice. He let out a small sigh of relief before gently letting her go.

Derpy stepped back. “But it was something, Spike. Nopony else I know would’ve been able to think of something like that. Nopony I know would’ve had even cared enough to try and think of something like that.”

Spike rubbed the back of his head and emitted a nervous snort. “Ah, well, there honestly wasn’t a whole lot of thought involved. I just kind of went with the flow, one idea to the next.”

“Whatever you say,” Derpy said with a snicker. “It was really sweet, either way.”

“Gosh, you’re making me embarrassed out in public,” Spike said with a grin. “You’re gonna ruin my reputation as a vicious, fire-breathing dragon if you’re not careful.”

“Sorry, Spike,” Derpy responded, hiding a chuckle behind her hoof. “I promise I won’t let it happen again.”

The two shared one more laugh before the settled down, letting a calm silence between them. The rays of the beautiful sun, shining over them. Its soft warmth was comfortable, lending itself to ease any tension that may have been present in the still air.

Spike broke the calm first, pointing a claw at the sky. “Man, that sure is pretty. Normally I’m already in my room by this point, vegetating with my comic books or getting into a board game war with Starlight. This is kind of nice.”

“It really is,” Derpy responded, taking a deep breath of the gentle evening air. “Normally I’m sleeping by now.”

“I guess fate had other plans for both us, huh?”

Derpy closed her eyes and bobbed her head. “Yep. I’m okay with it, though.”

“Me too.”

The two took a few more moments, enjoying the peacefulness of their surroundings. It had been an eventful day for both and both were sad to see it come to an end. But as the setting sun dictated, there wasn’t much time left.

“So,” Spike spoke up. “I guess that’s a wrap on today, huh? You should probably get back home and sleep.”

Derpy sighed. “I guess so. I just wish there was more time. Days like this… it doesn’t seem fair that they have to end.”

“Heh, I know what you mean,” the dragon said. “If you ask me, that’s why Manehatten is probably the coolest place in Equestria. Day or night, it doesn’t matter. That city never sleeps.”

“Really?” Derpy asked. “That sounds crazy. I’ve always wanted to go, but I’ve never really had the chance.”

Spike’s jaw hit the floor. “Hold on a second. Are you telling me you’ve never been to Manehattan?”

She shook her head.

“Not even once?”

“Uh-uh.”

“Even for just a little bit?”

“Nope.”

Spike was in disbelief. He thought everypony everywhere had been there. Such a huge place, so much to do and see.

“I can’t believe it,” he finally spoke up. “I’ve never met anypony who hadn’t been there at least once.”

The mare kicked at the ground and shrugged. “Well, growing up in Cloudsdale when I was little and then going to Ponyville, there was just always a lot to do and not a whole lot of bits to go around. I’ve heard about it, and even seen some pictures, but going there… it’s never happened.”

Spike finally snapped out of his disbelief long enough to process what she was saying. He knew that his circumstances and ability to travel around where quite a bit more generous than that of the average citizen. But actually knowing somepony now who’s never had the luxury, it really made him think.

By the good grace of Celestia, he was gonna make her night if he could.

“You know, Derpy…” Spike spoke up, causing the mare to lift her head up.

“Yeah?”

The dragon smiled at her. He was well aware of how corny and cliche that line he was about to say would sound, but he’s always wanted to use it. “The night doesn’t have to end yet.” 

“What do you mean?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

“Well, if you don’t mind losing some sleep for a night and you trust me enough, what say you and me go to Manehattan.” He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Would you be down for that?”

Derpy’s eyes widened. “A-Are you serious? Right now?”

He nodded. “Right now. I can get us the train tickets, it’s only an hour or so over there and then you can finally say you’ve seen the place. I know it’s kind of last minute, about as last minute as something can get, but there’s no time like the present. And this way, the day can go on just a little bit longer.” Spike averted his gaze from her. “That’s if, you know, you want to.”

Derpy leaped from her spot and wrapped her hooves around him.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”





The train ride over was uneventful, to say the least. There was only so much one could talk about aboard a train. The scenery passing by. The discomfort of the seats. The rude staff.

Luckily, Spike and Derpy were far enough past the awkward stage that a little silence didn’t feel awkward anymore. And even more importantly, the excitement that awaited them was enough to make the hour trip feel more like a few minutes.

Once the railway car finally made it to the city terminal, Spike led Derpy out and into the station.

“Alright, Derpy, are you ready to be amazed?”

She vibrantly shook her head. “I’m ready!”

The train station was an enclosed building, so there was nothing to see at this point besides the poorly maintained flooring and the rush of ponies darting around. But as they made their way to the hustle and bustle and up the stairs, the real magic began.

Derpy took her first step out of the station, her eyes lit up. “Woah!”

Densely populated streets were encased as far as the eye could see by towering buildings. More ponies than she’d seen in her life seemed to be on every street corner. Smells she’s never experienced before wafted from various food carts and restaurants in the area.

It was night at this point, the sky completely black, but the city was awake as ever, and the lights from all the building illuminated the streets as if they didn’t even need the sun.

“My dear Derpy,” Spike said, taking a few steps forward. “Welcome… to Manehattan!”

She walked up to him, eyes to the sky, taking in the sight. “It’s so… so… big! I’ve seen pictures but I never imagined it’d be this… beautiful!”

Spike was about to add on to her thought, but the two were interrupted by a strange pony running up to Derpy.

“Hey! You look new here!” An older, silver stallion with a black beard ran up to the mare. “The name’s Lucid.”

“Oh, um, hello!” she said, with a nervous wave.

The stallion gave a quick bow. “Well, seeing as how you’re a visitor, I’d like you to know that I’m selling only the finest of Hoofex watches, and of course, I’ll be giving you the guest discount.” The stallion seemed to pull a few watches out of the air and show them to Derpy. “Only twenty bits per.”

Spike rolled his eyes and swatted the watches out his hoof. “Bro, take your bootleg crap out of here. We’ve got stuff to do.”

The stallion dashed off, leaving a very confused Derpy in his wake. “What happened?”

“Eh, ponies will try everything to make a quick buck here. Fake watches, drugs, stolen anything… the whole shebang.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Yeah, just ignore it.”

Spike led Derpy around a few blocks, showing her a general idea of the town. The restaurants, music clubs, shops. They didn’t have the time or energy to experience them first hoof at this point, but Derpy was happy enough to just get to see some of what Manehattan had to offer.

After strolling beneath the night sky for a bit, Spike stopped in his tracks. They were in a dense area of the city, but not lost, as Spike knew his way around.

“Where are we?” Derpy asked.

“There’s something special I wanna show you before we go back home. I know we don’t have all the time in the world to experience everything, but there’s something you have to see. If you think you have the time, that is.”

Derpy bobbed her head enthusiastically. “Sure!” 

“Alright, follow me.” Spike pointed toward a thin street between two nearby buildings. “We just gotta cut through here.”

Derpy looked at the ominous darkness and gulped down a breath of air before nodding and following after him.

Spike held a tight grip on her hoof as they strode down the dark alley. The moon held high in the sky, barely visible through the dense canopy of lit skyscrapers and apartment buildings. There was a soft stench of old garbage and murky puddles, lending a feeling of uneasiness to the mare.

“Are you sure we should be back here, Spike?” she asked, glancing around, gripping his claw as tight as she could. “This feels kinda… scary.”

Spike paused for a moment to turn around. “I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ve been here before, so don’t worry. Do you trust me?”

Derpy bit her lip, taking one last look around. She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Cool,” he said. “We’re almost there. I promise you’ll love it. Just hold onto my claw, alright?”

“O-Okay.”

They traveled through a few more similar alleys, littered with garbage, stray cats, strange smells and the occasional drunk pony before they finally got to a particularly tall building. It was a large brick structure, much like many of the others.

“Here we are,” Spike said, letting go of her hoof.

Derpy eyed the building up and down. “A building?”

“Yep.”

“Is this the surprise?”

Spike shook his head. “Not quite, but almost. To show you the surprise though, I need you to close your eyes, okay?”

Derpy stepped back, a slight hesitation in her voice as she spoke. “Close my eyes? I, um, do I have to?” Derpy looked around her, paying special attention to anything that might be behind her.

Spike nodded. “I mean, I’m not gonna force you to do anything. But, if you really wanna see the surprise, you’ll have to trust me. It’ll be worth it.”

Derpy let out a sigh and walked up to him. She grabbed his claw and held onto it as if her life depended on not letting go. With another deep breath, she closed her eyes and nodded.

“Okay, I trust you.”

“Alrighty. This way.” They slowly trudged through various puddles and piles of debris before reaching a spot behind the aforementioned building. Derpy couldn’t see where they were going, but she followed accordingly, never once cracking her eyelids.

“Okay,” Spike said. “It’s going to get a little awkward here, okay? We’re gonna be going up some stairs.”

“Stairs?”

“Yeah,” he reiterated. “But I’ll be right by your side.”

Spike stepped back and let go of Derpy’s hoof. He instead placed his on her back to let her know he was there and began to direct her up the steps.

“Okay, so we’ll do this one step at a time.” They took the first step onto the metal staircase. It creaked and almost seemed to bend under their weight, but Spike gently held onto her, putting a soft calm over the mare. “Okay, we got the first step, now let’s just keep the rhythm going. Step, step, step…”

The two made their way up the first flight of stairs and were able to do the same over the next several flights. As they got higher and higher, Spike could feel Derpy getting more nervous. He couldn’t imagine a pegasus being afraid of heights, but there was probably a difference between flying and being led up a mysterious flight of stairs without knowing where you’re going.

“We’re almost there, alright?” Spike said, reassuring her. “Just a few more steps to go.”

She shakily bobbed her head. “O-Okay. Just… just please don’t let go of me.”

Spike rubbed his claw light on her back. “I won’t let go, I promise.”

The made their way up a few more creaky steps before the feel of flat concrete was finally under them. The feeling of danger and stench of rotting garbage was nowhere to be found, replaced by a gentle breeze and a still quiet.

“Are we there yet?” Derpy asked. “Where’d we go?”

“Almost and you’ll see,” Spike said, trying to contain the excitement in his voice. “Just make sure you follow me really close.”

He took her hoof and led her no more than a few yards away. “Okay, we’re gonna sit down, now, so be careful. It’s a bit of a ledge” He gently led her to the ground in a sitting position, which he then followed himself. He then put both of his claws over her eyes.

“Derpy, are you ready?”

She nodded. “I guess so…”

“Alright, on the count of three I’m gonna let go and you can look.”

The mare nodded. “I’m ready.”

“Okay. One, two, three!”

Spike lifted his claws, allowing Derpy to take in the sight. And what she saw left her speechless. As far as the eye could see were the tops of skyscrapers, lit up by the moon hanging in the sky. She looked at herself, realizing where exactly he took her. From her vantage point, they must’ve been on top of the tallest building in Manehattan.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Spike said. “You can see the whole city from here!”

Derpy, jaw still agape, took another moment to look around. There was an endless sight of buildings, more than she ever knew existed. When she looked down, she could see carriages and what looked to be ponies moving around, all the size of ants.

“Spike, this is amazing!”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, inching a bit closer to the edge of the building to dangle his feet over the edge. “I have to come here quite a bit to help Rarity with the shop she has in town. One day I just looked around to find the tallest building, and this was it. I don’t really have the ability to fly like you guys, so if I want to see things from the sky, this is the best I got.”

Derpy shook her head, trying to get rid of the shock, but she was still breathless as she looked over the lush cityscape. “I can’t believe it. This is so beautiful.”

“It is up here, at least,” Spike said with a snicker. “Looking at all the lights and star, you’d never guess the den of scum and villainy that hides out in the alleyways.”

The two took another moment to look at everything, letting the quiet wash over them. It wasn’t the first time Spike himself had seen this view, but getting to share it with somepony else… that made it feel like the first time all over again.

Derpy slowly reached a hoof over and laid it on Spike’s claw that was resting on the ledge. He widened his eyes and looked down at the sight, just to make sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. This wasn’t the usual hoof holding, like when he was leading her through the alleys. This was… different. Warm, fuzzy almost.

“Spike?” Derpy spoke up.

“Y-Yeah?” he responded, trying to control the shakiness in his voice.

“Thank you… for everything.” She moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. And from what he could tell, she had no intention of moving.

He gently lifted his claw from underneath her hoof and wrapped it around her, holding her close. “No problem.” He let out a small chuckle, trying to ease his nerves. “You know, we’re not even allowed to be up here, really. That’s why we had to sneak up the fire escape to get here. So, you’re an outlaw now.”

She nuzzled into him. “Well, you told me before you were a bad influence. I guess I should’ve listened, huh?”

Spike leaned his head over and rested it against hers. “I guess so. But, if it’s all the same, I’m kinda glad you didn’t.”

The bright lights of the city combined with the soft glow of the moon on the two only enhanced the beautiful silence of the moment. It didn’t last for more than a few minutes, but a few minutes of perfection was more than they could have ever asked for.

Spike felt his head move involuntarily as Derpy shifted hers from under it. She looked up at him with a soft gaze.

“Spike?” she asked, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah?” he asked, returning the gaze. An answer wasn’t needed, however.

She lifted his claw up and rested it against her cheek. Spike could feel her soft coat and the warmth radiating from her. He had no idea what he was doing so he didn’t even try making sense of it. He gently stroked her cheek with one of his claws. His heart seemed to be jumping out his chest, but he wasn’t about to let go.

Derpy rose her hoof up and rested it on his neck, never breaking eye contact with him. The feel of her warmth on his scales,  the soft breaths on his muzzle… the entire world outside of her golden eyes was completely absent.

And that was when his instincts took over.

After a few more strokes on her cheek. Spike slowly brought his head toward hers, closing the distance between them. He felt her hoof putting a light pressure on his neck, meaning she was doing the same. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but he knew what he felt and there was no going back. He closed his eyes, wrapped both of his claws around her and pulled her toward him.

And then their lips met for the first time.

He had never done anything like this before, never felt anything like it before. He felt the soft feel of her lips closed on his. Her hooves wrapped tight around his neck. Her mane brushing against his face. Her forehead pressed firmly against his. Her heartbeat beating against his chest, causing his to beat even harder.

And just when he thought it was over, he felt her wings open up and wrap around him, her soft downy feather caressing him in an even tighter embrace. He felt a rush to his head, almost as if he had been drinking a bit too much cider, but this one was so much more pleasant.

And then it was over.

Derpy pulled her head back, taking short gasps of air, looking him dead in the eyes. She still had him wrapped in her hooves and wings. Spike, still with his arms around her, shared the same stare.

The mare leaned forward and rested her head against his chest. Spike followed along, stroking her mane and resting his chin on her head.

“Spike…” she whispered.

“Yes?” he responded.

“Don’t let me go… Not tonight. Please?”

Spike hugged her a bit tighter. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan on it.”









> My Heroine (It's Not Over)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours later…

It was a lonely walk home after Spike dropped Derpy off at the hospital. The wind wasn’t cold, but a bit chilly as it brushed against the dragon’s scales. He hopped with every step, a goofy grin adorning his face. The moon hung high in the sky still, illuminating the quiet cobbled paths of Ponyville. But that meant nothing to Spike as his mind was focused entirely on the thought of a beautiful blonde pegasus named Derpy. Was it cheesy as all get out? Yes. Did he care? Absolutely not.

He found his way back to his home after a few more minutes of hopping about. He needed to make sure he was quiet of course considering the time, so Spike did his best to shut the castle door behind him without making any noise. As it clicked shut he slid around and began the trek up to his room.

It was still early enough that the sun hadn’t broken through the night sky yet, and in turn, Twilight and Starlight should still be asleep. And that meant that he should be able to sneak into his room, no questions asked, and get some shut-eye to finish off the night.

He was prancing with joy as he skipped by the living room toward the stairs. His smile hadn’t receded by a single inch since the magical events that took plays a few hours prior. Boy did he have a story to tell Starlight when he got up the next—

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”

Spike froze mid-step and slowly shifted his head to the right. There she was, sitting on an easy chair, staring right at him.

“Uhh, oh, hey Starlight,” Spike said, with a quick wave. “Nice to see you. I”m just, you know, heading to my room. Sleep and all that good stuff.”

“Psh, yeah, don’t even try, Have a seat.” She pointed a hoof toward the chair across from her. “Let’s have a quick chat, shall we?”

Spike looked back longingly at the stairs with his heavy eyes one last time. But, he knew he’d never hear the end of it if he just tried to brush it off. Given the facts, he resigned himself to missing sleep for a few extra minutes and hopped onto a chair.

“Okay, let’s talk,” Spike said. “What about?”

“Oh, I don’t know… How about the fact you’re slipping into the castle at four in the morning, smelling like sweat and big city back alleys?” Starlight looked at him intently with a smug grin. “Yeah, let’s start there.”

“Oh, well, there’s really nothing to talk about,” Spike said, nonchalantly drawing his eyes to his twiddling thumbs. “I spent some time with Derpy, went to the fair, visited her sister and spent the night up in Manehattan. You know, nothing big.” Spike’s gaze drew up to find Starlight’s jaw on the floor.

“You spent the night… in Manehattan… with Derpy?” Starlight blinked a few times. “Okay, tell me about it. I have to hear this.”

Spike waved it off. “Eh, I’m not really in the mood for details. I’m kinda tired and—” Spike’s body was instantly held back into the chair by a purple glow of magic.

“Oh no you don’t,” Starlight said. “You tell me you spent the night in Manehattan with Derpy and then you say you’re not in the mood for details? Listen here, Spike. I want details, and I want them now. I had to help Twilight organize her textbooks all last night because you weren’t here, so you say you’re not in the mood? Well you get in the mood!” Starlight’s heaving chest slowly began to simmer down as her rant ended. “Um, sorry. I’m just curious.”

The dragon blinked a few times. “Okay then… you win. You wanna hear the whole story or just the Hoof Notes version?”

“Meh,” Starlight said, waving a hoof. “Skip the exposition and just get to the good stuff. Let’s start with the night altogether. What happened?”

Spike sunk back and put his arms behind his head. “Ahh, yes. I remember it like it was only yesterday.”

“It was only yesterday.”

“Hey, I’m telling the story here, not you,” Spike said with a grimace. “Now, it all started after we visited her sister. Long story short, she mentioned she’d never been to Manehattan and I asked if she wanted to go. So, you know, I rolled a solid charisma check and we were in Manehattan an hour later.”

Starlight shook her head. “You’ve been playing Ogres and Oubliettes with Discord too much. Spike, don’t you remember what we talked about? Once you start making references in real life, it’s gone too far.”

“Hush,” Spike said. “You’re just mad you don’t know how to play. Anyhow, like I was saying, we went up to Manehattan. She looked around a bit, all awestruck and cute-like, and I decided to show her my special lookout spot.”

“The one on the building?”

“That’s the one!”

“Taking a mare to a place of special relevance for you under a moonlit sky?” Starlight rubbed her chin. “A bit cliche and greeting card-esque, but sweet nonetheless. Carry on.”

“So, I take her up there, we cuddle a bit and bam!” Spike clapped his claws to punctuate his point. “It happened.”

“No way,” Starlight said, hanging off the edge of her seat. “It happened?”

Spike nodded slowly. “Oh yeah. It happened.”

“I can’t believe you made it happen,” Starlight said. “You used protection of some kind, right? I’m only asking because you know if Twilight finds out she’ll—”

“No! Not that!” Spike viciously waved his hands. “What kind of dragon do you think I am?”

“One that might not be a loser forever, but apparently I was mistaken.” Starlight stifled a chortle with her hoof. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry, Spike. What happened?”

“Hmph, if you don’t keep that snark under control, you’re not gonna find out,” Spike said with folded arms. “But because I wanna go to bed, I’ll tell you anyway. Picture the scene: me and her, her and me, on top of the building, moonlit sky aglow. Her eyes on mine, mine on hers, her hoof in my claw… It was so perfect. She looked up at me and then I just went for it.”

“And?”

“We kissed!” Spike’s straight face morphed into a smile at the mere mentioning of it. “And it. Was. Awesome!”

“About time!” Starlight exclaimed. “I was wondering when you were gonna climb that hill. It’s only been, uh, let’s see here…” Starlight checked her imaginary watch. “... way too long. And after you slammed the door on her the first chance you had, I wasn’t sure if it was ever gonna happen.”

“Well, I wanted to make sure the timing was right,” Spike said. “You know, you only get one shot at a great first kiss. According to Lone Pone magazine, the first kiss sets up the entire future of how the other pony views you. I was afraid of messing it up if it wasn’t perfect.”

Starlight tapped her hoof on the hoof rest of the chair. “You read magazines about kissing? It’s worse than I thought.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being prepared!”

“Okay, Twilight, calm down,” Starlight said with a chuckle.

“Woah now, let’s not get too offensive with the name calling. I do have some pride hiding around here somewhere.”

“I’m just saying, you can’t base what you do or how you feel about another pony on what a book says,” Starlight said. “If you do that you end up single and alone in your fifties eating ice cream by the gallon with a pet cat. You just gotta go with what you feel in the moment.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Spike said. “But look, I really like her… obviously. I just want it to work out. For the long run, I mean.”

“If you want it to work out, there’s only one thing you need to do. Just be yourself and just keep doing what you think is right… unless what you think is stupid, in which case, ask me first. Deal?”

“Deal.” Spike gave her a quick thumbs up.

“You know I can’t help but feel like I’ve had to give you this same talk like three times now,” Starlight stated. “I hope you get it, someday.”

“Hey, being myself isn’t easy. Do you know how hard it is to be romantic and sweet when all you wanna do is sleep under a mountain of blankets? My romantic life has basically been set on survival difficulty since I was a teenager.”

Starlight let out a hearty laugh. “Fair enough. But have no fear, Spike. I’ll keep pounding it into your head as long as I need to, alright? Now, onto more important stuff. I’m thinking it’s safe to say you two are an item at this point. Where do you plan on going with the relationship thing from here? You said you wanted it to work for the long-run, so what did you have in mind?”

“I don’t really know,” Spike said. “I mean, is it really a serious relationship yet? I don’t even really know what she wants. It was only a kiss, really.”

“It was only a kiss? It starts out with a kiss and then you’re asking yourself, ‘Wow, how did it end up like this? It was only a kiss.’ And then next thing you know you’re getting married and punching out a few dragon-pony hybrid babies.”

“Uh, Starlight? What are you talking about?”

“What I’m saying is that, yeah, you’re the proud owner of a serious relationship now buddy. In a few years you’ll probably signing on the dotted line with red ink and immediately following it up with a legendary case of buyer’s remorse.” Starlight smiled at him. “But, lucky for you, from the few times I’ve met her, Derpy definitely seems like a keeper. So be proud of yourself and don’t screw it up.”

“I don’t plan on it,” Spike said with a smile. “There. That’s my current plan for the two of us. Don’t screw it up.”

“As good a plan as any. How you managed to reel in a mare like Derpy is even more impressive than how you guys reeled me in from a communist dictatorship, but now that you’re here you may as well roll with it.” Starlight said with a playful wink. “Now go get some sleep. You probably need it after a long night like that.”

He stretched out his arms and let out a guttural yawn. “I can agree with that. You coming?”

Starlight reciprocated with a yawn of her own. “Yeah, I need some shut-eye. Waiting up all night for you took a bit longer than my body was prepared for. I’m exhausted.”

“What’d you stay up so late for, then?” Spike asked, rolling his eyes.

“Well, when you didn’t come home for bed tonight, I knew something was up. And there was no way I was gonna let Twilight find out about this first, especially if it was something bad. You know how she gets with you.”

“Hmm.” Spike gave her a sly grin. “So you’re saying you were actually worried about me?”

“Oh, gosh, of course not,” Starlight said, gripping her chest. “I was merely concerned. And that’s the most you’ll get out of me.”

“Heh, love you too, Starlight.” Spike hopped up from his chair and extended a claw to help Starlight up from hers. “Let’s get some sleep, alright? And tomorrow, maybe you can help me figure out some opening lines for asking Derpy out again? I was thinking of something like ‘Hey, bae, let me show you true happiness,’ or something like that.”

Starlight froze in her tracks. “Yeah, we’re definitely gonna need to work on that. I’m pretty sure a tumbleweed just rolled out from under my tail.”

Spike and Starlight made their way up the stairs and parted ways to their respective bedrooms for a good night’s sleep. Spike collapsed onto his bed immediately after entering his room.

He was still smiling ear to ear at this point. Making a filly smile, putting a jerk in his place, getting a kiss from a beautiful mare, a demeaning yet uplifting talk with Starlight… he had one fantastic day. And given how great things had been going for him, Spike was more than ready to wake up later and start a new day, because things were only looking up.
> All The Small Things
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two months later…

“Alright, Spike, open up wide. And try not to talk this time, alright?”

“Meh, fine. Excuse me for trying to be social.” Spike cranked his jaw open for the doctor to look inside. He thanked his lucky stars he remembered to brush his teeth that morning. No matter how old he got, he was always going to be self-conscious about hygiene.

“Okay, looks all clear in here,” the doctor said, fumbling around with his wooden utensil. “You’ve got some swelling back there in the tonsil area, but nothing major. Alright, go ahead and close your mouth.” The doctor tossed the wooden stick into a nearby garbage can.

Spike rolled his tongue around in his mouth a few times, trying to get rid of the dryness. “Ugh, that never gets any more fun.”

“Hey, you think I like putting my hoof in ponies’ mouths all day,” the doctor said with a chuckle. “It’s a necessary evil, though.”

Spike scooted back onto the bed he was sitting on. “So, what’s the prognosis, doc? We all clear? Can I leave yet?”

“Hmm.” The doctor pushed up his glasses and looked over a folder he had laying on the nearby counter. “I’d say so. Your heartbeat is good, breathing normal, and your eyes seem right as far as I can tell. I’m no expert on draconic eyesight mind you, but your dilation seemed normal.”

“Sweet,” Spike said. “You see? You guys and Twilight are always saying I shouldn’t miss my appointments and all that jazz, but I’m a model example of perfect health.”

“Better safe than sorry.” The doctor set his paperwork aside. “So, tell me, Spike. Everything going good on a day-to-day basis? Your last visit you mentioned having some headaches and other pains.That was several months ago, granted, but any issues there?”

“Not really,” Spike said. “At least not more than any normal pony, or dragon even. Honestly, it was probably just from Twilight and Starlight getting on my nerves. Living with royalty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

“Fair enough,” the doctor replied with a small laugh. “Just keep an eye out for yourself. If you don’t, you sure won’t have that perfect bill of health for long.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it,” Spike said, rolling his eyes full-circle. “Can I leave yet? I kinda got some stuff I gotta do. Stuff involving a blonde mare and a basket of hay fries.”

The doctor took one last look over his paperwork. “Okay, I’d say you’re good to leave. But I want you back here a month from now. We’re actually having a doctor from the dragon lands come in to look at you. I’ll admit I’m not an expert at dragon biology, so when I met a dragon practicer of medicine at our last medical convention, I figured it might help to have her do a checkup.”

“I didn’t even know the dragons had actual doctors,” Spike said. “Then again, I don’t spend a whole lot of time over there. Fine, I’ll be here. But don’t expect me to be happy about it. And I swear, if she tries to do some dark ages leeching type stuff, I’m out.”

“Calm down, that’s not going to happen. It’ll just be a checkup from somepony who knows more about dragons than I do. But, before any of that can happen, I will need permission from you to let her view your medical records. Is that alright?”

Spike hopped off the bed and walked over to him. “Yeah, that’s fine. Where do I sign?”

“Right here.” The doctor pointed to a small line on the paper.

Spike scribbled out his initials real quick. “There we go, Spike Amadeus Dragon.”

“Thank you very much,” he said. “Alright, now you’re really free to go. Enjoy your afternoon.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Spike said, dashing for the door. He paused right before opening it, however and turned around. “Uh, just one more thing, doctor.”

The doctor looked at him. “Yes, Spike, we got the blue raspberry suckers back in stock. Just talk to receptionist and she’ll take care of it for you.”

Spike gave him a thumbs up. “You know me too well.”

The dragon made his way down the hall, got his sucker and went out to the waiting room. Rarity was sitting in a chair, flipping though an old magazine, waiting for him.

“Hey, Rares!” Spike said with a wave. “I’m alive and well. Oh, and I got you a sucker. The peach kind because I’m pretty sure that’s your favorite, right?”

She whisked the magazine aside and got up to greet him. “Oh, thank you, dear.”

“Of course!” Spike handed it to her and they both made their way toward the exit. “Thanks for coming with me, by the way. I know you were probably busy. I don’t know what it is, but coming here for my appointments always rubs me the wrong way.”

“Oh, of course,” she replied. “Places like this can be rather upsetting. It’s always nice to have a friend there.”

“Exactly. I asked Starlight first because I figured she wasn’t doing anything today anyway. She just laughed… and then laughed a bit more. And then said she had plans. Some ponies never change, I suppose.”

Rarity lightly chuckled. “Oh, that definitely sounds like her. You two definitely have a strange relationship.”

“You’re not wrong,” Spike replied. “I guess it’s only fair after I hid that snake in her room last month.”

“So,” Rarity spoke up. “What did the doctor say, Is everything going well?”

“Yeah, so far so good,” he replied. “At least from what he could tell with that twelve point inspection he’s got. I live to fight another day.”

“Well that’s good to here,” Rarity said with a bright smile. “But you really should keep up with your appointments better. No good can come from missing them.”

“Oh, not you, too,” Spike said, tossing his head back with an exasperated sigh. “Twilight’s been talking to you, huh?”

“She may have mentioned it,” she said. “It is important, though. Even the princesses have to receive their check ups on a regular basis. And it’s especially important now that you’re getting older, you need to get used to these responsibilities. It’s simply a part of life. ”

“It’s not a very fun part, though,” Spike said with a frown. “But it’s whatever. I have to go to my next one, anyway. They’re bring in some dragon doctor to take a look at me for a day.”

“Oh really?” she asked. “Well that definitely sounds like a good idea. Have you ever been seen by a dragon professional, before?”

“Only once, a couple years ago,” Spike said. “But she wasn’t really an actual doctor. Just an herbalist or something that visited the castle for whatever reason. And it didn’t go so well. She made a comment about my lack of size being unnatural. I think she was just making fun of me being short, though. I guess dragons don’t believe in bedside professionalism.”

Rarity stifled another laugh with her hoof. “Oh, dear, I’m sorry. If it means anything, I think you’re the perfect size. If you were much bigger, there might not be enough room in Ponyville for you. And frankly, I couldn’t dream of living here without you.”

Spike blushed ever so slightly. “Thanks, Rarity. But don’t worry, even if I was a giant tyrant of a dragon I’d still hang around here, probably. The whole living in the mountains with a pile of treasure thing isn’t really my scene. Not enough pretty mares around if you ask me.” He lightly elbowed her with a playful wink.

“Well, I suppose I should be grateful for that,” she said.

They finally made it to the outside of the building. It was early in the afternoon so the sun was hanging high in the sky, illuminating the green leaves of the trees. Summer was just about in full-force so the temperature wasn’t exactly ideal, but Spike loved it.

“Oh man, it feels great out here,” Spike said, stretching out his body. “You should really try the whole cold-blooded thing, Rarity. It’s really not that bad.”

“Yes, well,” Rarity flinched under the radiating sun. “Well, ponies unfortunately do not have that luxury. But I do have a conditioned home waiting for me. “Were you planning on coming over to visit?”

“I can’t, I’m sorry,” Spike said. “I’ve got a date with Derpy here in a few minutes at the burger place. I was late to our last date and I don’t really wanna put myself in the doghouse more than I already might be.”

“Oh, well that’s simply wonderful,” she said. “I’m so happy that things are going so well between the two of you. How long have you been seeing each other again?”

“Officially? Just over a month I guess. But, to be honest, I kinda liked her from the first day we met. Sounds kinda stupid, I guess.”

“Oh hush,” Rarity said with a wave of her hoof. “I actually think it’s rather adorable. I’m happy for you, Spike. You really do need to bring her over some time for dinner. I’d love to get to know her, better.”

“Will do,” Spike said. “I’ll probably ask her about it today, actually. She’s kinda shy, though, so it might take a bit of planning.”

“Just let me know, okay, darling,” Rarity said. “Now, I’m going to get out of the sun and back to work on my dresses. You run along and don’t be late, understood?”

“Got it.”

The two shared a brief hug before parting ways. Spike pranced off to his favorite burger joint to meet up with Derpy, a huge smile on his face.





“One, two, three… go!”

Spike and Derpy both simultaneously bit into their sandwiches and promptly took a sip of their drink right afterwards.

“Oh, my gosh,” Spike said, his mouth on fire. “This really is spicy. How are you holding up?”

Derpy took another swig of her drink and wiped a few droplets of sweat from her forehead. “It’s really good. Just… wow, it’s hot.”

“It’s really good, though,” Spike said, finally being able to think now that his mouth wasn’t being prodded by the Devil’s pitchfork. “That Dragonfire pepper has a really sweet aftertaste.

Derpy nodded in response. “Yeah, I agree. Just… wow. It’s powerful.”

“Hey, Curly!” Spike shouted back toward the kitchen from his seat. “This burger is great! But man, it packs a punch.”

The pony in question waved at him from the counter. “I’m glad you like it. I’ll send you guys some ice cream out in a bit to help the burn.”

Both of them set their burgers down for a moment to gather themselves before continuing the conversation they were having before.

“So, now that that’s over with for the moment,” Spike said. “I’m happy to inform you that everything at the doctor’s went off without a hitch. You’re the proud marefriend of the healthiest dragon in Ponyville.”

Derpy’s lips curled up into a sweet smile. “That’s good. I really hate going to hospitals and stuff, too. It’s never any fun, especially when you get bad news.”

“No joke,” Spike said. “You especially have reason to hate them. Me? I’m kinda just a coward, I’ll admit it.”

“Maybe just a little,” Derpy said with a chuckle.

“Heh, your ability to comfort me knows no bounds,” Spike said with a playful smirk. “To that end, though, they’re bringing in a dragon doctor next month to see me, just for a full inspection. That’ll be interesting.”

“Really?” Derpy asked. “I didn’t know dragons had doctors. They don’t really seem all that, you know, organized. No offense, I mean.”

“None taken. That’s what I thought. But you learn something new every day, I guess.”

“I guess so,” Derpy said. “Either way, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks, sweets,” Spike said with a smile before his eyes shot open. “Ooh, how does that one sound? ‘Sweets’. Does that work for you?”

Derpy rolled her eyes and nodded. “Spike, I don’t really care what pet name you call me. They’re all sweet. I’ve told you this, before.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said with a sigh, slouching back in his seat. “But I want it to be something special. Anypony can call their marefriend ‘babe’, or ‘sweet cheeks’ or whatever. I like to go against the grain. I want it to be something, you know, unique.”

The mare giggled and reached out a hoof, setting it on his free claw he had on the table. “It’s really adorable that you’re putting so much work into this. But okay, I like ‘sweets’, a lot. You can call me that.”

Spike’s face instantly lit up. “Awesome! We have a winner!”

Derpy patted his claw once more before pulling her hoof back. “So, before we got our food you said there was something you wanted to ask me?”

Spike cocked an eyebrow for a second before remembering. “Oh yeah! I forgot. Rarity wants to have us over for dinner sometime soon. She really wants to get to know you more.”

“Rarity? Wants to get to know me?” Derpy slunk back a bit in her seat, hiding behind her mane. “But she’s so popular and… famous.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Spike said with a nod. “But she’s also one of my best friends and by association, she wants to be your friend, too. I mean, I won’t force you to do anything if you don’t want to, but I think you two would get along great.”

Derpy let out a sigh. “Okay, I’ll do it. She’s always seemed nice, but we’ve never really talked or anything. But if she’s your best friend, I guess we’ll need to meet eventually.”

“Cool!” Spike said. “I’ll let her know and then set up a date sometime. Just, you know, be prepared to talk about clothes and generous-y stuff… That’s kind of her thing.”

“Understood,” she replied. “But, I do wanna tell you something, though.”

Spike perked an ear frill up. “What’s that?”

“So, I have a surprise that you might be interested in,” she said. “It’ll be ready tomorrow afternoon. I was hoping you’d wanna come over to my home to see it.”

“A surprise?” Spike’s face lit up. “I love surprises! Any hints on what it is?”

She shook her head. “Nope! You’ll just have to come over and see.”

“Fair enough,” Spike said. “What time do you want me to be there?”

“Is seven o’clock okay?” she asked. “It’s a bit late I know, so I understand if you can’t.”

“Oh please,” Spike said, waving it off. “I took you to Manehattan in the middle of the night once. Going down the road in the evening is hardly a chore. Besides, you’re worth skipping an early bedtime.”

“Thank, Spike,” she said. “I promise, you won’t be disappointed.”

“I’ll take your word for it. Now, let’s finish up this food. I think I’ve given my mouth enough of a rest.”

The two quickly scarfed down their dinner and followed it up by eating the free ice cream provided to them. Their dates were hardly fancy at this point, primarily because Spike was still in the learning phases of the dating scene, but they always felt perfect.

After finishing up, they walked outside to part ways for the night.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Spike asked.

“Absolutely,” she replied. “I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I.”

He gave her a quick kiss and she nuzzled his cheek before they went their separate ways. Spike still got a goofy smile on his face every time they kissed or hugged, even though they’ve been doing it for months. He knew it was cheesy, but he loved it more every time.

Spike strode off toward his home. It wasn’t too late yet, so he could still work in some laziness and game time with Starlight before bed. Besides, he definitely needed a mare’s opinion on what this surprise could be. After all, he didn’t wanna go over there unprepared.
> I Miss You
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike glided through the front door of the castle, smiling wide.  “Yo, Starlight! I’m home! I’ve got something to tell you!”

He pranced into the living room, expecting to see her curled up on the easy chair as per the usual, but much to his dismay, she was absent.

“Uh, Starlight?” he asked, darting his head to and fro. “Huh, she’s not here. Go figure.”

“She’s out with Trixie,” a voice said from behind him. “Something about ‘Great and Powerful Ice Cream’ or whatever.”

Spike turned around to see Twilight entering the room. “Oh, really? It’s not like her to have a social life. Ah, well. I’ll talk to her tomorrow. Thanks for letting me kn—“ Spike finally slowed down enough to actually look at the mare before him. Her eyes were heavily bagged and there was a steady sound of sniffles coming from her muzzle.  “Woah… you don’t look so good, Twi.”

She sniffled once more, moaning slightly due to the pure, unadulterated agony that can only come from having a cold. “Eh, I’m fine, Spike. Just a bit of a… of a… Achoo!”

Spike regretted being directly in her line of vision at that particular time considering he now found himself wiping off tidbits of Twilight snot from his scales. “Yeah, just fine. C’mon, Twi, lay down on the couch.”

Twilight hesitated for a brief moment as Spike gently led her toward the living area. “No, Spike, it’s okay. I have things to do and—“

“It’s a happening thing, Twilight,” he said. “The sooner you accept it, the happier you’ll be.”

With a half-hearted huff, Twilight gave in to her fate and let herself be practically carried over to the couch. Spike guided her over to the couch and gently helped her lay down. He grabbed a throw pillow and placed it under her head.

“Spike,” Twilight coughed out. “This really isn’t necessary.”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time.” Spike looked around for a moment. “Hmm, hold on for just one second. I’m gonna go grab a blanket, alright?”

“But, Spike, I—” And he was gone.

As promised, he returned rapidly and gently placed the blanket over her, making sure to tuck in the edges into the cushions. Nopony liked it when every turn they make makes the blanket fall to the floor, after all. He also managed to return with a box of tissues he placed right next to the couch.

“There you go!” He said. “I think we’re set. Here in a bit I’ll make you some soup, too.”

Twilight let out a soft sigh. “I appreciate it, Spike. I promise, I really do. But I would’ve been more than capable of walking up to my room if I wanted to take a nap.”

"Pfft, nice try," he responded. "All your work supplies are up there. That's way too much temptation for you.. Down here, I can keep an eye on you to make sure you rest and start feeling better.”

Twilight rolled her eyes before burrowing into the blankets and smiling at him. “Okay, Spike, you win.” She drove the thought home by grabbing a tissue with her magic and blocking an especially large sneeze with it.

Spike travelled to the nearby easy chair and hopped in it, making himself comfortable. “So, Twi, I guess since we’re here now, let’s talk for a bit.” HIs train of thought was cut off by a ravenous sneeze coming from the mare. “That is, if you’re up to it.”

Twilight gently nodded. “Of course. I’m always up for talking with you. Just as long as I’m not out of town and such.”

“Obviously,” Spike replied with a smile. “I think I’ve already told you this, but I’m really glad you’ve started spending more time with me again. Starlight thinks the same thing, too. I mean, she’s not really the one for saying nice things, but deep down she appreciates it.”

Twilight took a moment to respond, seeming to stare off into space. She Scooched her head up the pillow, groaning as she did so due to an obviously massive headache. However, she was eventually able to get herself in a position to gaze up at Spike. “Thank you, Spike. I’m trying to get better about it. I’m glad you see it. Sometimes I just… I just get caught up in everything going on. And I, um, I kinda forget the important ponies in my—”

“Shh,” Spike said, waving a claw. “Don’t worry about all that heavy stuff right now.”

Spike could see the train of thought was upsetting her. It may have been from the cold she was victim to, but he was pretty sure those were tears welling up. And now was neither the time nor the place for this.

“Okay,” Twilight said. She took a few shallow breaths, trying to keep herself from causing any more tears roll down her cheeks. “I guess I’m just trying to say that I love you, Spike, no matter what. Even if I don’t always show it like I want to.”

Spike grinned at her. “I love you, too, Twi. Now, let’s change subjects before I start getting all emotional and whatnot. I am a dragon after all and I’m pretty sure crying is grounds for the death penalty in that culture.”

Twilight chuckled. “You’re probably right, hehe.”

“Now,” Spike said, “let’s talk a bit about you. I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk with you the past few days, Twi.”

“Okay,” Twilight replied. “What do you wanna talk about?”

“I dunno,” Spike said with a shrug. “How are things going in the world of Princess stuff? Oh, have you given any consideration to my idea about making daily showers mandatory? I was up in Manehattan the other day and let me tell you straight up, showers are not a high priority in that town.”

Twilight shook her head. “Sorry, Spike, but we can’t legally control the sanitation habits of the citizens… no matter how much I and the other Princesses wish we could.”

“Darn,” Spike said with a snap. “I suppose it was worth a try, though.”

“Yeah, but maybe someday,” Twilight said. “Now, Spike, tell me about what’s going on with you.”

“Me?” Spike asked, rubbing the back of his head. “Oh, you know, not a whole, whole lot. Just a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Maybe a little more that than this.”

“How are things going with you and Ditzy?” Twilight asked, earning a quizzical look from Spike.

“You mean Derpy?”

“Oh, yeah, Derpy. Sorry.” Twilight grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, I’m sick.”

“It’s cool, no worries,” Spike said. “But, to answer your question, things are going great! I really like her, Twi.”

“That’s great!” she responded, before interrupting herself with a fit of coughing. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“You alright there?” Spike asked, getting up from the chair. “You don’t sound too good.”

“No, it’s alright, just—” And another fit of coughing erupted.

“Yeah, that’s not gonna fly.” Spike began walking away, heading toward the kitchen. “I’m gonna get you some tea real quick. It’ll help the coughing or so they say.”

Twilight rose her hoof to protest but she got nowhere as another bit of coughing prevented words from coming out. She promptly put her hoof down and let Spike carry on with his insistent care giving.

He roamed around the kitchen, grabbing a packet of Twilight’s favorite tea and got some water boiling. It broke his heart to see Twilight in such a weakened state like this and although he was definitely growing up and living his own life, he never gave up the idea that he was her number one assistant.

He chuckled a bit after replaying that line in his head. He hadn’t heard it in awhile, that was for sure. But, somewhere along the line, he went from assistant to family and family takes care of each other, just like he was doing for Twilight.

The water reached its boiling point and Spike dropped the teabag in. It took all of a minute or so for the tea to be ready. He took but a moment to mix in some honey and lemon, just as she liked it before gently carrying it out to her.

She was curled up under the blankets, head snuggled into her pillow, looking even more miserable than when he left her.

“Alright, Twilight, here you go,” he said, setting it down. “Now be careful so you don’t spill it or burn yourself. Your magic isn’t quite as accurate when you’re sick.”

She nodded and sat up a bit, taking a sip. “Mmm, you remembered the lemon?”

“What can I say?” Spike said, hopping back in his chair. “I’m a saint, I know.”

Twilight snorted out a quick chuckle and took another sip before setting the mug down. “Of course you are, Spike. But thank you, I can already feel it helping my throat feel better.”

Spike smiled and giddily kicked his feet. No matter how old he got, hearing praise from Twilight always felt great. Some things never changed.

“So,” Twilight began, looking toward Spike. “When you came in you seemed super excited to tell Starlight something. If it’s not anything private between the two of you, maybe you could tell me, instead.”

“Huh?’ Spike asked. “You wanna hear about it? It’s nothing big, just some relationship stuff with Derpy.”

Twilight smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’d love to hear about it. How long have you guys been dating now?  A couple weeks, right?”

“Close,” Spike said. “We’re officially over a month, but there was something there before that.” Spike blushed just thinking about it. “It’s been pretty great.”

“I really wish I could spend some more time with her,” Twilight said. “I’ve seen her a couple times and she always seemed really nice.”

“Oh, yeah, she’s great,” Spike said. “She’s a bit shy, but I’d really like to do stuff with the three of us more often. I’d bring Starlight around too, but I can’t help but be afraid she’d find a way to make things awkward and difficult… and she’d probably do it on purpose.”

“Yeah, I can’t even argue with you there,” Twilight said with a weak laugh. “But you know she cares about you, too.”

“You’re right,” Spike says. “That’s why we keep her around… even though she’s perfectly capable of earning her own living at this point. Speaking, of which, so do I. Eh, I won’t question it.”

The two shared a quick laugh together. That was something they hadn’t done in awhile and Spike loved it. He honestly missed having one on one time with Twilight.

“So, to answer your earlier question,” Spike said, “I was just gonna tell her that Derpy invited me over to her place for a surprise of some kind.”

Twilight’s eyes popped open. “Her house?... For a surprise?”

“Yep,” Spike said. “I’ve never actually been to her home. We just kinda meet in public for the most part. But, now I’ll be going over there tomorrow night and I have no idea what the surprise is. I’m really not sure what to expect.”

It took a few moments for Twilight to respond as she was processing what she was hearing. “So, you’re going over to her home… for a surprise. Wow. I never thought I’d really see the day.”

Spike frowned. “I love the vote of confidence there, Twilight.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Spike,” she said, shaking her head. “I didn't mean it like that. It’s just, you’re really growing up. It’s kind of hard to understand.”

“Hey, it’s not easy for me, either,” he responded. “Growing up, having responsibility and the like… it’s a full-time job.”

“Well, you seem to be doing good so far,” she said. “But as for helping you with this surprise, yeah, I’ll leave that to Starlight. Just, you know, be careful… with stuff.”

“Oh gosh, let’s not do this, Twi,” Spike said, waving his claw. “I love you, but you already gave me ‘the talk’ when I was younger. Let’s not do that again.”

“Fair enough,” Twilight stated.

There was a quick moment of silence between the two of them before Twilight broke it up with another vicious fit of coughing. She took a swig of her tea and groaned, covering herself up with the blanked and wiggling her body back into a comfortable place.

“Okay, Twilight, enough talking. You need to get some sleep.” Spike wandered over to her and fixed up her blankets a bit more so she’d be comfortable.

“Easier said than done when you’re feeling like this,” Twilight said. All attempts at pretending she was okay were now thrown out the window. “But I’ll try, I guess.”

Spike rubbed his chin for a moment before pointing a claw up in the air. “I have an idea! I think I know what might help.”

He disappeared up the stairs and returned just as quickly, clutching a large book.

“Okay, so this works for the all the fillies and colts at the hospital who are sick, so maybe it’ll work for you.” Spike drug the easy chair across the floor a bit closer to the sofa and got comfortable into it.

“Are you going to read to me?” Twilight asked.

Spike responded with a nod. “Yep. The Adventures of Poptart and Note Pad. I’m thinking we’ll start at the beginning. That’s the best story, anyway.”

Twilight looked like a filly again, snuggled into her blankets and pillow, eyes closed and a soft smile adorning her face. She let out a quiet yawn. “Okay, Spike. That sounds wonderful.”

Spike smiled and popped the book open. He flipped through the opening pages and cleared his throat. “Alright, story number one: The Mystery of the Missing Muffin. It was a warm sunny day in the quiet town, but all was not as well as it appeared…”
> Breathe
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starlight did her best to hold back her laughter but kept failing miserably in her attempts to do so. “Hold on, hold on.” Starlight took a deep breath. “So, you’re trying to think up a pet name for your marefriend and the best you could come up with was ‘sweets’?”

Spike deadpanned. “Yes. Is there a problem with that? I’m assuming there is considering your inability to act like a civilized pony.”

Starlight waved a hoof at him. “No, no, there’s no problem. Just… you think that’s special and original?”

“Yes. Yes I do.” Spike angrily tapped his foot against Starlight’s bedroom floor. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anypony use it before. Game, set, and match.”

“Whatever you say… sweets.” Starlight erupted into yet another laughter fit.

This had been going on since the moment Spike woke up and sought out Starlight to get her up to date on the goings on of his relationship. Deep down, he knew this was going to happen in his attempts to get advice, as it usually does. It was just a matter of weathering the storm until he reached the destination he was looking for, which was advice and a quick confidence boost.

She was usually good for at least one of those things.

“Okay, look, I like it,” Spike said, rolling his eyes at the mare curled up on the bed in front of him. “But I take it you have something better in mind since you’re so ready to dash my hopes and dreams?”

“Hmm,” Starlight rubbed her, propping her head up from her pillow to do so. “A good pet name has to take into account something about the pony it’s referring to.”

“I can agree with that,” Spike said. “And she’s really sweet.”

“Hush, I’m thinking.” Starlight racked her brain for a few more seconds. “Oh, I got it! She likes muffins and stuff, right?”

“Yeah, so? Everypony likes muffins.”

“How about you call her your ‘love-muffin’.” Starlight waggled her eyebrows at the dragon. “Ayy, pretty good, right?”

“I’m pretty sure I’d rather bathe in acid until my bones bleed than call her that,” Spike said. “Besides, do we look like we’re in our seventies?”

“Eh, you’re a dragon. Aging isn’t really an exact science with you guys.” Starlight shrugged. “You looked like a baby until you were like fifteen, after all.”

Spike chuckled and sat down at the foot of the bed. “Okay, fine, it’s not bad. But I didn’t come up with it, so it doesn’t feel genuine enough.”

“Okay, fine, be that way,” Starlight said, lightly pushing him with a hoof. “But I’m telling you, you should at least test the waters with it next time you see her. Just to see what happens.”

Spike groaned out loud and reciprocated her push with a slightly stronger shove. “Okay, fine, you win. But if it blows up in my face and I end up embarrassing myself, I’m blaming you.”

“Whatever. You don’t need my help to do that.”

Spike gave her a glare that could freeze a campfire.

“Alright, just do what you want, Spike.” She got up and moved a bit closer to Spike. “I take it you’re talking to me for something a bit more important than pet names. What’s up?”

Spike sighed and turned toward her. “Well, I’m seeing her tonight…”

Starlight cocked an eyebrow. “Tonight? That’s pretty quick considering you just saw her yesterday, but hey, more power to ya for—”

“...At her house. For a ‘surprise’.”

The mare blinked a few times before speaking up. “Oh, well, that’s a different story, then.”

“No joke,” Spike responded, flopping his back onto the bed. “This will be my first time going over there and I don’t have any idea of what to expect or even worse, what to do when the unexpected happens.”

She simply nodded in agreement. “This is quite the dilemma, Spike. Going to your marefriend’s house for the first time… That’s big. Really big. Like, what happens tonight, especially considering you’re at the most important stage of your relationship, it could change the entire course of your potential life together.”

Spike’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “Oh gosh. The pressure is real.” Spike shot up and looked at Starlight. “I don’t think I can handle it. I should cancel.” He was shut up by a quick smack to the face, courtesy of Starlight.

“Spike, keep your mouth shut and listen for a second, or I’ll break the house rules and use my magic to make you shut up.”

Spike rubbed his now red sore cheek. He knew when he needed help and this was one of those times.

“Here’s the deal,” Starlight began. She hopped off the bed and paced back and forth in front of him. “Is this an important event? Yes. What should you expect? I’m not entirely sure. What’s the surprise? We’ll get to that in a second. Obviously, Spike, there are a lot of unknowns going on here, but you’ve got a secret weapon on your side. You know what that weapon is?”

Spike scratched his head and thought for a moment. “Good looks and a high charisma modifier?”

“No!” She screeched out, pausing her pacing for a moment. “You’ve got me and my loads of wisdom and experience.”

In any normal conversation with Starlight, this would be the perfect opportunity for some well-timed snark. But now was not the time for such antics as Spike genuinely needed this mare’s help. It hurt his very heart and soul to admit that, but alas, some wars were not meant to be won alone.

“Alright, Starlight,” Spike said. “I’m listening. Let me have it.”

“Good.” Starlight resumed her pacing once more. “So, first things first, you’re approaching this with the wrong frame of mind. It’s important, but don’t think of it as important. You understand what I mean?”

Spike rose a claw in the air. “Umm…”

“I’ll take that as a no. Basically, treat it just like your seeing her again under normal circumstances. How you would act and prepare for just seeing her on a normal visit, that’s what this needs to be in your head, alright?”

“Normal visit, got it,” Spike said with a thumbs up. “But what about the stuff that might happen? Like, even if I pretend this a regular date, the setting is different and all kinds of stuff. What if I mess something up, say the wrong thing?”

“Hmm, there is a lot of room for error and you have been known for taking advantage of even the smallest crawl spaces in that room…”

“I can’t even argue with you there,” Spike said with a frown. “I’m doomed, aren’t I?”

“Do I need to smack you again?” she asked, hoof raised in anticipation of violence.

Spike immediately perked up. “No, I’m good.”

“Alright, so here’s the deal.” Starlight sat on the floor and made direct eye contact with Spike. “Some new stuff could happen. No wait, strike that. New stuff will happen. But that’s how relationships grow. If nothing new ever happened, things would get stagnant and boring, right?”

The dragon slowly nodded. “Yeah, I think I get it. So, I should look forward to the new stuff instead of being freaked out by it.”

“Precisely!” Starlight said, reaching out for a quick hoof bump. “You’re not hopeless after all. Who knew?”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, even that doesn’t help with probably the biggest thing happening tonight. The ‘surprise’.”

“That’s definitely a big variable in the equation,” Starlight said, rubbing her chin with even more purpose than before.

“Huh?”

“Sorry, I heard Twilight say that the other day when she found out her favorite hayburger now comes with tomato added to it.”

“Got it. Carry on.”

“Tell me, Spike.” Starlight gazed at him curiously. “In what context did she mention this ‘surprise’. What was the conversation about?”

“Let me think.” Spike scratched the back of his head. “We were just chatting about life and stuff and she asked if I could come over tonight. And then she just said she had a surprise for me when I got there.”

“I see,” she replied. “Was there any excessive eyelash fluttering or sensual hoof touching going on.”

“Not that I can think of,” Spike said. “She did bite her lip a bit when she asked if I could come to her house, though. I think. Maybe. Possibly. Perhaps?”

“Okay, I think I’ve got this,” Starlight said. “Spike, the answer is short, sweet and to the point.”

He was quite literally on the edge of his seat. “Yeah?”

“She simply has something she wants to show you. Simple as that.”

The dragon frowned and schooched back. “Oh, really? What drew you to that conclusion, genius?”

Starlight shrugged. “Well, what I’m saying is it’s nothing big. It’s probably just an old photo or a present or something. Honestly, it might have  been more incentive for you to come over in the first place if she was afraid you’d say no.”

Spike cocked an eyebrow at her. “Really? Is that what you mares really think?”

“We’re complex creatures, Spike.” Starlight hopped up on the bed next to him. “But remember, because we’re complex, none of us are the same. So, I could be completely wrong… and you better never tell anypony I said that or I’ll make sure you never live it down.”

“No worries,” he replied. “But if you don’t know what it is, then that means I have to—”

“Be surprised.” Starlight lightly knocked him upside the head. “I mean, it’s probably something small, but for all you know she could be showing you a really cool family heirloom, or she might be showing you a nifty present she picked out at the general store. But the principle remains the same. Make sure to be yourself, be genuine and be confident, or she’ll be showing you the way to the front door.”

Spike released a deep, breathy sigh. “Alright… I think I could do that. But why do you think so?”

“Think what?”

“You know, that I can handle it? Not just now, but tomorrow and next week and so on?”

“Spike,” she said. “You’re a great guy and if she’s been with you for a month then I guarantee she thinks so, too. I’ll even admit that it’s cute how much you care about her and how she sees you. But you gotta relax. I believe in you, she believes you, so you just gotta believe in yourself now, alright? Because it doesn’t matter how much I think you’ll succeed. You have to believe so, too.”

Spike smiled at her and wrapped her up in a tight hug. No matter how much flak they gave each other on a daily basis, they always had each other’s backs. He needed her today, and she delivered.

“Thanks. I owe you one.” He hopped off the bed and wandered over to the door. “If you ever manage to find a pony that can tolerate you for more than a few minutes, I’ll be here.”

His snide comment was followed up by a book being tossed and connecting with his face.

“Get out of here and go shower or something,” Starlight shouted as he walked out the door. “You need to be yourself, but yourself needs to smell good.”

He gave her one last thumbs up before shutting the door behind him.

As he walked down the hall, he kept replaying the key points of their conversation in his mind. Ordinary date, believe in yourself, be genuine. It seemed so simple, yet so complex at the same time. This wasn’t an ordinary date. The chips were on the table. He and Derpy were going to be alone… in an enclosed space… a space that belonged to her!

This was uncharted territory.

But Starlight was definitely right about one thing: dwelling about the situation for the rest of the day would do little but make him sick. He immediately shook off the thoughts and headed toward the shower to fix himself up. The afternoon was quickly approaching and he needed to be ready.

Ready for whatever was in store.







It was a warm evening. It wasn’t hot enough to be uncomfortable, but it wasn’t cool enough to be pleasant. As he winded through the brick pathways of Ponyville, he couldn’t help but think of the weather being the perfect backdrop for how he was feeling.

He wasn’t quite confident enough to feel completely relaxed, but he wasn’t so nervous that he had to fight with himself every step to keep from running home. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ideal.

He at least thought of one thing on his own for the occasion. He had picked up a small bouquet of flowers to bring Derpy. They were nothing special, but they were yellow ones, just like the one he put in her mane back when they were first hanging out. He thought it might lessen the tension if he started things out with a nice gesture.

He finally arrived at her doorstep a short time later. It was a few minutes early, but he’d rather be early than late. He wasn’t a dating expert, but showing up for important dates late definitely didn’t seem like a good move.

He clutched the flowers in one claw and gently knocked a few times on the door with the other. He took a moment to look at her place while awaiting a response.

It was nothing special, just a one-story home made out of stone. It had a wooden porch area and small patch of grass that qualified as her yard. It was near the town center, but not close enough to be bothered by the hustle and bustle.

All in all, it was a very nice, humble home.

His admiration screeched to a grinding halt however as he heard some movement coming from behind the door. The handle began to jiggle before it twisted around and the door swung open.

Derpy was standing in the doorway, her mane a bit frazzled and a slight redness on her cheeks. “S-Sorry that took so long, Spike. I was in the other room.”

Spike smiled at her. “Oh, no worries. I was just getting a look at your home from the outside. It’s really nice.”

“Really?” she asked, brushing her mane out of her face. “It’s kinda simple and small. Nothing like the castle.”

“Eh,” Spike said, waving a claw. “Space is overrated.”

They shared a chuckle for a brief second before Spike noticed Derpy’s eyes drawn to the flowers in his claw.

“Oh! I almost forgot.” Spike held out the bouquet to her. “I, um, I got these for you. I saw them on the way over and they were pretty and stuff, so you know, I thought you should have them.”

If her face wasn’t red before, it was making up for it in spades now. She gently reached out a hoof and took the flowers from him. “They’re beautiful. Thank you so much, Spike.”

He rubbed the back of head. “Oh, well, it’s just a small thing and… I guess I’m kinda bad at this whole gentlecolt thing. Flowers are kinda generic I know, but—”

His sentence was cut off by Depry fluttering over to him and planting a kiss on his lips. It was a short one, but boy did the point come across to him.

“You’re welcome,” he said, a goofy grin taking over his face.

Derpy smiled at him, a moment of silence hanging in the air soon after. She finally snapped back to attention however and broke it. “Do you wanna come inside?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. That’s what I’m here for and everything.” He’d have to schedule a good old-fashioned facepalm later for that awkward showing.

Spike walked in the doorway and got a good look around her living room as he did so. It was small and very cozy. There was a single loveseat against the back wall with a short coffee table in front of it. The floors were wooden with the exception of a small rug underneath the table. The space was dressed with a few pictures clinging to the walls. A small bookcase stood in one of the corners, slightly filled with a few books and decorated with some ornaments.

“This is awesome,” Spike said, turning around to meet her eyes. “It’s so cozy. I like it.”

“Thanks,” she said with her own awkward smile.”You wanna have a seat?” She pointed toward the loveseat and Spike gladly did her bidding.

It was a pretty comfortable arrangement. He could get used to it. He wondered what the rest of the house looked like, but he wasn’t about to ask for a personal tour. He got in the door and that was more than what he expected of himself tonight. No need to get greedy.

Derpy smiled at him for where she was standing near the door. “I’m really glad you like it. So, if you remember, I told you I had a surprise for you, right?”

“Yeah,” Spike squeaked out. He was not anticipating the unknown rearing its ugly head so quickly. But, as Starlight said, he had to be ready to roll with it. He cleared his throat and spoke again. “I remember. I’m excited to see it. Whatever it is.”

“Good.” Derpy said. “So, just like when you showed me that rooftop in Manehattan, I need you to close your eyes, okay?”

Spike gulped. “Okay.” He  closed his eyes as tightly as he could. “They’re closed.”

“Alright,” she said. “Don’t open them until I say so, okay? I’ll be right back.”

“Got it.”

Spike thought about cracking one eye just to get a bearing on everything, but he did make a promise and he really didn’t want to start this night by breaking one. It just seemed like bad mojo.

He heard a door at the other side of the home open and shut rapidly, followed by a pair of hooves scurrying back toward him. That was soon followed by the loveseat bouncing next to him, as if a pony just sat down beside him. Oh gosh, if this surprise ended up being some kind of cuddling thing, he’d probably have a heart attack.

“Alright,” Derpy’s voice called out… not from right next to him. “You can open them.”

He shot his eyes open and was immediately met with a—

“Surprise!”

He was immediately tackled back into the cushions by a bouncing filly, grin wider than the ocean.

“Dinky?” Spike couldn’t believe it. “You’re home!”
> Fighting the Gravity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

About an hour had passed since Derpy’s wonderful surprise was revealed. Spike still couldn’t quite believe what had happened, but he sure wasn’t going to question it.  He blamed his disbelief on the simple fact that not enough good things happen in the world.

Since Dinky announced her presence by hopping all over him, Derpy had insisted Spike stay for dinner. She apparently hadn’t had the opportunity to cook for anypony in a while and was quite excited about it… if the smile on her face when she brought it up was any indication.

Dinky, meanwhile, insisted on showing Spike every single one of her toys. Outside toys and such were never allowed in the hospital for fear of disease and such, so Dinky was beyond excited to get them back. And, of course, she wanted Spike to share that excitement as well. They went through about a half-dozen stuffed animals and more kids’ books than he could remember, but it was worth every second seeing how happy she was.

Dinner was eventually ready and the three of them all sat down at the small dining table Derpy had. It wasn’t an actual dining room, per se, but an offshoot of the open floor adjacent to the kitchen.  It wasn’t flashy by any stretch of the imagination, but it was humble and nice. The table itself was a small, wooden one, just big enough for four chairs to fit around. Dinky sat in the king's spot at the front end of the room, whereas Derpy and Spike sat on either side.

“Wow, this looks great!” Spike said, gazing over the steaming hot pan of food sitting in the middle of the set table. “What is it?”

Derpy beamed. “It’s my own recipe and Dinky’s favorite. It’s a cheesy-pasta casserole with celery and rice mixed in.”

“It’s so good!” Dinky shouted, half her body on the table as she attempted to reach for the food.

Derpy swatted her hoof back and reached over to nudge Dinky back in her chair. “Dinky, be nice and have some manners!”

Spike grinned and gave the filly a wink. “Don’t worry. When it’s time, I’ll let you get the first bite before me, alright?”

Dinky gasped and shot a scrunched-up glare toward Derpy. “You hear that? Spike is nice to me and wants me to be happy because he lets me have food.” Dinky sat back in her chair and folded her hooves.

Her elder sister meanwhile rolled her eyes and looked back at Spike. “Remember what we talked about with her being a hoofful?”

“I believe it,” Spike said.

“Oh, look at this,” Derpy said. She grabbed a fork and grabbed a chunk of the casserole, holding it up. It had sparkling red and blue stones poking out of it.

“No way,” Spike said, licking his lips. “Gems?”

“Mhm,” Derpy said with a sweet smile. “I was able to get some today while getting the ingredients. I thought you might like them.”

“Woah!’ Dinky hopped up to her hooves to see better over the table. “Derpy, why’d you put rocks in the food? It’s gonna hurt when I eat it, now.”

“It’s only in part of the food,” Derpy said, placing the casserole back down. “That part of the casserole is for Spike, not us.”

Derpy looked from the casserole up to Spike and back to Derpy. “Spike likes eating rocks?”

“You know it,” the dragon replied. “I’m kinda weird like that.”

“Ohhh,” Dinky said. “Derpy’s weird too, so I bet she likes rocks.”

Spike couldn’t help but let out a little laugh and reach over to give Dinky a hoof bump. She gladly reciprocated it.

Derpy shook her head. “Alright, you two, let’s eat before it gets cold.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Spike said, fork and knife at the ready.

“Me neither,” Dinky followed up with.

Derpy smiled at her two hungry tablemates. “Alrighty, then. Dig in!”

The food was delicious. Why Derpy had spent this long hiding her culinary skills behind that veil of shyness was a mystery Spike would never understand. Every bite tasted like a god from the heavens was blessing his tongue with its sweet touch.

“Oh my gosh,” Spike said, unintentionally spraying bits of casserole across the table. He realized the error of his ways quickly, however, and took a swig of the tea Derpy also provided to wash it down. “This is incredible, Derpy! It’s… Its’… It’s straight fire!”

“Fire?” Derpy asked, cocking her head to the side. “I didn’t put very much spice in it.”

“No, no, no,” Spike waved his claw at her.  “It’s a word I heard some kids say the other day. I thought it was cool…. Or something… never mind. It’s really good!”

Derpy beamed at him, completely oblivious of the blush on her cheeks. “Thank you. I’ve, um, I’ve never really made it for anypony besides me or Dinky.”

“Mhm!’ Dinky squeaked, hoof holding tightly to the spoonful of food she had shoved in her mouth. “It’h weally good!”  Flakes of food dispersed across the table once more.

“Dinky, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Derpy said, giving her sister a stern glare for a brief moment.

“But,” Dinky said, throwing her hooves in the air. “Spike did it just a second ago!”

Spike blushed and turned to Dinky. “Yeah, trust me. You don’t wanna take after me. I’m a rebel and you’re a sweet little filly, right?”

“Only when she chooses to be,” Derpy interjected.  “The rest of the time, you’re a little rebel  yourself, huh?”

Dinky chuckled and did her best to give Spike a menacing evil eye. “Yeah, I’m no sweet filly. I’m really, um, really not sweet. I’m bad to the bone!“

Spike jumped back in his seat and wiped a few pretend beads of sweat from his forehead.  “Woah, gosh, you almost gave me a heart attack there. Actually, oh!” Spike made a show of grabbing his chest. “Oh, all that evil, in one filly, it’s too much! It hurts…” He closed his eyes and playfully flopped back in his chair.

“Noooo!” Dinky leapt from her chair and hopped on Spike’s lap.  She crawled her way up his body enough to continuously nuzzle his cheek. “Wake up! I promise I’ll be gooder next time!”

Spike shot his eyes open. “Oh, Dinky! You saved me!”

“Yay!” Dinky began hopping up and down on his lap and chest. “You see, you see, Derpy! I was good!”

“Yes, I saw,” she replied, head resting on her hooves, smiling at the scene before her. “Now, for Spike’s sake, please continue to be good from now on, okay?”

“Okay!”

She bounced her way back to her seat, finally allowing Spike to sit back up into a comfortable position. He couldn’t help but share a light chuckle with Derpy.

“Well,” Derpy spoke up, “it looks like dinner is finished up.”

Spike frowned and looked at the empty pan. “Aww, man, some things should never be allowed to end.”

“Well, maybe I’ll make it more often if you keep coming around.” Derpy sent a sly wink his way as she collected the dish from the table and took it to the sink

Spike blinked a few times in surprise. A mildly flirtatious comment from Derpy? He must be doing something right, so far, right? He hadn’t gotten kicked out yet, so that was obviously a plus. And to his knowledge he hadn’t said anything morally objectionable or offensive, which wasalso a plus.

After the three of them took their plates to the sink as well as washing them, they regrouped in the living room. Spike and Derpy loomed over Dinky who was running in circles around the two of them.

“Dinky,” Derpy said, “it’s time for you to get to bed.”

“But I don’t wanna!” she moaned. Her efforts were lost on Derpy, so she turned to Spike with the biggest, most sorrowful eyes he had ever seen. “Please, Spike. I wanna stay up with you.”

Spike looked at Derpy with the classic ‘what do I do’ face but he was met with a stone wall that wouldn’t budge under even the most intense of forces. Spike sighed and looked back toward the filly who had now wrapped her hooves around his right leg.

“Alright, Dinky,” he said, using a claw to gently separate the filly from his limb. “You better go to bed before she gets much angrier.” Spike playfully  thrust a thumb back at Derpy.

“Awww,” Dinky moaned. “But I missed you, too. Even more than Derpy because… because she only misses you a little but I missed you a lot!”

His heart melted at the pouty face Dinky was giving him. “Okay, how about this. Not tomorrow, but the day after, how about me and you go to town and grab some ice cream. How does that sound?”

Dinky’s frown instantly flipped as her eyes widened. “Ice cream? Yay! They never let me have ice cream at the hospital ever! Can I have the peanut butter flavor?”

Spike knelt down to her level. “It might cost me an arm and a leg, but I think I can make it happen.”

Derpy hopped into air. “Yay! You’re the best!”

“Sounds like a plan then, huh? We can bring your sister with us too because I bet she likes ice cream, too.” Spike turned his head around and winked at Derpy, who couldn’t help but smile at them.

“Okay,” Dinky said with a slight sigh. “I guess she can come, too. But only because she likes ice cream so much. And she likes you a lot, too, so I guess that’s okay.”

Derpy’s face turned beat red. “Okay, Dinky, I think it’s time—”

“I mean,” Dinky continued, looking intently at Spike. “She spent all today trying to look pretty and do all this other stuff for you.”

“Okay!” Derpy screeched while covering up her sister’s mouth. “I, uh, I think you should go to bed, now, Dinky.”

Dinky gave one last pleading look toward Spike who gave her a casual but firm nod. Dinky harrumphed through Derpy’s hooves and released herself.

“Okay,” she said. “Nighty night.”

“Sweet dreams,” Derpy said as her sister slinked off toward her room. She turned back toward Spike and smiled at him. “Thanks for your help, there. You really have a way with her.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve been looking after Twilight and Starlight for Celestia knows how long.” Spike smirked at her. “That’s not too much different from handling fillies.”

Derpy muffled a chortle with her hoof. “I suppose not...” After the brief moment of laughter subsided, Derpy stepped a bit closer to Spike and looked him in the eyes. “So, I guess you’re gonna go home, now?”

Spike scratched his chin playfully. “Huh, let me think. Go home and get hassled by Starlight and Twilight or stay here for a bit longer with a pretty mare? Gosh, the decision is so difficult.”

Derpy giggled. “Well, I hope you can stay at least a bit longer. I’d love to talk, you know, just a little bit.”

“I would love to,” Spike said. “I wouldn’t mind spending some one-on-one time with you. It’s been just a bit too long for my tastes.”

“It’s only been a day, silly,” Derpy said, booping his nose.

“And that’s one day too long for my tastes,” Spike said.

The couple maneuvered over to the loveseat and sat down. Spike relaxed his muscles as he pressed his body into the soft cushions. Derpy curled up on the seat next to him, laying her head against his shoulder. Spike wasn’t an expert on cuddling by any stretch of the imagination, but the feel of her mane resting against his arm prompted him to lift up just briefly enough for her to curl up closer to him. She nuzzled her head into his chest as Spike gently let his arm drape over her back. He finished off by planting a small kiss on the top of her head before resting his chin on her.

Derpy hummed in happiness. “Mmm, thanks for coming, Spike. It means a lot.”

“Of course,” he said. “I haven’t found a way to say no to you, yet.”

He could feel her heart rate pick up from where his arm was resting. There’s no possible way she could be as nervous as he was, could she? Of course not. She was too pretty and cool to be nervous.

“So, um, if you can’t say no,” Derpy said, straining her voice to feign as much confidence as possible. “Can you give me a kiss, then?”

And now it was Spike’s turn for his heart to race. They’ve kissed before, quite a bit, but in this situation, at night, by themselves, at her house… This was no ordinary circumstance and his pounding chest apparently knew that.

“Heh, definitely! I mean, sure!” Spike mentally facepalmed. “Yes, that’s what I meant to—”

He was physically shut up as Derpy tilted her head up and brought a hoof to his cheek. She pulled his head down a short ways, their lips meeting soon after. Spike closed his eyes and stroked her mane with his free claw. They separated for half a second before meeting eye to eye and locking their lips together again.

It was a sweet sensation: her soft fur rubbing against his skin, her sweet jasmine-scented mane falling against his cheek… The emotions he felt seemed to intensify every time they kissed and every kiss made him feel closer to her than before. He knew it was cheesy and tired and old-fashioned, but he didn’t want it to be any other way.

He loved it.

They finally separated, Spike taking a few quick breaths to clear his lightheadedness. After a quick smile to each other, Derpy laid her head back down on his chest while Spike rested his chin on her head.

“So, I imagine you’re pretty happy about Dinky being back,” Spike said with a soft smile. “When did she get released?”

“Yesterday afternoon,” Derpy said. “Sorry I didn’t tell you right away. I just kinda wanted to get her home first before any excitement happened.”

“Oh yeah, I get that,” he replied. “I’m just glad I got to see her tonight. It’s great seeing her outside of that hospital room. Nopony deserves to be stuck in there, especially not a sweet filly like her.”

Derpy used a hoof to pull Spike’s arm towards her. She planted a kiss on his claw before nuzzling into him again.

Spike, for his part, was still amazed at the goings on. Cuddling, kissing, relaxing… no awkward words or compliments leaving his mouth? What was this sorcery? Just like kissing, he and Derpy had cuddled before, briefly, in public places. But this… once again, this was different. This was special.

“Spike, thank you so much,” she said, her slightly slurred words making her voice sound more and more tired by the second.

“For what?”

“Just… for being you.” She released a sigh. “You’ve done so many wonderful things for Dinky. She really looks up to you and you know how she gets with most adults. But, you’ve been so wonderful with her and well, you’ve been wonderful to me, too.”

Spike had no idea how to respond. Outside of their normal, everyday compliments, she’d never said anything even close to this level of kindness to him before. For a dragon who liked to run his mouth more than he should, he was left speechless.

“I, uh… Well… You’re welcome.” Spike finally managed to squeak the words out and began using his free claw to gently stroke her cheek. “I’m not really doing anything special, though. Just, being myself and whatnot.  And if you think my natural self is impressive then your expectations could use some work.”

She released a light chuckled and nudged him with a hoof. “I mean it, Spike. Dinky and I really haven’t had a whole lot of good ponies spend time with us recently… I guess I always knew you, kinda, but I never really got to know you, Spike. And… and… I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m really glad I did.”

“Shh,” Spike said, placing a claw over her lips. “If you keep that talk up you’re liable to give me diabetes and that wouldn’t be pretty. Suffice to say, though, I’m really glad I met you, too. And you know what else?”

“What?” Derpy asked, eyes slowly starting to close.

“I think you need to take your own sisterly advice and get some sleep.” Spike gingerly lifted himself off the sofa, cradling Derpy’s upper body in his arms as he did so. “Careful. I don’t wanna knock you to the floor.”

“Okay,” she said, emitting a squeaky yawn. “I think you’re right, Spike.”

Now that he was on his feet, Spike extended a claw to help Derpy to her hooves. “There you go, sweets. Make sure you get some rest and as promised, I’ll be here around one in two days from today. So, Friday I guess… that would’ve been an easier way to describe it the first time.”

Derpy gazed up at him with half-lidded eyes and a dazed smile. “Yes, Spike. I’ll see you then. Good night.”

She puckered her lips, bidding Spike to meet her the rest of the way, which he gladly did. After they separated for the final time, Spike waved goodbye and trekked toward the door as Derpy trudged off to her bedroom. Spike took but a second to watch her as her figure disappeared into the short hallway leading to the bedrooms. She was always a nice visual.

He turned around toward the door one more time but right as he was about to open it, another piece of scenery caught his eye. There was a picture hanging on the wall, directly to the right of the door, depicting a slightly younger Derpy with an infant who must’ve been Dinky. There were also two adults with them, a pegasus stallion with light gray fur and a black mane and a unicorn mare with darker gray fur and a blonde mane.

“No way,” Spike said, looking at it up and down. “Those must be her parents.”

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t still curious about that situation. But, as worded to him by Starlight, the time would come when it came. But, for all intents and purposes, they looked like a normal, happy family and he couldn’t help but think of what could’ve gone wrong. Spike quickly shook the thoughts off walked out the door lest his curiosity get the best of him and keep him up with nonsensical thoughts all night.

As he took his first steps off the porch, the cloudless night sky draping it’s beauty over everything, he had a spring in his step and a smile on his face.

He just survived his first trip to his marefriend’s house without messing it up. And you can bet he was gonna tell Starlight all about it.
> Valkyrie Missile
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a busy day at the Carousel Boutique. Orders were backed up and piles of ribbon, cloth and lace lay about like the leftover ruins of a wartorn civilization. It was truly a scene to behold.

Spike couldn’t imagine what Rarity would have done had he not heeded her request to help her today.

“Oh, dear, not to interrupt,” Rarity said, looking up from the cloth she was intently sewing a patch onto. “If you could, please bring over the spool of blue thread, would you?”

“Got it!” Spike grabbed said thread from a nearby counter and brought it to Rarity, who was seated atop her sofa, surrounded by her work materials. “Here you go, Rares.”

“Thank you, darling!” She took it in her magic and set it down next to her. “Sorry about the intrusion, but continue.”

Spike wondered for a moment why she didn’t just get it with her magic in the first place, but he wasn’t going to question it. She was having a stressful day as it was. “Alright, well, there’s not much more to say. I went home, Starlight gave me attitude as per the usual about… something I can’t remember and then I went to bed and had a dream about comic book characters.”

“I see,” Rarity said while levitating a particular strand of thread mere inches from her face before snipping at it. “Well, I for one am certainly happy for you, Spike. It sounds like things are going just swimmingly for you and Derpy.”

“Yeah, well, I’m trying to keep it that way,” Spike said, getting back to his designated duty of untangling random balls of ribbon. “I’m never quite sure if I’m going too fast or too slow. Maybe I should pick up the pace a little bit? Maybe she thinks I’m rushing things? I don’t really know. It’s like I’m playing twenty questions with myself… and I keep losing.”

“Don’t feel bad, dear,” Rarity said. “There’s no such thing as an easy relationship. Trust me, I know.” Rarity took a pause from her work to let out a brief sigh. “But, keep doing what you think is right. It’s obviously worked so far, has it not?”

“I think so. But then again, I also thought non-alcoholic beer was a myth, but lo and behold it’s a thing...for whatever Celestia-Forsaken reason.”

“Well, I won’t lie to you and say everything will go perfectly all the time,” Rarity said, taking a moment to address him eye to eye. “That’s unfortunately not how things always go. But I will promise you that no matter what happens, I’ll still be here for you.”

Spike smiled at her. “Thanks, Rarity. But, if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather have the ‘no matter what happens’ part include Derpy.”

“So do I,” she replied before stabbing another needle through a piece of fabric. “But, on a positive note, I do find it wonderful that her sister was finally released from the hospital. I can’t imagine how happy they must be.”

“Oh yeah,” Spike said. “It was awesome getting to hang with them last night. I hadn’t seen Derpy look that relaxed in like, ever. She deserves it.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Rarity replied. “Her schedule must have been simply unimaginable.”

“Oh gosh, I know,” Spike said. “There would literally be days where she couldn't sleep. I get cranky if I don’t get at least twelve hours in any given twenty-four hour period. Going more than a day without sleep? That’s like… really not good.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Rarity said with a chuckle. “But, to your credit about not knowing how things are going, I can tell you one thing I guarantee she’s noticed.”

“My subconscious inability to form meaningful relationships?”

“No,” she replied. “That you were there for her through all of this. You never walked out when things got hard and you always put her first, even when it wasn’t warranted on your part. Spike, those little things add up in a mare’s eyes. In anypony’s eyes for that matter.”

Spike blinked. “You think so?”

“I know so,” she replied. “You’re definitely doing things the right way, darling. Don’t let yourself think otherwise, understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Spike said.

Pep talks from his friends were always nice, but something about Rarity telling him he was special felt extra good. Probably those residual hormones from his past crush on her. Either way, she always knew just what to say when he had issues like this.

Without needing to say another word, Spike threw himself back into his workload. They still had a lot to do.





It had been a harrowing morning for both parties. So, when the time for a lunch break finally came around they were more than happy to drop the work for a moment and gather around the dining table. Rarity had prepared them both some small sandwiches and unsweet tea for their lunch. It was nothing fancy or elegant, but they were on a time crunch so something small would suffice just perfectly.

“As I always say, Spike,” Rarity said in-between nibbles. “It’s important to eat light whilst working an intensive job such as this.”

“Yeah, Twilight always tells me that, too,” Spike said, wiping some crumbs off his face. “It keeps you from getting weighed down and tired, I guess.”

“Quite,” the mare replied with a smile. “It’s an important lesson to learn in any line of work.”

Spike finished off his sandwich and leaned farther back into the chair, letting out a sigh. “Speaking of hard work and stuff, I forgot to tell you, but I found out what Starlight was using all those bandanas for.”

Rarity froze mid-sip of her beverage and quickly brought the cup back down to the table. “Do tell.”

“Well, you see,” Spike began, leaving forward over the table. “It all started when I caught her in the bathroom using one of them to—“

“Rarity!” A sing-song voice cried aloud through the house followed quickly by the sound of a door being shut. “I’m here to help you!”

Both Spike and Rarity twisted their heads around to face the living room where they saw the smiling figure of Sweetie Belle coming toward them.  She had grown quite a bit over the last couple years. Although not as tall or figured as her older sister, she managed to come up to a bit past her shoulder and was quite pretty.

“Oh, hi Spike!” Sweetie sweetly squeaked upon seeing the dragon. “Are you helping, too?” Sweetie hopped into a chair at the table with them.

“Yep,” he replied, taking another bite of sandwich. “Rarity said she might need some help today and asked me a little ways back. If you couldn’t tell by the utter carnage and destruction you had to walk through to get to the table, you can see she was right. I’m really not even sure how you predicted it, Rares, but I’m glad you asked me.”

“Forecasting and record-keeping, dear,” she said with a curt nod. “They are must-have skills for this line of work.” She then refocused her attention on her sister. “And Sweetie Belle, thank you very much for assisting me as well, today. It is much appreciated.”

“No problem, Rarity!” She said with a bright smile. “I’m always happy to help my most favorite, loved and treasured sister in the whole wide—“

“You want bits, don’t you?” Rarity gave her a sly smirk. “Don’t think your elder sister doesn’t know the tricks. I taught you half of them, after all.”

“Me? Bits? Nah, psh, I would never—“

“Don’t even bother, Sweetie,” Spike said, shaking his head. “Trust me, it’s not a hill you wanna die on.”

She opened her mouth, words of protest ready to charge like an enemy at the gates, before quickly thinking twice and turning to Rarity. “Okay, fine, I need some bits. Me and the girls are trying to save up for a trip to Manehattan for Scootaloo’s birthday. You’ve gotta have at least a teensy bit of bits you can spare, right?”

“Hmph,” Rarity said, struggling to divert her gaze from her sister’s engorged eyes that were baring into her soul. “And to think I considered the fact that my one and only sister would want to help me out of the generosity of her heart. It would appear I was mistaken.”

Sweetie was unphased. “Well, I guess that’s why the Element of Generosity chose you and not me. So, five bits? Possibly? Maybe? Perhaps?”

Rarity released a sigh of pure exasperation. “Okay, I suppose so, Sweetie. You are at the age where learning the value of bits is important, after all.”

“Yay!” She hopped from her chair and wrapped Rarity in a hug before dashing off to the living room-turned-warpath. “What can I do first? Anything?”

Rarity rubbed her chin. “Hmm, well, I do believe the dress by the sewing machine could use a restitching of the hem. Do you think you cou—”

“On it!”

Spike had to blink a few times just to reset his eyes after they attempted to follow Sweetie’s movement. “Geez, that’s one way to inspire somepony? The almighty bit wins again, huh?”

“I know,” Rarity said, still watching in awe at the empty area of the floor where Sweetie once was. “I should hire her around the shop more often.”

The two friends shared a quick chuckle as they finished up their food and tea. There wasn’t much to be said and they had been friends for far too long for an ‘awkward silence’ to be a thing, but Spike did have one thing on his mind.

“So, Rarity, why do you think you’ve had so many orders this week?” Spike pointed behind him to the living room. “I mean, I know the business is good for the shop, but it’s kinda unusual, don’t you think? Especially at the Ponyville location.”

“It would definitely seem so,” Rarity agreed. “Not that I should look a gift horse in the mouth, of course, but still.”

“It’s because of the Canterlot Couples’ Dance!” Sweetie shouted before she quickly strode her way to the dining room. “It’s next week and I imagine that the boutique in Canterlot is overbooked right now, so the orders are coming to this one, instead.”

“Canterlot Couples’ Dance?” Spike asked. “What’s that?”

“A dance for couples in Canterlot,” Sweetie replied.

“Yeah, thanks for that,” he shot back with a deadpan face. “I more or less meant why have I never heard of it or anything before?”

“It’s a new yearly thing Luna is trying to start,” Sweetie explained. “Whereas the Gala is to represent society as a whole and whatnot the Couples’ Dance is more for celebrating the individual relationships of society. It’s not super widely known yet, but I know about it because I’m a subscriber for Luna’s weekly newsletter.”

Spike nodded. “That actually does sound pretty… wait a second. Newsletter?”

“Yeah! I signed up for it through the Canterlot Times! It has short stories she writes, goings-on of the Castle and a word search!”

Spike shrugged and turned to Rarity. “Well, I guess you learn something new every day.”

“Thank you, Sweetie,” Rarity said. “Now, please, continue your work. The bits don’t earn themselves.”

“Aye, aye!” With a quick salute, she was off once more.

“I guess that answers the business question,” Spike said. “A Couples’ Dance actually sounds like a cool idea, huh?”

Rarity eyed him with a smirk. “Oh, Spike, something tells me you’re thinking of attending, aren’t you?”

Spike chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. ‘Yeah, well, I’m not even sure that type of thing is really for me. Getting dressed up all fancy like, taking a train ride all the way to Canterlot just to eat fancy food and pretend I know how to dance. I don’t know… Derpy would probably think I was a dork. She might not even like dances or whatever.”

“Ha, I knew it,” Rarity said with a playful smile. “Spike, you can’t try to hide these things from me. The smile on your face as soon as you said her name gave it away. A romantic evening, just the two of you in Canterlot… that does sound wonderful, does it not?”

Spike grinned as he pictured it in his mind. Him wearing a nice suit, Derpy in a dazzling dress, soft music playing in the background, a romantic stroll underneath the starry night afterward… Hold on, when did he turn into a dollar store greeting card?

“Okay, I admit it, you’re right. It does sound pretty good.” Spike sighed and slipped back in his chair. “But it’s pretty last minute and we’d have to make plans for it, she’d need the time off work and to hire a foalsitter and—”

“I’ll do it!” Sweetie seemed to appear from nowhere right by his seat.

“Do what? Foalsit?” Spike cocked an eyebrow. “Do you even have any experience?”

“Uh, yes!” She said, stomping her hoof in the ground. “I’ve watched my friends’ pets a billion times and a filly can’t be that much different, right?”

Spike drummed his claws on the table. “You’re not helping your case here, girl. Besides, it’s not even my decision, it’s Derpy’s. It’s her sister and everything.”

Sweetie Belle deflated as the words hit her. “Okay, then.”

Spike rolled his eyes as she slumped off. “Hold on a second, Sweetie. Look, I’ll—” and she magically appeared back right next to him again. “I’ll talk it over with Derpy this week and if she’s okay with it, you’ll be the first one we call, alright? And before you ask, yes, I’ll pay you.”

“Awesome!” She bounced in the air, latching her hooves around Spike this time in a warm hug. “Thank you so much!”

The dragon gently disconnected the pony from his body and set her back down on the floor. “Alright, I’ll let you know, okay?”

“Got it!” And back to work, she went.

Spike turned around to find Rarity stifling a giggling whilst wearing a huge grin on her face.

“It would appear your decision has been made for you, wouldn’t you say?”

“I guess so,” he said with a snort. “I guess the universe just works like that sometimes. You try to get out of something difficult and a pony just pushes your farther in.”

“That is the way of it at times,” Rarity said with a snicker. “On a different note, have you given any consideration to my invitation for you and Derpy to come over for dinner and a chat?”

“Oh yeah!” Spike said, snapping his claws. “We’re hanging out tomorrow for lunch, and I was gonna ask her then. Do you think you’d be available for dinner tomorrow night? Assuming she agrees to it, of course.”

“Oooh, that’d be lovely, darling!” Rarity stated, clapping her hooves. “I’m excited to finally get time to meet her. Oh, and of course Dinky is welcome, too.”

“I hope she’s got the time, then,” he replied. “She’s met Twilight, Starlight, and Trixie already so it’s high time she met at least one semi-normal friend of mine. If not she’ll think my entire world is filled with nothing but crazy ponies… which isn’t that far off from the truth not that I think about it.”

“Well, I’ll be more than delighted to meet her and get to know her,” Rarity said. “Any mare good enough to win your affections is definitely good enough to be my friend.”

“Awesome,” Spike said. “I appreciate it, Rares. I’ll let you know after she and I have lunch tomorrow if it’s going down or not. Sound like a plan?”

“Absolutely, dear.” Rarity levitated a napkin to her face and wiped off any stray crumbs that were possibly remaining from their meal. “Now, let’s get back to work, shall we?”

Spike clapped his claws together and hopped out of his seat. “Let’s do it!”
> Anomaly
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was no better defense against the burning summer sun than an ice cream cone. That was a straight fact and nopony could convince Spike other wise. And if the smiles on his two compatriots were any indication, they agreed with his logic.

Spike, Dinky and Derpy were taking a blissful stroll through the park. It was mid-day, so the sun was bearing down through the cloudless sky on them, but it wasn’t nearly as bothersome as it would have been had they not purchased ice cream cones right before their venture.

There were other ponies trotting about as well. Several families used the beautiful day as an excuse to go out with their fillies and colts who were enjoying the middle of summer break. Spike couldn’t help but notice that to the average passerby who didn’t know better, his little group probably appeared to be their own little family. He and Derpy were side by side and Dinky was being playful and smiling as always.

It was a nice thought, if nothing else.

“How’s the ice cream, Derpy?” Spike asked, turning his head towards her. “I’ve never tried ‘blueberry corn-muffin’ flavor before.”

Derpy stopped and held her ice cream up to Spike. “Here, try it. It’s really good! It’s like a sweet and salty mixture.”

Spike winced as the blue and brown colored concoction was placed in front of his mouth. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” he said, before taking a quick lick. “It’s… It’s uhm…” Spike was trying to think of nicest possible way to say it was quite possibly the worst flavor of ice cream ever conceived by pony kind. “It’s… really unpleasant.”

Derpy chuckled. “Well, the pony at the counter said I was the only one who’s ordered the flavor in a long time.”

“Hey, it takes all kinds, right? And in the interest of being fair, I’d let you try mine, but I already finished it about twelve steps ago.” Spike gave her a playful shove before turning his attention to the other member of their party. “How are things going up there, Dinky? The ice cream treating you well?” He cocked his eyes up to the filly who was happily enjoying a double-scoop cone of mint chocolate ice cream while perched on his shoulders.

“It’s great, Spike!” She was straddled around his neck, one leg on either side, her head perched above his. She peeked over his head frills to try and look him the eye. “It’s my favorite flavor!”

Her action caused a bit of said dessert to drip onto the dragon’s nose which he happily licked up. “Oh yeah, that’s the good stuff. You see, Dinky, unlike your sister, you know the difference between good and not so good desserts.”

“Yeah!” Dinky said, sticking her tongue out at her older sister. “Spike says I know ice cream better than you.”

“Word up.” Spike raised a fist up and was rewarded with a small hoofbump from the filly. “Atta girl.”

This time it was Derpy’s turn to give him a bit of a nudge. “Hehe, I should’ve known putting you two trouble-makers together was a bad idea. At least I like you guys.”

“And we like you, too,” Spike said with a wink. “But you know what else I like?”

“What’s that?” Derpy asked.

“Getting a break from the hot sun for a bit,” he replied. “I do like a bit of sun on my scales, but even dragons need a break. There’s a picnic table in the shade over there. You wanna sit down real quick?”

Derpy wiped a few droplets of sweat from her brow and nodded. “That sounds like a great idea.”

The three of them made their way over to the table which was nestled underneath the lush overhanging branches of a large tree. Spike reached over his head to extract the filly from his shoulders. Spike set her onto the ground and took his seat. Dinky immediately hopped up and claimed the spot right next to him. Derpy sat on the opposite side facing the two of them.

“It’s a beautiful day,” Derpy spoke up after they all got settled. She took just a moment to finish off her ice cream cone and wipe her mouth off with her hoof. “Thanks again, for taking Dinky and me out.”

“Yeah, thank you again, Spike!” Dinky nuzzled into Spike’s arm before continuing her conquest against the desert in her hoof.

“Psh, it was nothing,” Spike said. “Besides, Dinky said she was gonna pay next time. Right, Dinky?”

The filly’s eyes shot open. “What? I did? But I don’t... “ She crawled up a bit closer to Spike and whispered a bit loudly then she intention. “Can I borrow some bits for next time so I can pay like I said?”

“Don’t worry, I got you,” Spike said with a wink and a quick hoof bump.

Meanwhile, Derpy looked at the two of them with a wide grin. “I’m glad you two are having so much fun.”

Spike gave her a thumbs up. “Of course. Great weather, beautiful mare, adorable filly… That’s the recipe for a great day, if you ask me. But, speaking of great days, I did have a question for you, Derpy.”

“What’s that, Spike?” Derpy asked.

Spike cleared his throat and turned all his attention to her. “Well, there are two things I wanted to ask you about, actually.”

“Okay.”

“We’ll start with the easier one,” Spike said. “So, I was hanging with Rarity yesterday and remember how I mentioned to you about eating dinner with her at some point?”

“Yeah,” Derpy said with a quick nod.

“Well, I was hoping we could head over there tonight, actually.” Spike shrugged. “I know it’s a bit last minute, but she really wants to meet you and everything. And of course Dinky is welcome, too.”

“Tonight?” Derpy’s eyes fell to the table and her relaxed smile was quickly replaced with a nervous one. “I’d love to. I just, I’m not really sure I have time to cook anything or know any fancy recipes or anythin—”

“Don’t even worry about it,” Spike said, rubbing her hoof with a claw. “Rarity’s got all the cooking in the bag. And trust me, she’s a lot less fancy once you get to know her. No matter what the accent and makeup tells you, she’s just as pony as anypony else.”

Derpy sighed and brought her eyes up to meet Spike’s. “Okay, I trust you, Spike. We’d love to go. Sorry, I’m just a little awkward with new ponies.”

“Trust me, I know the feel,” Spike said with a chuckle. “The first time I had any meaningful contact with Rarity I destroyed half the town.”

“I think I rememb—”

“Those were dark times.” Spike shook his head and shuddered. “But, trust me, things will only go great tonight. You trust me?” Spike held open his claw on the table.

Derpy eyed his claw for a moment before resting her hoof on it. “Of course I do.”

“Awesome. Now, about the second thing…”

Dinky gasped and hopped onto the table, eyeing their hoof-to-claw connection from mere inches away. “Is the second thing  gonna be that you ask her to marry you?!”

The two quickly separated, their cheeks on fire.

“I uh…”

“Well, you see…”

“That’s not how things really…”

Dinky took no part in their babbling and hopped right in front of Derpy. “Say yes! Spike is so cool and then he’d be around forever and not just sometimes!”

Derpy tried to put her gaze anywhere but to the dragon across the table. “Look, Dinky, that’s just not—”

“I got this,” Spike said. “Hey, Dinky, come here real quick.”

The filly obliged and hopped across the table to Spike, bidding her sister a sigh of relief. “What is it, Spike?”

Spike picked her up and set her on the seat next to him. “As cool as she is, I can’t ask your sister to marry me yet. You know why?”

“Why?” she responded with ever-widening eyes.

“Because to get married, you gotta act grown-up and cool and be really smart and stuff, and right now I’m not quite cool enough. But hey, maybe I will be one day. Who knows?”

“Ohhh,” Dinky said, nodding. “I hope so.”

Spike smiled and ruffled her mane before turning back to Derpy, who also happened to be staring at him with similarly huge eyes. Derpy, however, made excellent recovery time and shook off the stare.

“Back to the second thing,” Spike said.

“Right.” Derpy reoriented herself in her seat and was at full attention once more. “Go ahead.”

“So, feel free to say no to this, because it might sound kinda weird or whatever. But, Princess Luna is hosting this dance thing, and—”

“You mean the Canterlot Couple’s Dance?” Derpy asked.

“Yes, that’s the… Wait. How’d you know about that?”

Derpy cocked her head to the side. “Luna’s newsletter You didn’t know about it?”

Spike tossed his arms in the air and shook his head. “I guess everypony else is officially cooler than me, these days. Anyway, yeah, that’s the one. It’s next weekend and I was wondering if you’d want to go with me?” Spike flinched ever so slightly and darted his eyes away from her as he asked. “I mean, like I said, if it’s not your scene that’s cool and all. I just figured I would ask.” When he slowly brought his eyes back, he saw her grinning ear to ear.

“That’d be really, really fun,’ she said. “I’ve never gotten asked to go to a dance like this, before.”

“You want to?” Spike asked, his smile growing as well.

She bobbed her head up and down. “Mhm. But um, I don’t really have any fancy clothes or anything like that, and um… yeah.”

“Don’t even worry about it,” Spike said. “Just like dinner tonight, we’ll get it taken care of. I’m just super happy that you actually want to go!”

Derpy blinked a few times. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well,” Spike rubbed the back of his head. “I’ve never really asked somepony to a big thing like this before. I guess I was kinda expecting the worse. You know what they say? If your expectations are low enough you’ll never get disappointed, right?”

“I guess you’re right,” she replied with a giggle. “I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you, then.”

Spike took her hoof in his claw. “Derpy, I need you to brace yourself because I’m probably about to say the cheesiest thing you’ve ever heard.”

“Okay?” She straightened herself up a bit. “I”m braced.”

Spike cleared his throat and looked her in the eyes. “Spending time with you is never disappointing.”

She tried to keep a straight face, but failed miserably and burst into a short fit of laughter. “Yeah, hehe, that was pretty cheesy. Sweet, but cheesy.”

“Hey, I’m still working on this whole romantic, mushy thing,” Spike said. “It’s not as easy as the books make it seem.”

The two shared a laugh. In the meantime, Dinky was darting her eyes back and forth between the two of them.

“You guys are weird,” she said, cocking an eyebrow at each of them.

This only caused the laughter between Derpy and Spike to flare up once more. It was seeming to be a great day, indeed.







Spike burst through the door of the Carousel Boutique and darted his eyes around in search of his target. And then he found her.

“Rarity!” he shouted out, racing towards her.

The mare was sitting at her dining table enjoying a cup of tea. “Oh, Spike! I take it you spoke with Derpy about dinner tonight?”

“Yes ma’am!” he exclaimed, hopping into a seat of his own. “And dinner is a go.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Rarity said, giddily clapping her hooves. “I’m sure we’ll have a simply marvelous even—“

“No time for that,” Spike said. “I need information. Besides the one time she ate at the castle, I’ve never had a formal dinner date with her. What do I do? How do I dress? Do I bring anything?”

The cool and collected mood Spike was in while comforting Derpy had gone out the window now that he was facing the reality of the situation on his own.  No matter how comfortable he and Derpy got with each other, each new experience continued to make him nervous.  Or maybe it was just excitement? What was that word Pinkie always used? Nervoucited? Yeah, that’s it.

“Spike, you need to calm yourself,” Rarity said. “Do not think of this anything fancy, but merely friends associating over the backdrop of a lovely meal. And, as the hostess, I will be providing all the food and beverages. Understood?”

Spike took a few deep breaths. “Yes, I got it. And that’s what I told her but… why am I still nervous? You think I’d be getting over this whole awkward panic thing by now.” He plopped his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his palm. “It’s getting a bit old.”

“If nothing else, it shows just how much you care for her that you want everything to go so perfectly.” Rarity gently patted his claw. “But, let’s get away from all that talk and move to the matter at hoof. And that would be dinner.”

“Good idea,” Spike said, perking up. “What were you planning on making?”

“Hmm, good question,” she replied, rubbing her chin. “What kind of things does she like? I already know what you like, but in all honesty, this is more about making her comfortable than anything.”

“I know she likes Hayburgers,” Spike said with a chuckle. “But that’s not really nice dinner material. Well, she made an awesome casserole the other night, so I would assume hot veggie dishes are a good place to start. Oh, and she also likes spicy stuff, but only a little bit. Like, moderate spice if that makes sense.”

“I see,” Rarity said. She had levitated a small notepad over to the table and began taking notes. “Alright, mild spice and hot vegetables. Any allergens I should be aware of?”

“Not that I know of.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see, then.” Rarity jotted a few more notes down. “And last but not least, what kind of beverages does she enjoy?”

Spike scratched his head. “She usually gets root beer when we’re out. But I know she likes sweet tea, too. So that’s pretty open to interpretation.”

“Got it,” she said. “I do think I have a perfect idea. Last but not least, however, what kind of things does Dinky enjoy?”

Spike opened his mouth to speak but had to reevaluate his thoughts. “I don’t really know. Besides the casserole the other night, the only food I’ve ever seen her eat was hospital food and nopony likes that.”

Rarity jotted a few more things down and closed the notebook. “Well, I’ll pick up some more filly-friendly food items at the grocery store, just to be on the side of caution.”

“Good plan,” Spike said. “I told her I’d pick her up around seven. Will that give you enough time to prepare everything? I can reschedule if need be.”

“Absolutely out of the question!’ Rarity said, giving him a stern glare. “Rescheduling a date is entirely inappropriate at any stage in a relationship, but especially important in these critical development stages. Seven o’clock will be absolutely fine. Everything will be ready, guaranteed.”

“Awesome,” Spike said, hopping out of his seat. “Thanks for doing this with us, Rares. “

“It is my pleasure,” Rarity said. “However, in the meantime, you may want to take a moment to shower. It is rather hot out today and one needn’t risk being sweaty for a dinner.”

Spike took the cue with no hesitation. “Understood. I’ll see you tonight, then?”

“See you tonight, dear.”

Spike waved his goodbyes and headed out the front door to get ready for the evening. The day just kept getting better and better.
> Some Origins of Fire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was just beginning to set in the sky. Despite the heat from earlier in the day, the temperature had begun to subside, leading to a very pleasant trip from Derpy’s house to the Carousel Boutique. Derpy and Dinky followed closely behind Spike as the approached the porch.

Neither Spike nor Derpy did anything particularly special with his or her appearance as both were assured this was not to be a formal dinner. Dinky, however, had her mane done to the side, held in place by a small, sunflower hair clip.

Spike smiled at the pair. “Alright, guys, you ready for a great night?”

Derpy politely nodded. “Ready.”

Dinky, however, scratched at her ear and reluctantly bobbed her head. “I’m ready, but my hair clip thingy itches.”

“You’re the one who wanted to wear it,” Derpy said. “You can take it off if you want.”

“No,” she replied, shaking her head. “Rarity is really pretty and I wanna be pretty, too. Am I pretty?”

Derpy chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dinky, you’re very—’

“Not you,” Dinky said, giving Derpy a stern but brief glare. “I was talking to Spike. You have to say yes ‘cuz you’re my sister. Spike doesn’t have to because he’s not my sister.”

“Well, you can’t argue with that logic,” Spike said with shrug. “So, you want my honest opinion Dinky?”

“Mhm!” She said, bouncing in the air.

Spike knelt down to her level. “Well, you gotta keep this just between you and me so you don’t make anypony feel bad. Promise?”

Dinky nodded. “I promise.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure when Rarity sees you tonight, she’s gonna have to design an entire line of dresses after you because you’re just that pretty.”

Dinky’s jaw hit the floor as a large gasp escaped her lips. However, it was quickly replaced with an ear to ear smile.  “Wow! You hear that, Derpy?”

Derpy smiled at Spike and then at her sister. “Yes, Dinky, I heard. Now, you’ll need to calm down and be polite while we’re eating tonight, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am!” She gave her best Royal Guard salute and stood at attention right between the two adults.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Spike rapped a few times on the door. He normally could just walk in, given that Rarity’s home also doubled as a business, but the ‘Closed’ sign on the door required a bit more of a tactful approach.

“Just a moment!” Rarity’s voice rang out with its prototypical sing-song tone. As promised, it was but a moment later when the handle began to twist and the door swung open. The white unicorn was standing in its place. “Good evening, good evening. Do come in, won’t you?”

She stepped aside, allowing the three to enter. Spike, of course, was already quite familiar with the surroundings. He gave a quick wave at Rarity as they strolled in. The other two, however, were much more cautious as they entered. Derpy did her best to appear confident, but she had her head lightly dipped and her face partially covered by her mane. Dinky, however, lost all sense of shyness when she entered. Her eyes darted to every nook and cranny. She ooh’d and aww’d at the gorgeous furniture, beautiful carpets and interesting artwork that Rarity had on display.

“Hey, Rares,” Spike said, once all three were in. “We’re here on time, as promised.”

Rarity briefly smiled at Spike but immediately transitioned her attention to the two mares present. “Oh, you must be Derpy! I feel like we’ve met in passing but never had the chance to actually meet one another.”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Derpy replied with a warm smile. “And this is Dinky, my younger sister.”

Dinky paused her wonderment and beamed up Rarity. “Hi!” She made sure, of course, to position her mane clip where Rarity could see it.

“Oh, hello, darling,” Rarity said. “I’m Rarity.”

“I already know who you are,” Dinky said. “You’re Rarity and you’re super pretty. Spike used to tell us that at the hospital before he met my sister.”

“Oh boy…” Spike tried to shrink away from the conversation, but the quick glances from the trio of mares brought him back.

“Oh, did he now?” Rarity asked with a snicker. “Well, he is very sweet. But, you and your sister are quite lovely as well. You must tell me, where did you get that adorable manepin?”

“It was my momma’s,” Dinky said, showing it off with even more pride. “Derpy only lets me wear it sometimes, though.”

“Oh,” Rarity said, pulling back from the conversation. “Well, it’s quite lovely, sweetheart.”

“Thank you, Miss Rarity.”

“Well,” Spike said, clapping loud enough to break up the conversation. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m hungry. I can’t wait to see what you cooked up for us, Rarity.”

“Me too!” Dinky shouted, hopping in the air. “I love food!”

“Well, I shan’t keep you two waiting, then,” Rarity stated. “If you three will kindly be seated at the dining table, I’ll bring dinner out immediately.”

Rarity exited to the kitchen as the other three sat around said table. Plates, silverware and cups were already laid out for them. After a short time, Rarity returned carrying two pans of food with her.

“Voila! Dinner is served!”

Rarity took the empty seat next to Spike while Dinky and Derpy were seated on the other side. Spike would’ve liked to sit next to Derpy, but she insisted on sitting with Dinky for the sake of possible chaos control. Her reasons were valid, so Spike couldn’t complain.

The food that Rarity had made looked absolutely scrumptious. It was a vegetable stir-fry on a bed of brown rice. Peapods, eggplant and various mild peppers were steaming and crispy, ready for the eating. There was a light seasoning of pepper and exotic spices that dusted the food. Enough to add just a dash of heat, but nothing too intense.

The smiles on their faces made it very clear that the meal was a success. Rarity had also made a peanut butter and banana sandwich, just in case Dinky preferred something a bit safer, but the filly was gobbling it down with more ferociousness than the rest of them.

“Rarity, this is really good,” Spike said after swallowing a bite.

“Yeah,” Derpy chimed in. “Thank you so much for making this.”

Dinky had her mouth full so she was content in expressing her satisfaction with a jovial nod.

“Well, I am so very glad you all enjoy it,” Rarity spoke up. “I haven’t had the opportunity to cook for anypony else in some time so I was worried what the results might be. But, as they say, if you don’t take the risks, you’ll never receive the rewards.”

“Gosh,” Spike said. “You should honestly come cook for us at the castle sometime. Starlight is good, but when she’s gone, all hope is lost.”

“Hehe, well, I’m glad you appreciate it, Spike.”

A bit of a lull hung in the air for the next minute or so as the four of them chowed down on their food. Spike was hoping to think of something to liven things up a bit, but as always, he could trust Dinky to break the ice for everypony.

Dinky had been staring off into space for a few seconds. However, she quickly snapped herself out of it and looked across the table. “Miss Rarity, do you think Spike is cool?”

Rarity set her fork down and smiled at her. “Why yes, I do think so. He’s cool and very sweet.”

“Oh, okay,” Dinky sighed and turned to her sister. “You better hurry up, Derpy, or Miss Rarity might marry Spike before you do.”

“PFFFT!”

All three adults nearly choked on the contents in their mouths at the same time. Blushes were had all around.

“Dinky!” Derpy whisper-shouted, wishing there were something to hide behind.

Spike was doing the exact same. “Well, uh, that’s not really… yeah.”

“Look, dear,” Rarity said, taking a moment to wipe her face off with her napkin. “You should have no fear of such a thing happening. What I had meant to say was that although I think Spike is very cool and sweet, I’ve also never seen him happier than when he’s with your sister.”

Dinky’s solemn face had now turned into a bright grin. “Yay! There’s still hope!”

Spike leaned over and whispered to Rarity. “Nice save.”

“You don’t grow up with a younger sister and not know how to handle these situations,” she whispered back.

Rarity and Spike shared a quick hoof bump under the table and things carried on as usual. This time, however, Spike wanted to initiate the conversation.

“So, Rarity, like I mentioned earlier, me and Derpy are really excited for the Couple’s Dance coming up.” Spike smiled at his marefriend briefly before turning back the white unicorn. “I only have one problem, though. I was looking through my closet before coming over here and I don’t really have any nice suits that fit anymore. I don’t suppose I could get my name thrown into the list for getting some clothes made?”

Rarity’s ear-piercing squeal was the only answer he needed.

“Of course, darling!” she exclaimed. “It’s been ages since I’ve gotten to create any customer clothing for you.” She immediately began sizing the dragon up and down. “Yes, yes… I’d have to throw your old measurements I have on file out. But, I could create something absolutely lovely, I’m sure.”

“Thanks, Rares,” Spike said. “Derpy is so pretty, so I’ll need something to make it look like I have business standing next to her.”

Derpy once again ducked her head a bit to hide behind her mane. “Oh, yeah, well you look pretty good, too, Spike. Besides, the dress I was going to wear isn’t anything spec—”

“Oh,” Rarity interjected, her eyes beelined toward Derpy. “Darling, I simply beg of you to let me create a gown for you. I can make coordinated outfits for you and Spike! It’ll be so much fun! Oh, and free of charge, of course. Some things are bit more important than bits.”

Derpy smiled. “Oh, well, if you insist. You don't’ have to, though.”

“Oh, but I do!” Rarity stated. “As a friend of Spike’s you’re a friend of mine and helping my friends is never a chore, but a way of life.”

“Careful, Rarity,” Spike said with a chuckle. “Your generosity is showing.”

The mare smirked at him before calming down once more and turning back to the rest of the room. “Well, the point of the matter is that I would love to assist you two. Before you leave, if you’d allow me to simply take a few measurements, I can get started immediately.”

“That sounds fair to me,” Spike said. “Is this alright with you, Derpy?”

She quickly nodded. “Yeah, definitely. Thank you very much, Rarity. I really appreciate it. Spike wasn’t lying about how kind you are.”

“Oh, well,” Rarity said with a wave of her hoof. “I do try, darling. But this is a case most important so it’s the least I could do.”

“What about me?” Dinky squeaked out. “Do I get to go to the Couple’s Dance, too?”

“Dinky,” Derpy stated. “You can when you’re older. Right now, you’re not old enough to be in a couple.”

“Aww,” she said, folding her hooves. “How old do you have to be?”

“At least old enough to remember to wipe your mouth off,” Derpy replied. She took a napkin and quickly wiped off her sister’s pouting face.

“Speaking of which,” Spike said. “If you approve, I do know a pony who’d be interested in watching Dinky while we’re gone.”

“You know a babysitter, Spike?” Derpy asked.

“Well, she’s not a professional,” Spike said. “But I can attest to her being a good and responsible pony. Do you know Sweetie Belle?”

Derpy had to think for a just a moment. “Oh, yes I do! She’s your younger sister, right Rarity?”

“That she is,” Rarity said with an eye roll. “She is sweet, I’ll give her that, but she’s a hooffull in her own right at times. But, in all seriousness, she’d be a great babysitter.”

Derpy looked at Dinky for a moment and then returned her attention back to the others. “Well, I’d like to meet her personally at some point, but that does sound like a good idea.”

“Awesome!” Spike said. “Sounds like we’ve got ourselves a plan of attack.”
The three of them finished up their meal: enjoying casual conversation and having a good time all around. It was nothing major, just a simply friendly dinner, but Spike found a lot of enjoyment in seeing his marefriend becoming friends with his long-time best friend. It was a small start, but things slowly seemed to be getting more and more real with he and Derpy as a couple. What started as just one on one time together had evolved into sharing social circles and group activities.

He was loving it.








It was later at night when Spike finally walked Derpy and Dinky home. Well, Derpy and Spike did the walking whilst Dinky had fallen fast asleep curled up on her sister’s back. But, neither of them could complain. She had been so well-behaved the entire night and eating as much food as she did would make anypony exhausted.

Spike was standing in the living room of Derpy’s house, waiting for her to return from putting Dinky in her bed. It gave him a few free seconds to think if nothing else.

It had been such a fantastic day. It started with a great day at the park and finished with his marefriend making the first steps of friendship with one of his oldest friends. Not only that, but they made concrete plans for the Couple’s Dance, which he was admittedly just as excited for as he was nervous.

Things just kept going his way. But, they weren’t really just his way anymore. Because for whatever reason, his way kept becoming more and more linked with things that were good for Derpy.

Oh great, he was falling prey to the ‘romance novel syndrome’ as Starlight liked to call it. At least he was self-aware about it, though.

His train of thought was cut short, however, as the echo of hoofsteps began to get closer. Derpy finally returned and trotted up to Spike.

“Thanks for being patient,” Derpy said. “I was hoping to get to say goodbye without a filly on my back.”

“Of course,” he replied. “I’m just thankful you guys were able to come out for dinner tonight. That, and I’m also pretty grateful I didn’t do anything stupid at dinner to embarrass myself.”

Derpy chuckled. “Well, I’m thankful for the same thing. I thought for sure I’d have tripped and knocked over something expensive. I’m not the most graceful of ponies as you’ve seen before.”

“Well, we both made it out alive and had a good time. I suppose that’s what counts in the grand scheme of things, right?”

“Right.”

Spike’s eyes darted to the hall for a split-second. “Did Dinky have a good time? It seemed like it, but you know her better than I do.”

“Oh, definitely,” Derpy said. “I don’t know how you did it, but she really loves you, Spike. Dinky has a hard time getting along with most other ponies, but you may as well be her best friend at this point.”

“Really?” Spike asked. “I imagine she’d have a hard time finding friends after being cooped up for so long, so I guess I just wanted to be someone she could trust. I dunno, I’m glad it’s working… whatever it is.”

“It’s definitely working.” Derpy sighed and looked up at the dragon. “But you’re not the only reason I know she had a good time, tonight. She also loves spicy foods. If it were up to her, she’d eat peppers by the pound.”

“I’d love to take credit for it,” Spike said, “but I legit had no idea what Rarity was cooking tonight. So I’m glad it worked out that way.”

“Yeah, me too,” Derpy said. “After all, she was never allowed to have anything remotely spicy while she was sick. Which makes sense I mean given the situation, but it was still kind of sad.”

“Situation?” Spike looked at her with a cocked eyebrow.

Derpy released a sigh. “Well, the reason she had to go to the hospital in the first place was she was having really bad stomach pains. Those turned out to lead to more complications, which resulted with her having stomach ulcers. And what’s worse, they were having issues healing, even with the medication. It took so many different medicines until they found one that worked.”

“Oh.” Spike rubbed the back of his head. “That does not sound fun at all. I mean, I get crabby if I have a cold, hehe.”

“Yeah, well, the important thing is that she’s better now,” Derpy said with a smile. “And I can’t help but think you helped with that. Reading her stories, playing games with her and stuff.”

Spike blushed and tried to wave it off. “Yeah, well, things at the castle were getting boring and I needed something to do in the afternoons.”

“Heh, whatever you say, Spike.” Derpy got a bit closer and kissed him. It was a softer kiss, as hers usually were, but she held it a bit longer than usual before finishing it off with a nuzzle to his cheek. Spike, for his part, wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close, burrowing his muzzle into her mane. After he released her he made his way to the door.

“Well, I guess it’s time to say goodnight, unfortunately.”

Derpy frowned and nodded. “Yeah.”

“Don’t worry,” Spike said with a smile. “I’ve got some things I have to do the next few days, but right after that I’ll be banging down your door to see you again.”

“You promise?”

“Yeah. You trust me, right?”

Derpy bobbed her head with more energy this time. “Of course. Have a good night, Spike.”

“Good night, Derpy.”

He opened the door and made his way out to the porch. He took a deep breath and started his way back to the castle. He wasn’t really sure what would come of the dance or anything like that, but at that moment, there was one thing he knew for absolute certain.

It was getting harder and harder to say goodbye to her.
> Reckless Abandon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a few days since the dinner with Rarity. Not much had transpired since then for Spike. Well, nothing that could be considered enjoyable. The misfortunate dragon had been tasked with helping Twilight in her copious amounts of organization shenanigans. He also found himself forcibly roped into helping Starlight with her mandatory homework Twilight gave her. He found a special amount of displeasure in helping her study Tropic of Unicorn. There were many awkward glances to be had that night.

But, above all else, he was preoccupied with exactly how things were going to go the upcoming weekend. What would he wear? How much cologne was too much? What was the socially acceptable distance of which his claws should be from Derpy’s flank while dancing? What if things ended up in a boring disaster and his life as he knew it came to a crashing halt?

The last few questions were definitely the most paramount in his mind.

He hadn’t had the opportunity to see Derpy much recently, unfortunately.  He was busy doing the aforementioned torturous tasks and she was occupied with doing her usual mail route, dealing with Dinky’s energetic antics and being adorable, as always. But, he would make up for it in spades when the dance came around… or he’d embarrass her in front of the highest of societies and they’d be lucky to be on a last name basis going forward.

Speaking of said dance though, he had yet to tell anypony of it. Twilight had been busy with other princess-ish things and Starlight would give him an unending supply of passive-aggressive remarks. So, he really didn’t even want to tell them about it.

But, due to extreme circumstances, extreme measures needed to be taken. And those extreme measures led him to Starlight’s room.

“So, you come to me on this, the day of my scheduled all-day nap.” Starlight spun around the face the dragon standing in the entrance of her room. “What is it that you need?”

Spike clasped his claws together and slowly approached her. “Starlight, I seek your help for I have fallen short of expectations. There is an event most important coming up and I am not worthy.”

Starlight nodded slowly and leaned back into her chair. “So, here you are, asking for my help. But you never invited me into your room, you never—”

“Okay,” Spike said, waving his arms. “Can we not do this? I know you’re hyped on that stage play you saw with Trixie, but this is kinda serious.”

Starlight pouted. “Okay, fine. What is it?”

Spike walked over and hopped on her bed. “So, there’s this dance thing coming up in Canterlot, right? Pretty hush-hush.”

“You mean Luna’s Couple’s Dance?” Starlight responded.

“Wait, you’ve heard of it?”

“Yeah. Luna’s newsletter.” Starlight levitated a small magazine off her desk. “You’re not… oh, my bad. Sorry, Spike. Continue.”

The dragon rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Anyway, I’m taking Derpy there this weekend for it and there is a bit of an issue. Although it pains my very soul to say it, I need your help.”

Starlight brought a hoof up to her ear. “Oh, I’m sorry. What was that?”

“Starlight…”

“I’m sorry, Spike,” she said, making a mock showing of cleaning out her ear. “I just didn’t quite catch that. But, I could’ve sworn you said something to the effect of… ‘needing my help’?”

The dragon rolled his eyes. “Yes, I need your help. This dance is ultra important and I need everything to go smoothly.”

“It’s just a dance,” Starlight said. “You’ve already been to her place, had your first kiss and half a dozen other important things. What’s so special about this?”

“It’s our first, like, fancy date. You know, prim and proper and whatnot.” Spike cast his gaze down for a moment. “And it’s our first time really being official in public. Well, not the first first time, but like—”

“It’s the first time you guys will be seen and noticed by others as a couple.” Starlight hopped off her chair and hopped on the bed next to Spike. “I get it. You want everything to be great and yada yada yada.”

“Pretty much,” he responded, drawing his eyes back up to look at her. “But not really just for me. Like, she’s already pretty and stuff, so she’s good on her end. But me? I’ve gotta make sure I’m in top form there or I’ll end up making us stick out like a sore hoof.”

Starlight giggled. “Well, considering you’re probably gonna be the only one there with scales and fangs, I imagine you’d stick out anyway. But, fear not, I get the point. So, the real question is, what do you need help with?”

Spike blushed. “Well, it’s kinda awkward to talk about, but…”

“Oh gosh,” Starlight said, flailing her hooves to and fro. “I am not helping you with that. You’re just gonna have to do what everypony else has to: close your eyes and hope for the best.”

Spike stared at her for a second. “What are you— No! That’s not what I meant! I’m talking about dancing!”

“Huh?” Starlight snapped to her senses. “Oh! Okay, that’s better.”

“Yeah, about time you understood… wait. Is it really that much of a free-for-all the first time doing, well, you know?”

“Oh yeah, totally.” Starlight gave him a grim nod. “It’s no pony’s land out there.”

Spike shook his head. “Well, time to add that to the list of things to worry about in the future. Anyhow, let’s focus on the task at hoof if we could. I know you’ve learned a lot of stuff from Twilight before as well as stuff when you were in your repression phase. So, I’m hoping you can maybe teach me to dance, at least a little bit, before the event. Because, honestly, I’ve got two right feet when it comes to anything involving grace and balance.”

“I think you mean left feet.”

“Nah, I’m left-footed.”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Continue.”

“Long story short,” Spike said, taking Starlight’s hoof in his claw. “I’m asking this not as your friend but as your glorified family member: Will you help me learn to dance?”

Starlight used her free hoof to rub her chin. “Hmm… No.”

“What? Why?” Spike let go of her hoof and folded his arms. “After all we’ve been through together you turn your back on me in my hour of need? And to think of all the the nice things I thought but didn’t really say about you!”

“Calm down, geez,” she replied. “It’s not that I don’t wanna help you. I just honestly don’t know anything about dancing, either. I never took enough time to learn before and never really cared enough, either.”

Spike let out a deep sigh. “Great. So I’m hopeless then, huh? There’s no way Twilight can teach me. I know that from experience.” Spike shuddered just thinking about it.

“It does seem that way,” Starlight said. However, after a brief moment of silence, she thrust her hoof in the air. “Actually, I may have an idea!”

Spike looked up at her. “You do?”

“Mhm!” She hopped off the bed and dashed toward the door. “I do believe I know a pony that will be more than capable of helping you learn to dance.”

Spike really didn’t want the fact he was trying to learn this new feat escape past the castle walls, but at the same time, any help would be appreciated. He really didn’t want to look like an idiot out on the floor. Even more so, he really didn’t want Derpy and him to have to be that couple that just sits on the sidelines the entire time.

His choice was clear.

“Alright, I’ll take whatever help I can get.” He hopped off the bed as well so he could follow her outside the room. “But, uh, can you tell me who it is?”

As they exited the room and began to walk down the halls, Starlight paused for the briefest of seconds to turn around and give him a wink. “You’ll see.”

Oh boy…





What was she planning? Where was she going? Who was she retrieving? What would come of this venture to learn how to dance? Why did he care so much? Did she remember it was her turn to make dinner tonight?

These and many more questions were burning at the mind of Spike as he sat at the dining table, spinning an endless swirl of circles into his coffee. The more he thought about it, the less comfortable he felt about everything. He couldn’t have just left well enough alone, could he? He had to once again let his mind think up the worst things imaginable and force him to take the extra step to make things perfect… Even though they weren’t that bad to begin with.

“Hey, Spike!”

“Ahh!” Spike leaped out of his seat and flipped around to find Twilight standing behind him. “Oh, hey, Twi. You scared me.”

“I can tell,” she replied whilst rummaging through the fridge. She popped out a moment later with a couple carrots held in her magic. “I honestly wasn’t expecting to find you at home, today.. It’s beautiful outside.”

“Yeah, well, I’m trying to avoid having an early mid-life crisis right now,” he replied, returning to his aimless swirling. “You don’t know the struggle, Twi. It’s beyond your understanding.”

“And what kind of struggle might that be?” Twilight sat on a chair next to him and began munching on a carrot.

“Oh, nothing really.” Spike sighed and turned his attention up to Twilight. “I’m just eating the last few kernels of popcorn as I watch my life burn slowly into a pile of smoldering ash. You know, the same way I usually spend my afternoons.”

“Oookay,” Twilight replied. “So, something tells me this self-deprecating monologue in some way has something to do with Derpy. Or comic books. Am I warm?”

Spike threw his arms in the air. “This is no ordinary situation, Twi. This is the gods above stealing my last hay fry while I’m not paying attention. This is pure anarchy in its most refined state. Why?  Because this time, my entire social life rests in a particular set of hooves that may or may not drop it like a mid-tier dubstep bass line. Comic books ain’t got nothing on this. But yeah, you’re close to the Derpy thing.”

Twilight blinked. “Now you’ve lost me.”

“Okay, let’s get down to business.” Spike shook off his lackadaisical posture and sat upright. “There’s this dance thing coming up this weekend and I’m going with Derpy, right?”

“Luna’s Couple’s Dance?”

“Yeah, that’s th— Wait, you know about it, too?”

“Of course,” she replied. “I’m signed up for Luna’s—”

“Newsletter, I get it,” Spike replied. “I swear, I’m the last one to know everything.”

“Well, it’s not just that,” Twilight said. “I’ll be there, too.”

“You have a date?” Spike asked, eyes a bit wider than before. “That’s awesome! Surprising, but still awesome!”

Twilight sighed. “No, not this time. Luna asked if I could come as a co-host of sorts. Celestia isn’t going to make it and she wanted another Princess to oversee things so I was the first one she asked.”

“Oh,” Spike said. “Sorry, Twilight.”

She shook her head. “Don't worry about it, Spike. It’ll be fun getting to catch up with Luna and such, anyhow. Not to mention my favorite slow-jazz band is providing the music. But, please, continue with what you were saying.”

Spike nodded. “Right. Well, we’re going to that dance. But, I’m not really up to par for events like this. And on top of that, it’s the first ‘formal’ public appearance for me and Derpy, so to speak. I want everything to go right and be fun for both of us. So, I may or may not have asked Starlight for help with learning to dance.”

Twilight nearly choked on her carrot she was chewing. “Starlight? Hah, scraping the bottom of the barrel there a bit, aren’t you?”

“Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“I can’t argue that point,” Twilight said, finishing up her laughter spasm.

“Yeah,” Spike said with a small laugh of his own. “But, to be fair, you’re not exactly the prime example of dancing finesse, either.”

The alicorn scowled. “For your information, I’ve gotten quite a lot better.”

“I’m sure you have, Twilight,” Spike said. “But, to continue the point of why my fate hangs in the balance, Starlight admitted she couldn’t help me and ran off to who knows where to grab a pony who can apparently teach me how to dance like a pro.”

Twilight’s eyes popped open. “Who is it?”

“I don’t know,” Spike said. “She wouldn’t tell me. Hopefully, she’ll be back soon so we can find out.”

“Interesting,” Twilight said, staring at the ceiling. “Of all the citizens in Ponyville, I can’t really think of anypony who’s known for being a dancing instructor, let alone somepony who doesn’t have two left hooves.”

“Hey, I resent that statement! You don’t the struggle of being a left-clawed dragon in a right-hoofed world... But yeah, me neither,” Spike said. “That’s why I’m nervous. But I’ll tell you what. She’s probably gonna have to come back with a creature from the darkest pits of Tartarus because only a pact with Tirek himself can fix my lack of ballroom grace.”

As if on cue, they both heard the front door slam open.

Starlight’s voice rang out from the front door. “I’m back and I brought your savior, Spike!”

The dragon and Twilight both climbed out of their seats and wandered to where Starlight was shouting from. She was rooted in front of the open front doors.

“Spike, I bring before you the answer to all your troubles. Possibly the greatest dancer and entertainer in all of Ponyville…”

“Oh, no.”

A blue unicorn mare hopped through the door in a whirlwind of smoke and sparks. “The Graceful and Balletic Trixie is here!”

Spike pouted. “Why couldn’t you have just brought Tirek with you, instead?”
> Surrender
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

War…

War never changes…

And neither does the fact that dragons are not naturally inclined to be good at dancing. It’s been a fact since the dawn of time and will never change. It was a sad truth. A painfully sad one, in fact.

One that Trixie was getting quite frustrated with at this point. The up-tempo ballroom music playing in the background did little to soothe her demeanor as once again she found Spike spinning and falling to the ground in the opposite direction of where he was supposed to be heading.

“No, no, no!” Trixie smacked her hoof to her face before reaching out to help the offending dragon off the ground.

“Sorry, Trixie,” Spike said, trying to catch his breath. “I thought I had it that time with the twirling thing. I’m not really sure how I ended up on the floor.”

The blue mare shook her head. “It may have something to do with the fact that you were supposed to spin Trixie at the last turn, not yourself.”

“Oh, yeah… that’s a thing, isn’t it?” Spike scratched the back of his head before putting on a big smile. “Well, eight time’s the charm, am I right?”

Trixie tapped her hooves on the floor a few times and rolled her eyes. “One can only hope.”

Spike could feel the sweat forming over his brow. He was approaching the point of being out of breath with great haste. The living room had been completely moved around to have space for the dancing lessons and they had been at it for at least two hours now. But, even so, they had barely gotten their respective feet and hooves off the ground… literally. He’d been trying to look at least somewhat proficient but all he got for his efforts were a sore back, a bruised knee, and what he was sure to be a fractured tailbone. But, there was no other option if he wanted to make this work. No pain, no gain, after all.

Of course, there was also the fact of how patient Trixie had been with him this entire time. Starlight and Twilight had long gone, wearing themselves out from laughter alone. But, Trixie persevered despite having any legitimate reason to do so. It was admirable… too admirable.

He was sure Starlight was paying her something under the table, but he was probably happier not knowing.

“Okay, I promise, I’ll get it right this time,” he said. “I just need to think about it and focus a bit harder this time. I got it.”

“No!” Trixie waved her hooves. “That is the issue! When dancing, one needs not focus on the moves as their happening, but on the music that’s playing. You must let the music guide your steps, not your brain.”

Spike blinked. “Trixie, there is absolutely no way I have the creativity or talent for that to ever be a reliable strategy.”

“With that attitude, Trixie is surprised you’ve been able to accomplish anything in your life.” The mare turned her nose to the air. “If you’re not willing to try, then perhaps Trixie shall take her services back to her caravan and—”

“Alright, alright,” Spike said. “I’ll try it. I’m sorry. I’m just getting frustrated with myself. I feel like I’ve been at this all morning with nothing to show for it except bodily injuries that will have my number tomorrow morning.”

“Such is the way these things start,” Trixie said. She rubbed her chin for a moment. “But perhaps a slight alteration in our plan of attack is needed.”

She dashed over to the record player and took the needle off, halting any and all of the fun that the casual music brought to the dance floor. She instead levitated over a new record that had been brought our for the purpose of the instruction. She placed it on the machine and gently levitated the needle over it.

“You see, Spike,” she began, trotting back towards him. “This entire time we’ve been focusing on faster moves that require a bit more energy and precision than what you may be ready for. It would appear that Trixie overestimated your natural talent and for that she is deeply sorry.”

Spike folded his arms. “Yeah, thanks for that apology, there.”

“Of course,” she replied. “However, it would appear that perhaps starting a bit slower and simpler may be the better alternative in your case. After all, as it is a couples dance, slower music is more than likely to be a staple of the night.”

Spike took a moment to perk his ear up at the new music that began playing. This time, the music was much slower and smoothe; a delicate ballad of sorts. It definitely felt like the music that would be the perfect backdrop for a romantic night.

“Okay, this definitely sounds a bit less-challenging,” he said, slowing swaying his head to the music.

“Excellent!” Trixie said. She trotted to the middle of the room. “Come here, please.”

Spike did as he was bidden and walked up to her. “Okay, let’s do it. Where do we begin?”

“As Trixie just mentioned, this is a slower dance, so we’ll need to slightly change our positioning. Take my right hoof in your claw.”

Spike reached opened his palm and quickly had Trixie’s hoof on it. “Okay, now what?”

“Well, please do your best to contain your cheering, but we’ll need to be a bit closer for this particular style.” Trixie reared up and put her free hoof over his shoulder.

“Oh, I’m doing everything I can to not jump for joy,” he joked. Spike knew there would be physical contact, but the idea of slow-dancing with Trixie wasn’t something he recalled ever having on his agenda. But, beggars can’t be choosers and he was definitely in the beggar category at this point.

“Now, place your claw on Trixie’s back.” She turned her head as if to direct him with her eyes. “And please be careful with your sharp claws. I do not wish to to have to wear bandages for the next few days.”

“No worries. I think I can manage.” Spike lifted his arm up and rested his claw on her mid-back. “There.”

She shook her head. “Lower. You will not have the right angle to move us around.”

“Okay…” Spike shifted his claw a bit further down.

“Lower.”

A few more inches down.

Trixie huffed. “Spike, please, don’t be shy around Trixie.”

Spike rolled his eyes and dropped further this time and unfortunately felt the base of her tail touching his palm.

“Okay, too low!” Trixie said, her face heating up. She levitated his claw up a few more inches, before letting it  rest on her lower back. “There, that’s where it needs to be. Please, do yourself a favor and remember it for the dance.”

“Got it,” Spike said with a nod.

He wasn’t quite sure what to do at this point. He and Trixie were practically stuck together with the position they were in and frankly, having the mare’s head mere inches away from his was strange to say the least.

“So, just tell me what to do now,” Spike said.

“No, that’s not how this will work,” she replied. “Trixie can’t believe she’s saying this but you will tell her what to do. For this style of dance, the stallion leads and the mare follows.”

“So, what? I just start moving and you’ll follow along?”

“Trixie does not believe she stuttered,” she replied. “Just attempt to keep your steps in time with the music and move at a pace and distance that feels comfortable.”

Even after the explanation he wasn’t sure what to do. He could barely lead himself out of the bed in the morning. How was he supposed to lead a mare on the dance floor? Even if it was just Trixie acting as a placeholder for his marefriend.

He decided to forget his inhibitions like Trixie mentioned for a split second and instead focus on the music. It was a gentle tune of piano and violin overlaced with soft and soothing vocals. Now that he was actually hearing it, he could feel a sort direction and vibe coming from it. Not a hard set of rules to follow, no, but more of an indescribably pattern that he could feel around him.

He gently pulled Trixie a bit closer. “Here goes.”

He slowly pulled them to the left, gently holding her hoof and back. It was far from a perfect starting motion, but they were at least moving in harmony. After a few steps in that direction, he quickly turned them around and began moving the other way. Every step on the floors came in time with a sharp piano key or stroke of a violin to follow. A few more steps in that direction and they circled back around and went the other way. Their steps became easier with each passing second.

“Spike, you’re actually doing it,” Trixie said with a smirk as they continued to dance. “But you’re still tense. You need to loosen up and really let the music take over.”

The turned once more. “How do I do that?”

“Well,” Trixie said, still keeping an eye on where they were headed. “I shall impart some advice I once received at the Performance Academy to you and perhaps you can put some fraction of it to use.”

“The Performance Academy? You mean the circus?”

The dangerous glare he received was the only answer he needed.

They spun in a quick circle before Spike spoke up again. “I think I can figure it out.”

“Put yourself in the moment,” she said. “Relax your shoulders, take a deep breath, and picture yourself at the dance. If you need, feel free to even imagine me as your marefriend.”

Spike chuckled as they turned once more. “I think that’d be a little too weird.”

“True,” Trixie said with a nod. “There really isn’t a mare in existence that can compare to Trixie, after all. But the point remains.”

“Okay.”

Spike got a bearing on their surroundings for a brief moment and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and let all of his upper body muscles relax. As he did this, he let his mind fill with nothing but the image of a fancy ballroom floor with a live band providing the backing music…
And then he opened his eyes.

The change was almost instantaneous.

Although they were still finding rhythm with the music at every motion, the pace quickened. What was once simple back and forth steps on the floor had now become a contained flurry of turns, backsteps, and glides from one end of the room to the other.

Spike had no idea if anything he was doing was even in the catalogue of acceptable dance moves for this type of music, but it didn’t matter. He was actually enjoying it and Trixie’s wide smile showed that she was doing the same.

They cut through the air, moving as one, almost with ease. The song was reaching its conclusion. The subtle upticks in tempo of the music were matched immediately by the dancing pair. Their steps quickened, turns grew more precise, and their speed was almost perfectly timed between the two of them.

Spike wasn’t sure what creature had possessed him to do what he was about to do, but it felt right. The tempo kept increasing, the pacing growing tighter, the energy rising…

And then, at its peak, there was a brief pause in the music.

Spike let go of Trixie’s back, to her surprise, and rose the claw up that was holding her hoof. He stepped a mere few inches backwards and spun his arm, causing her to spin perfectly right as the music kicked back in. He followed it up by returning his claw to her back as soon as she was facing him and they both spun in a circle together… and then another… and then one more.

...And then the song was over.

Spike and Trixie both were out of breath, taking deep breaths to try and catch up with their spinning heads. They looked at each other eye to eye with smiles before separating.

“Well, how was that?” Spike asked.

The blue mare smiled and reached out for a quick hoof bump. “Trixie thinks you got it… finally.”

“I’ll take what I can get.”

“Whooo, bravo!”

Spike and Trixie flipped around to see Starlight standing in the kitchen entryway, clapping her hooves against the ground.

“Oh, sweet baby Celestia,” Spike said. “When did you get here?”

Starlight trotted into the room, adorning a wide smile. “Oh, you know, just a few minutes ago. I was going to ask how many more times Spike had fallen down, but when I saw you two going wild out there, I just had to sit back and enjoy the show.”

Trixie smiled and  flipped her mane. “Well, of course, Starlight. Did you really expect anything less from Trixie? She can take even the most bland and dry paints and turn them into a masterpiece.”

“Do you have the ability to give a compliment that isn’t in some way self-serving?” Spike asked.

“Of course,” Trixie said with a sly smile. “But the opportunity to do otherwise rarely presents itself.”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough,” Starlight said. “But, to be honest, I can’t believe what I just saw. I really didn’t think you had it in you, Spike. I gotta admit, I’m pretty impressed.”

He crossed his arms and smiled. “Oh yeah, it was piece of cake. I mean, I had to sell my soul and get a little closer to Trixie than any sane pony would want to, but I made it happen.”

Trixie frowned and lightly nudged his lower back where a conveniently located sore spot was located.

“Ahh!” Spike cried out. “That… was a cheap shot. But, fine, it wasn’t that easy. Thank you, Trixie.”

She grinned. “Of course, Spike. After all, Starlight did tell me your situation was a very dire one, so far be it from TheGenerous and Charitable Trixie to turn a blind eye from one in need.”

Spike drummed his fingers against his still folded arms. “Uh-huh, yeah, how much did she pay you?”

“Spike, shut up and be grateful,” Starlight said, knocking him upside the head. “From what I saw, you’ll have no problems whisking Derpy off her hooves at the dance this weekend.”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, one can only hope. It’s one thing to dance with a beautiful mare like Derpy and another to dance with a… well, um, Trixie, I guess.”

And that earned him yet another smack.

“Sorry, sorry. That was bad timing.”

“Trixie accepts your apology,” the mare replied with a playful smile. “However, my job here is done and duty beckons. It is Buy-Two-Get-One-Free day at the grocery store, after all.”

With a wave, Trixie exited stage left, the door slamming behind her.

“You know,” Spike said, looking at the now closed front entrance. “It seems no matter how many times I hang out with Trixie, I’m never any closer to understanding her.”

“Welcome to the club. We’ve got jackets.” Starlight chuckled a bit before continuing. “So, you wanna do something tonight? We haven’t really hung out on our own in awhile.”

Spike looked around at all the dislocated furniture in the room. “Okay, I was going to move everything back into place, but if I’m hanging out with you, I could say I forgot to do it and put it off ‘till later.”

“Now you’re thinking like a winner,” Starlight said with a wink. “Now, c’mon. There’s this new strategy I was thinking about for Marenopoly that should be killer next time we play against Twilight. I’ve gotta show you.”

“Oh shoot, lead the way!”

The two darted up the stairs, leaving behind a messy living room. But, Spike would worry about that later. He was in far too good of a mood right now to worry about anything
> Do It For Me Now
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Train rides were not one of Spike’s favorite things. Not even the luxury booth that he was in could change that fact. Double-cushioned seats fashioned with satin and cotton, a wide window with beautiful scenery of forest and mountains in the distance and solid oak flooring were the staples of his current surroundings, but they didn’t change the criminal sin of train rides.

They were long.

It had already been thirty minutes since he, Derpy and Twilight boarded said train and were seated in their luxury car, but they still didn’t seem any closer to the destination. It was only an hour commute at most, but still, that left a lot of time and opportunity available for strange conversation, awkward silence and a bunch of other things to go wrong.

“Spike, do I look okay?” Twilight asked, straightening out the hem of her dress for the fiftieth time. “This is the first time I’ve gotten to actually be a host of an event like this. I have to look perfect.”

Spike looked at Twilight who sitting on the opposite side of their booth. “Twilight, you look great, I promise. Nopony is gonna notice if there’s a wrinkle or two on your dress.”

“A wrinkle? Where?” Twilight scanned her outfit once more. “I swore I got them all out.”

“Twilight, calm down. There are no wrinkles. I was speaking hypothetically.” Spike chuckled slouched back into his seat.

“For what it’s worth, Princess,” Derpy said, “I think you look very pretty.”

Spike looked at his marefriend who was happily seated next to him and smiled. He then turned back toward Twilight.  “You see, Twi. We both think so. Sixty-six percent of us think you look great. You can’t argue against those odds… Well, you probably could, but please don’t for the sake of my sanity.”

Twilight took a deep breath before smiling at Derpy. “Thank you for the kind words, Derpy. I’m just nervous, is all.”

“We can tell,” Spike said with a chuckle.

“Don’t worry, Princess,” Derpy said with a sweet smile. “You’ll be a great host tonight.”

“That does make me feel better,” she said. “And, Derpy, you don’t have to keep calling me Princess even if it is a formal event. You’ve been with Spike long enough now you may as well be family. Just call me Twilight.”

She blushed but nodded. “Okay, Prin— Twilight, I mean.”

Spike wasn’t lying when he told Twilight that she looked great. Both of the mares with him did. They both had outfits designed by Rarity, of course, as per the usual. And also as per the usual, she spared no expense in making them look fascinating.

Twilight’s dress was a beautiful shade of white with delicate, magenta accents. It was her standard style of ball gown, but where she used to have a simple solid pattern and material, she now had gorgeous white fabric, with lace and carefully placed creaces to make it seem almost as if it were flowing as she moved.

Derpy’s dress was equally, if not more astonishing. She was wearing a dark blue gown held together around her neck with beautiful black ribbon and silver brooch. The frills of the dress were also decorated with a black lace that contrasted magnificently with her great coat color.

This also happened to be the first time Spike had ever seen her with any kind of makeup on. She had very light amounts of eyeliner and mascara. He could tell she did her best to look amazing tonight. Of course, he was of the opinion that she looked just as good without it, but he appreciated that she took the event serious enough to go out of her way getting ready for it.

Spike, on the other hoof, was far less dashing than them.

Rarity had made him a new suit of course. It was in the traditional black coloring of which he always wore, but he didn’t mind that. He also didn’t mind that he wore a plain black shirt underneath it. What he did mind, however, was that he was tall enough to wear suit pants this time around and he just couldn’t seem to get comfortable in them. His tail jutted out at a weird angle and he felt like every move he made gave them wrinkles. But luckily, he was able to get a really nice tie to go with the outfit. It was a bright green bowtie that matched his natural coloring to a T.

It wasn’t as special an outfit as the other to had, but it would its job of making him look nice.

“So, are you two excited for your first dance together?” Twilight asked.

Derpy bobbed her head. “Mhm. I’m really glad I got to come. It was so nice of Sweetie Belle to watch Dinky for the night. I hope she doesn’t give her too much trouble.”

“You have nothing to worry about,” Twilight followed up with. “Sweetie is one of the most responsible young mares I’ve ever met. Just focus on having a good time. Everything will be okay.”

“Definitely,” Spike interjected. “It’s gonna be great, trust me. You know, as long as you ignore the fancy people with their heads up their—”

“Spike, mind your manners!” Twilight scolded him.

“Sorry, mother,” Spike said with a chuckle before turning back to Derpy. “We’re gonna have a great time. I can feel it.”

“I know we will,” she replied with a grin.

Spike felt her gently place a hoof on the claw he had laying on the seat beside him. He gently stroked it, earning a soft hum from the pony. Spike was admittedly nervous, even with her holding his claw like that. He was trying to be reassuring to her, but at the same time, he was hoping to reassure himself. The other fancy ponies, the intimacy of the event’s purpose, having Princess Luna see him together with Derpy for the first time… Derpy looking amazing and him looking like a goofball.

He knew she was nervous too, though, so he had to be strong. Right before they left, she confided that she was scared of what some of the more regal ponies might say about her eyes and their tendency to be a bit lazy at times. Of course, he’d noticed before but it never really meant anything to him. He grew up being the only dragon in town, so as far as he was concerned any physical abnormality wasn’t something to worry about.

She gave him a kiss for that response.

But, Spike knew that he’d only be done being nervous about the whole thing when they got there and dwelling on it too much would only serve to make him even more nervous. He’d just need to shake it off and do what he does best: fake it till he makes it.

“How about you, Twilight?” Spike asked. “Are you excited at least to be one of the hosts?”

She nodded. “Of course. It’s a great honor. Especially if it's successful enough to happen again. This could become a yearly thing with me and Luna. Or who knows, she might even give me the responsibility of arranging it every year if all goes well. It’s really quite special. But, just… Eh, nevermind.”

“What is it?” Spike asked, Derpy showing concern as well.

“Oh, nothing. Just, it’d be nice to a royal dance of some sort where I didn’t have to be the Princess and look regal and be important. With my position, I can’t really think of a time when somepony even asked if I wanted to dance with them.” Twilight sighed before reverting back to her smile. “But, that’s just what a position of responsibility brings to the table, I suppose. And I really am quite honored to be there with you two.”

Spike gripped Derpy’s hoof a bit tighter. She reminded him of just how lucky he was to actually have a marefriend coming with him. It made his heart flutter a bit just feeling her rub his claw a bit as he held it.

“We’re happy you get to come with us, too, Twilight,” Derpy said. “You deserve to have fun just like everypony else.”

Twilight smiled. “Thank you, Derpy. You too, Spike.”

The three of them engaged in friendly conversation for the rest of the ride to the dance. Although it was still present, the nervousness slowly seemed to melt away between three of them as they got closer.

Eventually, the train pulled into the station at Canterlot. They were helped out of the car by the attendants and got lay their eyes on glorious Canterlot with the setting sun as the perfect backdrop for the Royal Castle.

Derpy, in particular, looked at it in pure wonderment.

“Wow, it’s prettier than I remember,” she said, eyes wide. “It’s been so long since I last came here.”

“Really?” Spike asked. He seemed to continuously forget that not everypony was as privileged as him and his friends to get to travel so freely and got to the castle on a whim. “When was the last time you were here?”

Derpy rubbed her chin. “Too long, I guess. It’s been years.”

“Well,” Spike said, taking her hoof in his claw. “That’s about to change. Let’s go have some fun!”

Even if it was a new and strange event for all three of them in some way, they’d have a great evening, for sure. Especially because they all had each other for support.





Spike looked at the food on the plate in front of him. He knew that these fancy events had high-end meals to go with them, usually, but this was a bit ridiculous.

“Let’s see here,” he said. “A few leafs of lettuce, half of a grilled carrot and glass of sparkling ice-water. I guess this is how the sweet and elite meet to eat.”

Derpy chuckled from her side of the small round table. “I guess so.”

They both took a sample bite of their grilled carrot. It was average at best and their scrunched faces provided evidence to that claim.

“It’s not bad,” Derpy said.

“Yeah,” Spike replied. “But I guarantee you it’s nowhere near as good as the price tag it usually has. At least it's free, right?”

Derpy nodded. “Yeah. It was really nice of Luna to give everypony a free meal. I wasn’t expecting free food.”

“Yeah. It was probably to help the whole romantic-y environment she’s going for.” Spike looked around for a moment at the relatively dim lights, candles on the tables and soothing dinner music playing from the four-piece band playing in the back corner. “I’d say she’s done a pretty good job.”

“I agree,” Derpy said.

The two finished up eating, mostly in silence. The nervousness had almost seemed to completely wear off the two of them. It helped that most of the other couples there seemed far less snobby than the usual fare at fancy events. Instead of the high-end business ponies drinking champagne, there were couples enjoying an evening together. Instead of older ponies giving the evil-eye to anypony looking like they were having fun, there were older couples laughing and holding hooves together.

Everypony that was there was there for the sake of having an enjoyable evening with a loved one. Spike and Derpy fit right in.

“I hope everything is to your liking so far.”

Spike and Derpy jumped out of their seats at the new voice taking them by surprise. They both looked to the side to see Princess Luna standing there with a smile. She too adorned a beautiful gown for the night.

“Oh, hello, Princess Luna.” Derpy laughed nervously and bowed her head briefly. “I’m sorry I didn’t see you coming.”

“It is quite alright,” she said. “I apologize for frightening you.”

“Hey, Luna!” Spike said with a wave.

“Good evening to you as well, Spike,” she replied. “Now, I take it you must be Derpy?”

Derpy pointed at herself with a cocked eyebrow. “M-Me? Yes, ma’am. I’m Derpy.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” Luna bowed her head gracefully. “Spike has told me much about you in his letters to us the past several months.”

“You have?” Derpy asked, looking at the now blushing dragon.

“Yeah, well, you know…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “When you meet a pretty mare it’s kinda hard not to talk about her.”

Derpy smiled and chuckled nervously. “Hehe. I hope he said nice things.”

“Of course,” Luna said. “Twilight has also told me several nice things about you tonight. I’m glad to finally meet you in person. My sister wished to meet you as well, but she is, unfortunately, attending to personal business tonight.”

“Celestia?” Derpy squeaked out. “...Wants to see me?”

“Why of course,” Luna stated. “Any pony that Spike speaks so highly of is obviously a pony worth meeting.”

“Oh, well… thank you, Princess.” Derpy was once again trying her best to hide her red cheeks behind her mane.

“Anyhow,” Luna continued. “I shan’t keep you from your meal any longer. I simply wished to introduce myself. The dancing will begin shortly and I look forward to seeing you two out on the floor.”

With a quick nod, the Princess wandered back to her podium at the front of the room where Twilight was standing, doing her best to hold a regal posture.

“It’s amazing that you’re so close to the Princesses, Spike,” Derpy said. “I can’t believe that she actually came over to talk to us. She was so nice.”

“Huh?” Spike said, looking up from the plate of food he was almost done finishing off. “Luna? Oh yeah, she’s great. Just, you know, until she doesn’t get her daily nap. She can get kinda cranky if not.”

Derpy giggled. “I think we all get cranky without enough sleep. I guess the Princesses are just ponies, too, huh?”

“Yep!” Spike said. “They’re just as crazy as the rest of us sometimes.”

The two shared a laugh and finished up their food together. They idly chatted the next few minutes about the beautiful scenery, the upscale music, and of course, the other couples that were sitting around them. It was an enjoyable personal time together.

But, as promised, the time eventually came.

“Everypony, may I please have your attention.” Twilight’s voice rang out over the room, bringing the many voices to a slow halt. “Thank you. The floor is now open to any and all couples who wish to dance tonight. Music will be provided by our wonderful four-piece orchestra band. Now, get out there and have fun!”

After an audible three-count, the band instantly picked up into playing an upbeat and fun tune. It took all of a few seconds for roughly a third of the couples to leave their seats together and hit the floor. It was evident from the start that hardly anypony was a professional dancer on the floor. Sloppy steps, out of time turns, and so on. But, the thing was, nopony seemed to care.

Spike turned to Derpy, who was lightly tapping her hooves against the ground to the sway of the music, looking at the growing amount of couples. “So, Derpy?”

“Huh.. yeah?” She napped out of her music-induced trance. “What is it, Spike?”

“You ever dance at a party like this, before?”

Derpy ducked her head a bit and shook it. “Heh, no, never. I’ve, um, never really danced at all before.”

Spike gave his usual smug grin and was about to go on a rant about knowing all the tricks of the trade, but at the last second, he decided against it. Instead, he merely nodded. “I get ya. And to be honest, I really don’t know anything about it, either. Just some things I’ve picked up here and there.”

“It looks really fun, though, doesn’t it?” Derpy asked, turning her gaze back to the floor.

“Oh, yeah, it totally does,” he responded. “So, I don’t suppose you’d be willing to give it a try with me, would you?”

Derpy turned back to him. “I, um, well I’m not sure I’d be any good. I’d just make us both look silly out there.”

“Psh, Nah,” Spike said, waving a claw. “Everypony will be way too distracted by me stumbling over myself to notice any mistakes you make. Besides, we’re totally the best looking couple here, so if my clumsiness doesn’t distract them, our good looks will.” Spike sent the point home with a wink. He then proceeded to stand up and he reached out his claw to her.

“I guess so,” she said with a slowly enlarging grin. “It might be fun.”

“Oh yeah,” Spike said. “It’ll be loads of fun. You trust me, right?”

Derpy looked into his eyes for one more second before putting her hoof in his claw. “Of course I do.”

They both wandered onto the waxed, wooden dance floor. There were quite a few other couples out there, but there was still more than enough room for them to have a place. For the sake of easing into it, Spike led her to an area near the outskirts of the floor with fewer couples around.

“Okay, so let me show you where to start.” Spike placed her hoof on his shoulder and held her other one. “Now, I’m just going to need to hold you a little bit closer here.” He pulled her into his chest a bit more and gently placed his claw on her lower back. Thankfully, he got it in the right position on his first try.

“O-Okay,” Derpy said, blushing slightly. “Now what?”

“Now…” Spike winked at her. “You just follow my lead.”

He started very slowly with just a few sides to side movements. It wasn’t perfect, but they weren’t tripping over each other, at least. After a few more lateral moves, he then gently spun them in a circle and moved backward and forwards in quick succession. This time, it was much more smoothe. She was picking up on it a lot faster than he did.

“There, it’s not that hard is it?” Spike said.

“Mm-mm.” Derpy shook her head and smiled. “It’s fun.”

They continued their basic movements until the song neared its end. There was one particular move left in his arsenal he learned yesterday and he was about to try it.

“Okay, sweets? I’m gonna try something here, so just follow along with me.”

She turned her head up to him. “Okay.”

“I’m just gonna spin you in a circle and then pull you back towards me.”

Her eyes widened. “You think we can do it?”

“I guess we’ll find out,” Spike said with a chuckle. “Here goes.”

They took two more steps to the left together and then he went for it. Spike lifted her hoof in the air, and lightly twisted it, her body spinning with it, and… he forgot to catch her. And now she was on the floor.

Spike immediately dropped down to check on her. “Derpy! Are you okay? That was totally my bad.”

The mare lifted her head up from behind her mane. He could see a redness on her cheeks and it sounded like she was about to cry.

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry! I—”

“Haha!” She laughed aloud, pulling herself up to her hooves. “That was great!”

Spike widened his eyes before laughing a bit himself. “You actually enjoyed my epic failure? Heh, guess you’re learning from Starlight, huh?”

The two shared a quick laugh and the first song came to an end, followed by a brief moment of hoof stomping from the crowd.

One of the band members then spoke up. “Thank you very much. This next song, in the true spirit of a couple’s night, is a slow dance.” He turned to the pianist. “Take it away.”

A light, soothing piano ballad spread throughout the room. There was hardly a beat to follow with this one as it was more of just a soft melody than anything.

Spike turned to Derpy who was shuffling her front hoof against the floor, looking up at him. “I… don’t really know how to slow dance. I guess we’ll have to wing it?”

Derpy nodded. “I guess so.”

This time it was her turn to get them in position. She reared up and draped her hoof over his shoulder again and put her other in his claw. Spike, of course, got his other claw in place and they began.

Given that there was really no beat to follow or stable pattern, they instead just rocked back and forth with each other in slow, simple patterns. Spike wasn’t sure what exactly the right form of dancing or positioning was for this style, but everypony else seemed to be doing something similar, so they weren’t doing too bad.

“So, this is all there is to the whole ‘slow dancing’ thing, huh?” Spike joked. “Heh, no wonder everypony does it. It’s so easy.”

Derpy nuzzled his cheek. “Shush. Just dance.”

Spike chuckled but followed her orders. They continued their slow movements for the next minute. It was incredibly relaxing. Romantic music, dim lighting, and a beautiful mare in his arms. What more could a dragon ask for, right?

After a bit more of the same, Derpy looked up to Spike with a half-lidded gaze. And then, all the previous knowledge about proper dance positions Spike learned went out the window. Derpy wrapped both of her forelegs around his neck and nuzzled into his cheek before resting her head against his.

Spike had no idea what to do at this point, so he just went with the only thing he thought he could. He wrapped both of his arms around her and held her even closer than before. He felt her warmth against his chest as she snuggled against him a bit more.

And then, they resumed the slow motions they were doing, but with their new position. It may have looked strange to others, but neither of them cared.

Spike loved it.

After another minute or so of dance. Derpy paused, having Spike do the same. She pulled her head back from him and touched her nose against his, looking directly into his eyes with that same, shy gaze she’d had when they first met.

“Spike…I...”

Before she finished her sentence and before he could respond, she tilted her head to the side and pressed her lips into his… and he reciprocated by pulling her closer to him.

They’ve kissed before. They’ve been on dates before. They’ve been close to each other before. But somehow, this kiss felt different. Maybe it was the scenery, maybe it was the music, maybe it was the event itself, but this kiss… this kiss meant something. It meant something special to her and it meant something special to him. He wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it was important.

They separated their lips right as soon as the song ended. A flurry of hoof stomps rang out once again and slightly more upbeat tune began playing. Derpy released her hoof-lock on Spike and hopped back to the ground. She was blushing intensely now that the passion of the moment was over and everything else in the room suddenly materialized again.

“Thanks for the dance, Spike.”

“Thank you for… that,” he said, a blush of his own growing. “That was amazing.”

Derpy kicked at the ground and nodded. “Yeah, it was.”

The dragon took a deep breath and took a moment to look around. The rest of the couples had begun dancing once more to the new song. Everypony seemed to be having a great time. That was, until, his eyes fell on Twilight.

She was still attempting to keep her regal composure, but he could tell she wasn’t entirely enjoying herself. Maybe it was the way her plastered smile was beginning to waver or maybe it was how she was trembling in her attempts to not tap her hoof to the music.

Spike let out a sigh and turned to Derpy. “Hey, sweets?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you do me a huge favor?” He asked. “Do you mind sitting this one out real quick? I have to go talk to somepony.”

Derpy gave him a quizzical look but nodded. “Sure, Spike. I’ll just wait at our table.”

“Thanks! I’ll only be gone a couple minutes, I promise.” He planted a soft kiss on her cheek and then darted across the room to the podium where Twilight was.

“Hey, Twi!” he said, jumping beside her.

“Spike?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he responded. “Just wanted to say hi. Where’s Luna, by the way?”

“Oh, she had to go raise the moon,” Twilight said. “She’ll be back in a minute.”

“Ah, I see,” he responded. “Are you having fun?”

“Me?” She bobbed her head. “Of course. It’s great! I can tell you are, too.” She gave him a quick nudge and a wink.

“Yeah, well, the moment caught up to us,” he responded. “Sorry if we made a scene.”

“Don’t be, Spike. It’s great to see you having such a good time. Where is Derpy? This is one of the best songs the band knows. I thought you’d be dancing the night away.”

“Oh, we will be,” he responded. “But something kind of came up that I needed to take care of.”

“What would that be?”

“Well, when this song started, I couldn’t help but overhear a couple of the guys on the floor talking about how awesome they were at dancing to it. And then, of course, I remembered you talking about how much you like this band and I thought to myself ‘Man, Spike, you gotta show these guys up somehow. But what mare in Equestria knows this music well enough to give you a chance to do it?’ And that, in turn, led me here.”

Twilight instantly turned her entire body toward him. “Wait a minute. Are you...?”

Spike grinned and held out a claw. “I don’t suppose I could have the honor of dancing with you, Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight’s mouth hung open for a just a moment before she placed her hoof in his claw. “Y-Yes, of course you can, Spike.”

The crowd almost seemed to pause as she left the podium and took to the floor. Not only was it the first time the crowd had seen one of the hosts get on the dance floor all night, but it was also the first completely genuine smile she’d had on her face since the dancing started.

“So, um, it’s been awhile since I’ve done anything like this,” she said with a nervous chuckle.

“Don’t worry, Twi. Just follow my lead. It’ll be fun, I promise.”




> LIfeline
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Derpy and Spike crashed through her front door, giggling and laughing all the while. They had just gotten back into town and Spike insisted on walking Derpy back to her home. Ponyville wasn’t exactly dangerous, but a little extra time with her wasn’t going to hurt anypony.

It was late at night at this point… late enough that it was technically super early in the morning. They were both glad that Sweetie Belle agreed to foalsit Dinky for the entire night. Not that they wanted her gone, but more that Derpy could get some quality sleeping time after a long night of merriment.

Of course, their laughter and smiles seemed to indicate anything but sleepiness.

“And then, did you see the way Luna looked when you caught her drinking punch straight from the bowl?” Spike asked, trying to contain his chuckling long enough to complete a sentence.

“Yeah,” Derpy said, unsuccessfully stifling her own chuckles. “I never thought I’d ever see a Princess get embarrassed.”

“Heh,” Spike said, finally calming down. “That’s just because you haven’t seen them enough. Between Luna’s inappropriate jokes and Celestia’s dessert obsession they’re an endless gaggle of good times.”

“I can only imagine,” she replied. “I really hope I get to see them more often. Luna seems like a lot of fun and I bet Celestia is, too.”

“They’re both great. And trust me, you’ll have all kinds of time to try new things and meet new ponies when hanging around with me. I attract weird things.” Spike winked at her. “I guess that’s why you’re following me around, huh?”

Derpy smirked. “Hey, who said I was ever attracted to you?”

“Oh, you know…” Spike rubbed his chin. “I think I got the hint from the dreamy eyes you give me every time we’re about to kiss.”

Derpy let out a playful huff before rearing up and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. She then dropped back down and turned her nose up to him.

“Well, I’ll admit I didn’t see any dreamy eyes there,” Spike replied. “Maybe I was wrong about you being into me after all. Great, just after I told every pony in town how lucky I was to have you. Now I just look silly.”

Derpy giggled and nuzzled his cheek. “You always look silly. No change there.”

Sweet moments like this were one of the things Spike loved most about being with her. They didn’t really have to have anything interesting to talk about. Nothing major had to happen for them to enjoy each other’s company. They could joke around with each other without ever having to worry about hurt feelings. It was wonderful.

Their mutual laughter and giddiness finally began to subside, leading to Spike letting out a deep sigh.

“Well, it was a great night, but you probably need me to get out of here, huh?” Spike asked, pointing a claw toward the door. “You need to get some sleep and—”

“No!” Derpy shouted, taking herself by surprise with her volume. “I mean, you don’t have to leave yet. Please don’t. I’m, uh… I'm not ready to say goodbye yet.”

“You’re not?” Spike asked, scratching his head.

“Mm-mm,” she said, shaking her head.

Spike shrugged. “I guess my claws are tied then. Can’t say I’m complaining, though.”

“You’re just stuck here with me for a bit,” she said, adorning a cute smile. “This night… it’s too perfect for it to end so fast.”

Spike looked deep in her eyes. There was something up, some kind of clue he was sure he was supposed to be catching on to. A clue that his natural male intuition, or lack thereof, would never be able to figure out in a million years. But, he knew something.

Tonight meant something extra special to her.

“Well, then consider me stuck.” Spike smiled back at her. “But, you should probably at least go hang up your dress. It’s beautiful, but I doubt it’s comfy enough to lounge around in.”

Derpy surveyed her outfit. “Yeah, you’re right. Give me just a minute. I’ll be right back.”

The mare darted off to her room in the back, leaving Spike to his own devices for a moment. He followed his own advice and undid his tie, following it up with unbuttoning the top few buttons of his dress shirt and throwing his jacket on the couch.

He had what he figured were a couple minutes to himself. If Derpy was like every other mare he’s ever met, simply changing clothes was never a short task. He looked around the living room, seeing what all was going on. He had seen it before, but he was so wired and nervous the first time, he didn’t really get a chance to scope it out.

He made sure, of course, to avoid looking at the picture of her parents lest it lead him to opening his big mouth once more. Instead, he wandered over to a nearby bookcase and decided to take a look at what she had there.

He knelt down in front of it to get a good look at its contents. There were the home staples, of course. A dictionary, a basic Equestrian encyclopedia, one of Twilight’s published friendship journals…

“Oh great, not these,” Spike said, shaking his head. “I thought we resolved that issue years ago.”

Spike chuckled and took the book out. It was an innocent book, of course, but it caused untold amounts of trouble when citizens found out all the intricacies of how his friends solved friendship issues. Of course, he was also happy about the nice little sum of money he got from all the book sales considering he was the one who actually wrote all of the original journal.

He opened it up and began flipping through a bit when something fell out from between the pages and dropped to the floor.

“Whoops!” Spike whisper-shouted under his breath. He was about to pick up the object and put it back in, but then he realized what it was.

It was a yellow flower of some kind, pressed between two tissues and flattened because of the book. He head heard that you can preserve flowers that way, but he had never really tried it or had any remote interest in it for that matter.

“Spike!”

Spike nearly dropped the flower again as his body jolted from the sudden shout. He looked toward the hall to find Derpy standing there, face beat red. “Hey, Derpy. Sorry, I was just looking around. I didn’t know you liked to preserve flowers. That’s pretty cool.”

Derpy’s face seemed to relax a bit. “You mean, you don’t recognize… okay.”

“Recognize what? The book? Yeah… it’s kind of a legend between me and Twilight.” Spike laughed but then saw Derpy’s eyes instead looking at the dried flower held in his claw… and her eyes looked a bit sad. “You mean the flower?”

Derpy nodded.

Spike held it up to his face. “Well, it’s pretty. And yellow. And it’s…”

And then it hit him like a ton of bricks..








“I hate picking the only flower that’s managed to grow here, but I couldn’t help noticing it matched your mane really well.”

He tucked the flower into her mane, right behind her ear.

“There,” Spike said. “Now we have a memory here. Good thing, too. I’d rather not forget this if it’s all the same to you.”







“Wait a second,” Spike said, getting up from his knees. “Is this the flower from—”

“Yeah,” Derpy said, hiding behind her mane. “I, um, I didn’t want it to die, so I kept it in a book. It’s kind of dumb, huh?”

Spike looked back at the flower, his heart practically beating out of his chest. All the time and all the effort he put into making her like him… and to think she liked him from the start.

“No, no… It’s not dumb at all.” He knelt down and put the flower back in the book and placed the book back on the shelf. “In fact, it was so sweet I’m pretty sure I’m gonna have to go to the dentist tomorrow from all the cavities I just got.” He gave her a winning smile before walking over to her and wrapping her up in a tight hug.

She gladly reciprocated it.

The two then made their way over to her couch, Spike lazily tossing his jacket out of the way allowing them room for cuddles. She curled up and rested her head on his shoulder while he cradled her in his arms.

“So, did you have fun tonight?” Spike asked. “I mean, you said it was a great night and all, but you know…”

“It was amazing.” She peppered his cheek with a few kisses before nuzzling it and resting back on his shoulder. “Thank you so, so, so much for taking me. I can’t believe you actually wanted to go with me to something like that.”

Spike rose an eyebrow. “What? Why wouldn’t I?”

Derpy sighed. “It’s just… I’ve never really been to a fancy event before. I’ve never really had a coltfriend before. I’ve never had somepony who lo—” Derpy gulped. “...Anypony who seemed to be that proud of me, before.”

Spike gently stroked her mane. “Nopony? I doubt that. What about your par—” Spike cursed himself. “I mean…”

“It’s… It’s okay, Spike.” Derpy scooched her body up a bit to where he could still hold her but she could also see him eye to eye. “I, um, I’m not really used to talking about them, but… but you deserve to know.”

Spike was about to do the classic gentlecolt maneuver and protest and say she didn’t have to, but honestly, he was far too curious to do such a thing. So instead, he’d hear what she had to say.

“Alright, I’m listening. Take your time.”

Derpy averted her eyes, instead choosing to stare off in front of her. And then she began.

“My parents weren’t terrible or abusive or anything like that. A lot of people who see me taking care of Dinky think so. But, no, they were really really fantastic. I loved them. I still do. But, something happened when Dinky was born.”

Spike could see a tear welling up in her eye. He pet her mane a bit more gentle this time. “What happened?”

“Well, when my mother gave birth to Dinky we were all really excited. I was a bit older, as you can probably tell, but I was excited to finally have a sister. So were my parents. But, um… my mother got sick a few months after. Really sick. And uh, umm…” Derpy tried to fight back a sob, instead just sniffling ever so slightly.

“She got sick?” Spike asked. “Like she caught a disease?”

Derpy shook her head. “She wasn’t like, sick sick, but... she started changing. She never wanted to do anything anymore. She slept all the time. Nothing she used to do for fun made her happy. She stopped laughing, playing games with me and stuff. She, um, she even started ignoring Dinky. We didn’t know why…”

Derpy’s cheeks were coated in tears at this point. Spike kept his mouth shut and instead planted a kiss on her cheek. Derpy tilted her face toward him, wanting a second kiss which he provided.

“We, um, we weren’t sure what was going on, but we needed to do something. I started having to look after Dinky more and daddy had to take care of mom the best he could between work and helping with Dinky. We thought things were getting a bit better, eventually, to be honest. Taking some of the load off of her seemed to do good. Plus, she was doing her best to fight off whatever was happening to her. She loved us, she really did. And she tried her best.  But, one day we were all out…”

Her eyes instantly shut, releasing a new stream of tears down her cheeks.

“Me, daddy and Dinky went out to see a play. Mom didn’t want to come because she was too tired. We came back later that night and.. and...she was waiting for us, but “ Derpy twisted her body and burrowed her face into Spike’s shoulder. “… she decided to leave us.. forever... She didn’t wanna fight anymore! ”

Well, history had repeated itself. Once again, Spike had Derpy bawling her eyes out. But the difference is this time, she was looking to him for comfort, not running away.

Spike wrapped his arms around her and held her as tightly as he could. He began planting small kisses on her head.

“Shh, shh… it’s okay,” he said. “I’ve got you. It’s okay.”

Derpy was able to recover after a minute or so. She pulled her face from his now soaked shoulder and instead rested her head against it.

“Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be,” he replied. “We all have to let it out sometimes.”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

They both laid there, cuddled with each other for a few minutes, enjoying the peace. But, of course, Derpy wanted to finish the story.

“Well, after everything happened, daddy had a really hard time getting things back together. He lost his job and had a hard time keeping a new one. So, I started working as soon as I could to help, but I also had to take care of Dinky. Thankfully, she was too young to really understand what happened. But eventually, things had to change even more.”

“What do you mean?”

Derpy took a deep breath before continuing. “After a year or two, it became too hard to live with him. H-He couldn’t support us and he couldn’t help take care of Dinky anymore. He would always say how much she reminded him of mom. I think it actually hurt him to look at her.” Derpy let out a sigh. “I didn’t want to leave him, but I needed to do what was best for Dinky. It wasn’t a good home for her. So, I took her and came over here to Ponyville. Long story short, a few hard years go by and then Dinky ends up getting sick. I take her to the hospital and try making things work all over again.”

“Wow…” Spike wasn’t even talking to her, necessarily. He was just amazed at what she’s been able to overcome.

“But then, I run into this really sweet dragon one day and well, the sky got a little bit brighter.”

Spike turned his head and smiled. “I hope you’re talking about me.”

Derpy nodded and planted a small kiss on his cheek. “Yeah, I am. Every time I’ve told you how much I appreciate what you’ve done for us… you have no idea just how much I mean it.”

Derpy didn’t give Spike a chance to respond before twisting her body over and pressing him into the couch. She pressed her lips to his, very deeply, yet it still maintained her usual gentleness. He could feel her breath on the outskirts of his lips and eventually, he felt her tongue slowly part them. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

She took a moment and broke the kiss, instead opting to look him in the eyes. She wasn't smiling. She wasn’t laughing. She was just looking at him.

“Spike?”

Spike tried to catch his breath. “Ye—”

“I love you.”

And there it was. She said the words. The words Spike never thought he’d hear in a non-platonic fashion. Quite frankly, he wasn’t sure what to do.

What he did know though were three things: his heart was beating faster than it ever had, he was the happiest he’d been in an long time and most importantly…

….There wasn’t anypony else he wanted to be with more than the mare he was with right now.

“I love you, too, Derpy.”
> Hallucinations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours later...

It was one of those times where it was so late that it was early. The sun had just begun peeking its first rays of light over the horizon when Spike finally left Derpy’s house to return back home.

He was still reeling from everything that took place the previous night, in a good way of course. He was tired, sure, but at the same time, sleep was the farthest thing from his mind. Who could possibly think about rest when you just had a mare confess her love to you and vice versa?

He wasn’t sure what the answer was, but he knew for a fact that he couldn’t.

As he strolled through the quiet, darkened streets of town, he could feel his heart rate picking up. Thoughts of his girlfriend and everything they did that night raced through his head. Her gorgeous mane covering her beautiful eyes as they moved on the dance floor. Her soft fur brushing against his scales as he pulled her close to him. Her cute laugh when he told her jokes that were arguably not even funny. Even the way she latched onto him when crying made him feel special.

And then, of course, when the ‘L’ word came out of his mouth. There was not a time before where he could have ever imagined himself saying such a word to a mare. Well, at least not in a non-platonic manner. But, it happened. And he didn’t even get slapped when he said it. That right there: that’s when you know things are working out.

He took the first few steps into the castle, his face aglow with a large smile. He stumbled up the stairs the best he could, dragging his feet over every step. He tried his best to not make noise and wake everypony up, but at the same time, he wasn’t overly concerned.

He finally finished his trek to the top and began the walk down the hall toward his room. His goal? His bedroom, where he could lay down and think about how awesome life was. The only obstacle? The unicorn mare that was standing in the hall with a devious grin.

“Hello there, Spike,” Starlight said. “You have a good time last night?”

Spike would normally protest what was sure to be a snark-ridden conversation at this time of night, but there’d be no getting around it this time.

“Alright, Starlight, let’s talk.”

The two went into Spike’s bedroom and sat on his bed. Starlight eyed him up and down, the look on her face getting more and more sinister and suspicious with every pass her eyes made over him.

Spike turned to her. “Okay, what do you wanna know about? The dance? The conversations? How things went with Twilight?”

“None of the above,” she replied. “Something happened between you and Derpy, didn’t it?”


Spike’s eyes popped open for a brief second before he played it off and waved a claw. “Psh, nah. Just, you know, usual stuff. We talked, we danced, and then, you know… came home. And here I am.”

“Cut the crap,” Starlight said with a nudge. “I was at home all night while you and Twilight were having a blast in Canterlot. I want details. I know something happened because the only other time you’ve smiled that big for that long was when you found that rare comic book at a yard sale. So, c’mon, spill the beans!”

Spike shook his head. “Pfft, I’m telling you, nothing happened. We just had a good time at the dance, went to her place afterwards and—” Spike covered his mouth. His story was already unravelling.

“Aha!” Starlight cried out. “I knew it! I could see it all over your face!”

Spike’s face scrunched up. “I’m sorry, and what exactly about my face told you I had a pleasant visit at my girlfriend’s house?”

“Hmm, let’s see here.” Starlight rubbed her chin. “You’ve got the bags under your eyes which shows that you got no sleep. You have lipstick smudges on the corners of your mouth which indicates that you engaged in some rather rough kissing; kissing that she initiated more than likely. Your third head frill is bent slightly to the left which is a classic sign of some aggressive cuddling. You’ve had that same goofy half-smile stuck on your face since you’ve been home, so I know for a fact that something life-changing must have happened. And oh yeah, most of your scales are a bit shinier, which means that you probably sweated a bit more than usual for whatever reason. I could go on all day.”

Spike rapidly tosses his claws up to fix said bent frill. “Okay! Okay! So, we kissed a little bit. Not exactly surprising consider we love each oth— Oh!”

“Ahh, you said it?!” Starlight nearly fell back laughing. “After all this time, you let it slip!”

Spike folded his arms. “Yeah, yeah, fine. I said it. But you know what? I don’t care how cheesy you think it is. I’m confident enough in my masculinity to admit my emotions out loud.”

Starlight calmed herself down a bit and shook her head. “Spike, don’t worry. I think it’s sweet, honestly. But please, tell me she said it back. I’d rather you not be a victim to the ‘thank you, let’s go eat something’ response so many other males fall prey to when confessing their feelings.”

Spike beamed. “Actually, just for your information she said it first.”

Starlight’s eyes widened. “Wait, wait, wait. She said she loved you before you told her?”

“I know! I was just as surprised as you are! I always figured if a girl confessed her feelings to me I’d end up apologising to her. But no! I capitalised and said it back without crying!” Spike nodded and let out a satisfied sigh.. “And oh yeah, there was no alcohol involved either. Try that one out for size.”

Starlight sat there for a moment, a look of sheer bewilderment on her face. After a moment, however, she turned to Spike and smiled. “Well, Spike, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you’ve found yourself a keeper. A mare that cares enough about you to throw caution to the wind and express herself like that? Don’t let her get away or I’ll smack you extra hard, okay?”

“Don’t worry,” Spike said, waving his claw. “Even I’m not that stupid. There’s no way I’m gonna leave her, at least not as long as I can help it. Besides, I don’t think I ever wanna leave her. She… makes me really happy. Honestly, I didn’t even wanna leave her home at all tonight.”

The mare gently nudged him with an elbow. “Well, I believe it. You’re in love. I’m gonna have to schedule at least three dentist appointments after all the cavities I just got from listening to your little tangent there.  But just do me a favor and be careful with, well, you know. I wouldn’t mind babysitting some dragon-pony hybrid babies, but at the same time, I might recommend you at least find your own place, first. Because, you know that—”

“Well…” Spike chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “About that.”

Starlight’s eyes grew even wider. “No… you didn’t? Did you?” She gasped. “You did, didn’t you?”

The dragon blushed but nodded. “Yeah, I’m not gonna lie. It kinda happened.”

“Get out!” She unintentionally shoved him hard enough to send him to the floor.

“Oof!” Spike slowly began to pick himself up but was assisted by a magical aura that pulled him back onto the bed. “What was that for, Starlight?”

“Sorry!” She said. “I reacted more in shock than anything.”

“Your immediate reaction to being surprised is to cause bodily harm to me? Well that’s just as comforting as being tossed against a bookcase by one of Twilight’s magical mishaps. True story, by the way. Remind me not to throw you any surprise parties, though. I’d appreciate being able to walk after age thirty.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine, I’ll try not to do it again. But Spike, I just can’t believe it. This relationship is actually getting to be a really serious thing for you, isn’t it?”

“Uh, yeah? Newsflash, it kinda has been serious for awhile.”

“Well yeah, but you know what I mean.” Starlight smiled at him. “I’m just, like, really proud of you. But you know that you’re stuck now, right?”

Spike cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“How can I put this?” Starlight looked at the ceiling for a moment. “Now that you two are on this level of, shall we say, intimacy, there’s no going back. At least not without consequences. She’s attached now, You’re attached to her. So, basically, you’ve passed the point of no return. If you wanted to stop seeing her and just be friends, it’s too late. It’s all or nothing, now. Can you handle it?”

Spike had to take a moment to comprehend what she said. Before, yeah, he loved her and cared about her. But there was always the security blanket given that he could just say ‘sorry, things aren’t working out’ and he could leave without thinking twice. But, she was completely right. Somehow, he knew things were different now. They were, well, serious.

Luckily, it took him all of seven seconds to realize how he felt about that.

“I can handle it. And, honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Starlight smiled at him. “Well, then you’ve got my support. You know I’m here for you. Just, you know, you might avoid talking to Twilight about the specific details of what happened. I don’t think she’s ready for that mental image, yet. Actually, she probably never will be. Her knowledge of romance begins and ends with a biology textbook.”

“Agreed. And, thanks, Starlight.” Spike let out a sigh and then scratched the back of his head. “Hey, uh, did we just have a mature conversation?”

Starlight rose a hoof. “Uh… I think we just did. I’m not sure how to feel about that.”

Spike shrugged. “I guess it was kinda nice. But like, let’s try and not do it again. At least not too soon. It feels kinda weird. Going more than three consecutive sentences without being mocked by you seems to go against the will of the Gods.”

“Agreed.”

The two finished off their conversation with a quick hug and Starlight hopped off the bed to head to the door.

“Get some rest, Spike,” she replied. “You earned it.”

“Will do. You don’t have to tell me twice.”

Starlight was about to exit but turned around. “And oh yeah, just because you’re probably not gonna hear it from anypony else… next time you engage in, uh, romantic conduct, try taking a shower before you come home.”

The dragon blushed. “Whoops.”

She shook her head and smiled at him. “Get some sleep, Spike. I’ll see you later.”

“Later, Starlight.”

The dragon crawled under his covers and pulled them over his head. He had a lot on his mind, but now that he was actually laying down, he could feel just how tired he was.

The only thought that kept replaying through his mind was just something that Starlight said: he was stuck. But, for whatever reason, all the thought did was make him smile.
> One Last Thing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One month later…

“Uh, Dr. Shavargo?” Spike let out a sigh and looked at the emerald green dragoness who had been eyeballing him up and down for nearly a century and a half. “I’ve been in this room since way too long o’clock and I’m not quite sure why I’m still here. Any chance I can jet? I do have a life.”

“Hush, Spike,” she replied. “We will be done soon enough. Since you haven’t been properly analyzed by a draconic doctor any time recently, it is of utmost concern that I am extremely thorough during your evaluation.”

“Erm, fine, be that way.”

Spike had to resist every urge in his body the past week to not miss this appointment. Every fiber of his being wanted to make up some excuse to not attend. But, alas, he gave in and did the responsible thing and showed up.

Dr. Shavargo was, after all, an acclaimed doctor from the dragonlands and she made a point of travelling all the way to Ponyville just to give him an evaluation. It was the least he could do to show up. Of course, that didn’t make him any happier about it.

After some rather painful pokes, prods, and blood tests, the dragoness had finally seemed to finish her work.

“Alright, Spike, we are finally done here.” She finally backed away from the hospital bed he was on and grabbed a nearby clipboard to jot a few things down.

Spike gave her a quizzical look. “So, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re pretty civilized for coming straight from the motherland. Most dragons I’ve met seemed to be obsessed with the whole fire and brimstone thing and don’t exactly take time to write on clipboards or practice medicine at all.”

She rolled her eyes, not even bothering to glance up at him. “Well, we’re not all like that. There are professionals amongst us, such as myself. Besides, you’re not quite the picture of power and bloodlust either, are you?”

He shrugged. “Eh, that’s fair.”

She skimmed over her notes a few times, eyes concentrating a bit harder at each pass. Spike wasn’t sure what to make of it but he did know he was ready to jet as quickly as he could.

“So, doc, what’s the prognosis? Yay, nay? Alive? Dead?”

“Well,” she began with a sigh. “I’ll have to wait a moment while the results of your blood sample return. You still have some swelling and tenderness in your gastrointestinal and cardiovascular regions. I want to see what turns up with that. You mentioned that you’ve had pain there for awhile, am I correct?”

Spike waved a claw. “Psh, yeah, but trust me. The swelling you felt there. Less of a concern and more of a side-effect of the food I ate last night. My marefriend made some awesome but super spicy pasta last night and I’m kinda suffering the consequences today.”

She chuckled. “Yes, I see. Well, perhaps avoiding spicy food in the future would be a wise course of action to follow, wouldn’t you say?”

“What?” He shrieked. “But spicy food is literally the essence of life. Especially when there are gems mixed in with said spicy food. You’re basically suggesting I give up my religion! And I assure you, I will not sell out my faith so easily.”

“Okay, okay, just simple doctoral advice.” She shook her head. “Now, I’m going to go check on the results of your testing we sent in and see what comes of it. Please wait here until it is completed.”

“Ugh,” Spike said, flopping back onto the mattress. “Please don’t say you’ll be back shortly. I know it’s but a facade to cover up the fact it’s going take at least an hour for you to return.”

She smiled. “I see you’re quite familiar with how these things work.”

“Eh, it’s not my first rodeo.”

“Well then, I shall return when I return.”

With that, she walked out the door leaving our dragon to himself for an unfortunately undisclosed amount of time.

He sat up on the bed and took stock of his surroundings. Plain, tan colored walls, a sink with tan cabinets beneath, a machine in the corner which he had no idea of what the purpose was and a diagram of the pony reproductive system on the back of the door.

“Why?” Spike asked. “Why do I also get the room with that diagram? I swear, the world is just trying to ignite my awkwardness to a new level of unacceptability.”

To top it all off, he had plans with Derpy after the whole shindig was over. Luckily, he wasn’t a stupid dragon. He made sure to schedule his doctor’s appointment in the morning and he made double sure to allow at least three hours of leeway for the whole thing to be over and done with before he met with her. You can never trust doctors to stick to a convenient or sensible schedule, after all.

But until then, all he could do was wait… Wait and try to avoid staring at that accursed diagram!

As if he was a fortune teller, it was almost exactly one hour before Dr. Shavargo returned. Of course, it wasn’t just her, but Nurse Redheart and a pony doctor as well.

“Oh, hey there!” Spike said, quickly tossing aside the cotton swab he had took to playing with. “And hello there… other ponies? Don’t tell me I have to get more tests now. I’m kinda ready to bounce.”

The dragoness let out a sigh. “Spike, they’re just here to assist me with going over your report and medical records with you. Please, try and be patient.”

He knew when enough snark was enough. “Alright, alright, no worries. You have my undivided attention. But then I’m bouncing. I got a pretty mare waiting on me after all.”

Nurse Redheart gave him a small grin. “Of course, of course. We understand. Let’s just get through this as quickly as possible, shall we?”

“Thank you. Finally a voice of reason.” Spike smiled at her but only received a half-backed smile in return. Everypony seemed to be in a mood today. “Okay, no more jokes. Let me just sign the release forms so I can see my marefriend.”

A lone manilla folder filled with an inordinate amount of papers sat on the counter. This was going to be awhile.







“Spike!”

Derpy lunged toward the dragon as soon as he stepped into the restaurant, wrapping him up in a tight hug. Of course, he responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

“Hey, sweets! It feels like it’s been at least two days since I last saw you.”

She nuzzled into his chest before separating herself. “Maybe that’s because it has been two days since you last saw me.”

He playfully rubbed his chin. “Hmm… Nah, that can’t be it. Two days is way too long to go without seeing you. It’s totally only been a day and twenty-two hours. Luckily I saw you now, though. If those last two hours went by, you’d have one mess of a boyfriend.”

She giggled and shook her head. “Good thing we didn’t waste any time then, huh?”

“My thoughts exactly.” Spike looked around the establishment. Curly Fry’s place just never got old. “Did you get us a seat already?”

“Mhm!” She said with a rapid nod. “I actually got your favorite booth over in the corner!”

He veered his attention from Derpy to see that yes, in fact, the booth was empty and ready for the taking. “You see Derpy, this is why I love you. You know me so well.”

They made their way over to the seat and settled in, Spike on one side, Derpy on the other. It wasn’t long before Curly Fry himself came over to the table.

“Hey, how’s my favorite couple doin’?”

“Great!” Derpy said, followed by a nod from Spike.

The stallion jottd his eyes between the two of them. “So, I already know you two will be havin’ some root beers to drink, but what about food? The usual?”

They both nodded in unison.

“Of course, of course. Two hayburger deluxe combos with some onion rings to share. It’ll be out in a jiffy, alright?”

The stallion left, leaving Spike and Derpy on their own once more.

Spike looked across the table at his marefriend. She was all smiles, practically giggling with delight as she looked at him. Spike had to check his memory to make sure he wasn’t forgetting any kind of anniversary or something like that. Starlight always warned him he’d forget an important date at least once in his relationship but he hoped it wouldn’t have been this soon.

“So, Derpy, I’m not complaining or anything, but is there any particular reason you’re in such a good mood today?”

She shook her head, her face still aglow. “Mm-mm. I’m just really happy to see you today. I know you were upset to have to go to the hospital for your checkup, so I wanted to make sure you knew how much I loved you when you got out.”

His heart had suddenly been reduced to liquid form from how quickly it melted. “Derpy… Not trying to sound completely generic here, but you don’t ever have to do anything special to prove you love me. But, for the record, I love you just as much.”

He reached across the table and held his claw open to which she quickly placed a hoof on it.

Spike chuckled. “I just kinda wish I thought of that line first. Celestia knows I could use brownie points for the next time I flub up and do something stupid.”

She shrugged. “Don’t worry, Spike, I’ve fully prepared myself for you to do stupid things. That way I won’t get too upset.”

The dragon blinked a few times. “Hold on… Was that a little bit of snark I heard escape from your lips? Remember when I said I loved you a couple seconds ago? Go ahead and multiply that by ten.”

After a short moment, their food and drinks arrived. It didn’t take long at all for them to begin feasting on their meals. They had pretty much gotten past the awkward eating phase of their relationship where manners and everything were a top priority. At this point they were more than comfortable, eating off of each other’s plates and using their respectives claws and hooves for everything.

After a short time, both relaxed back in their chairs, done with their delectable meals.

“Spike?” Derpy asked. “Aren’t you going to finish your food?” Her hoof was pointed at Spike’s uncharacteristically half-eaten burger.

“Oh, yeah, I’m just not super super hungry right now.” He let out a sigh and patted his stomach. “I ate quite a bit this morning and honestly, doctors stress me out a bit. I’ll take the rest of it to go for dinner tonight.”

Derpy nodded. “I understand. When Dinky first went to the hospital, it took over a week for her to start eating regularly. It’s okay.”

“I’m telling you,” he replied with a light chuckle. “Nothing good happens in places like that. Absolutely nothing.”

She gave him a warm smile. “Except for when ponies go there to get healed though, you mean.”

He threw a claw in the air. “Good point. But you get my drift.”

“Of course.” She maneuvered in her chair a bit to get more comfortable. “Not to focus on it too much, but how did everything go? Was the dragon doctor nice to you? I hope she wasn’t mean and nasty like some other dragons.”

“Huh?”

“The dragon doctor,” she reiterated. “She wasn’t too mean was she?”

“Oh yeah, her,” Spike replied with a shake of his head. “No, she was great. A bit uptight, but what dragon isn’t?”

“You.”

“Besides me. I’m kind of a special case.” Spike smiled at her. “Yeah, she was good. She ran some normal tests, some weird dragon-ish tests, took some blood… you know, the usual stuff doctors do.”

“Did you learn anything new?” She asked.

“New?”

“About yourself, I mean. This is the first time you’ve gotten a checkup from a dragon since you’ve grown up, right? You learned something new, right?”

He looked at her for just a moment before responding. “Eh, not really. Kind of same old, same old. Eat your gems, get exercise, lay off the spicy food—”

“Huh!” Derpy gasped.

“Don’t worry,” Spike said. “I have no intention of following that last one. I wanna be healthy but I also wanna not spiral into a never ending pit of depression and angst.”

“Good.” Derpy quickly returned to her smiling form. “So, everything turned out okay?”

“Of course,” he replied with a curt nod. “A little old dragon doctor can’t bring me down! You trust me, right?”

He reached a claw out and she gratefully took it in her hooves.

“Of course, Spike. Always.”






It was a long day.

Well, not that long. It was only three in the afternoon at this point. But, going to the hospital, getting ganged up on by doctors and then pigging out at a restaurant can take a lot out of a dragon. At least Derpy was there to help brighten up his day a bit. Saying goodbye to her at the restaurant was no easy feat, on that note. But, of course, she had to pick Dinky up from the babysitter, and he had to get home and do… whatever he was going to do. He really didn’t think that far ahead.

And he was at home now. Actually, now that he thought about it, he did know what he wanted to do. All he was thinking about was sleep, and more sleep. Life could take a backseat for a few hours.

“Hey, Spike! How, uh, how did the doctors visit go?”

He turned his head from where he was standing toward the stairs where Starlight was waiting for him.

He shook his head. “Meh. I’m not in the mood to talk. If it's alright with you, I’d rather just head up to bed for now.”

Her normal smirk she’d have at the ready for a situation like this was replaced with a frown. “I take it you didn’t have the best time there, huh?”

He shook his head. “Heh, does anypony ever have a good time at the hospital?”

“Point taken.” She took a few steps to the side, leaving the staircase open. “Well, go ahead and get some rest. We can talk about it later, if you want.”

He nodded. “Thank you, Starlight. I appreciate it.”

He strode toward the stairs and walked right past her on his way to his bedroom.
> Secret Crowds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike stared at the large castle door. He had his claw pressed against it, ready to leave.

“Spike… Please don’t do this.”

He let out a sigh and turned around to face Starlight who was standing a few feet away. “Do what? Get some fresh air? No offense, but I kinda need some time to get out for a bit, anyhow.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” she said. “You can’t just keep quiet about this and expect me to do the same! That’s not right.”

Spike shrugged. “What’s so wrong about not wanting to get our friends worked up over nothing? Things happen sometimes and it’s no big deal. Whatever happens, everyone will move on and be hunky-dory just like before. Like I said, it’s no big deal.”

Starlight’s face was strained as she tried to hold back a few stray tears. “It’s a big deal to me, Spike.”

Spike took a moment to respond. “Yeah, well, it shouldn’t be. But look, you’re probably my best friend these days. Please, for the love all things holy, keep it to yourself. I’m calling in a bro favor here. You can’t break that.”

She turned her head away from him. “Whatever. But I’m telling you, this isn’t cool.”

“Well, it’s not like I’ve ever been cool before anyway.” The dragon chuckled, waiting for her sarcasm to let loose.

Well, he thought she was going to respond, give him a little jab, but all Spike heard was silence, a response that told him it was time to go. He turned, and exited through the castle doors.

It was a nice day. The sun was out in full force along with a myriad of various creatures. Spike took a deep breath of the fresh, early afternoon air, taking in all the usual aromas: flowers, grass, a few stray smells that escaped from the food carts in town. He finished off his exhale with a simple smile before continuing his trek.

He legitimately had no idea where he was headed. He just wanted to get away for a little bit. Everypony needed time to think and just chill for a bit and Spike was no different.

He moped around town for awhile, walking here and there. Again, no destination in particular, he just wanted to get away and clear his head. He waved to the occasional pony, said hi to any friends he passed, and even gave the casual nod when appropriate. But, eventually, he found himself in the park, the park where things really kicked into gear. Underneath a shade tree in particular.

From where he was seated beneath the gently rustling leaves of the tree, he could see the walkway just a short ways away. He remembered spending time with Derpy there on their first date. Well, their first kinda date. But either way, it was the first time he really started realizing he had feelings for her.

He felt his heart jump just a tad as he thought about it. A warm smile spread over his face, the morning’s stress rolling away with the wind. He really wished Derpy could be here with him right now: her head laying in his lap, him gently brushing his claw through her mane… the two of them just enjoying life together.

That’s what he wanted. That’s what he really, really wanted right now. More than anything. But… he just couldn’t do it. Not right now.

Right now, he needed to be alone.

“Hi, Spike!”

He wasn’t quite batting a thousand on getting what he wanted so far today.

He flipped his head around to see none other than Twilight standing next to him. “Oh, hey Twi. What are you doing here?”

“Well, I didn’t really have anything to do this morning, so I went and visited some friends around town,” she said with a bright smile. “It’s been way too long since I’ve gotten to do that. You mind if I join you?”

Spike wanted to say no and that he just needed some time to think, but he never could say no to Twilight. Besides, getting time with her wasn’t exactly an easy thing to come across… and it probably wouldn’t be getting easier in the near future.

“Yeah, of course.” He scooched over a bit, motioning for Twilight to sit down, which she did in short order.

“Thank you,” she said, snuggling into the grass. “I know you like your alone time.”

“Eh,” Spike said with a shrug. “I resigned myself to not getting my way anymore when I let my life get run over by a bunch of mares. Heard it doesn’t get any better when you’re married.”

“I’ve heard the same,” Twilight said with a giggle. “Although, if things keep going the same way with you and Derpy you might just find out firsthoof.”

Spike shook his head and released a half-hearted laugh. “Yeah, one can only hope, right? I’m still not ready to ditch the idea I’ll do something unbelievably moronic to ruin it. It’s like, I hate retreading the same thoughts over and over again, but as things keep getting more serious… I guess I’m just getting more and more worried and keep wondering if things are actually gonna work out or not.”

Twilight’s face was still, with only a blink or two interrupting her look of confusion. “Um, are you okay?”

Spike waved a claw. “Forget it, sorry. I kinda go off on tangents sometimes. My mouth just spits out words before my brain can filter them sometimes.”

“Oh, okay,” Twilight said. “Well, I’m always here if you need to talk, you know? I may not be the most knowledgeable about relationships, or so Cadance so eloquently told me, but I’m always willing to help if I can.”

“Of course,” Spike said with a sincere smile. “That’s what family is for, right? You listen to me whine, moan and second-guess myself, and I listen to you cry and have panic attacks about being a princess. It’s a two-way street we’ve got going on here.”

“Hehe, yeah, no doubts there.”

Spike smiled and nestled back a bit, leaning against the tree trunk. “So, enough about all that for now. What were you up to this morning? I’m glad you’re getting out and all, but it’s not exactly a common occurrence.”

“I’m glad you asked!” Twilight said, clapping her hooves. “So, when I got up this morning, my first thought was to ask you how your appointment went. You were asleep when I got home last night, but you were still sleeping when I got up, so I decided to get out for a bit. But…” Twilight smiled at him. “I guess now’s as good of a time as any to ask how it was. So, how was it? I know they were concerned about some things.”

Spike immediately shook his head. “No, don’t worry about it. It was nothing. Just a few tests, waiting around forever, and then it was time to go. Trust me, it was about as exciting as watching a behind-the-scenes documentary about a sloth’s personal life.”

“Okay, then. I take it you didn’t exactly have a great time, then?”

“Your hypothesis would be correct,” Spike retorted. “But, enough of all that. What else did you do this morning?”

“Oh, right!” Twilight’s confuzzled face immediately turned into a smile once more. “So, I went out and met up with Rarity for the morning and we went to the spa. I completely forgot how relaxing it could be to just sit there and do absolutely nothing!”

“A favorite pastime of mine, I will admit,” Spike said with a nod. “What about after that?”

“Well, it was still early, so….”

Spike closed his eyes and just took in the sounds of her voice. As she continued to ramble on, it became less about what she was saying and more about the fact she was saying anything to him. He really missed being able to have these moments with her. No worries, no stress, just family.

He didn’t want these moments to stop.

“...but then when I realized the flowers were actually fake I—”

“Twilight?” Spike cut in, opening his eyes and turning to her.

“Oh, uh, yes Spike?” she responded.

“I love you. I really don’t say it as much as I should.”

Twilight paused for a moment, looking at him. “I love you, too, Spike. Was… Was there something I said in particular that brought this on?”

He shook his head. “No. Like I said, I just don’t really say it enough and I wanted to remind you. We are family, after all.”

She happily nodded. “Definitely.”

There was a bit of a lull in the conversation. There was no such thing as awkward between the two of them after all they had been through together, but it was a nice silence. Just the two of them enjoying the beautiful day, even if only for a moment.

“So,” Twilight stated, finally picking the conversation up again. “How was your day so far? Did you and Starlight get into any shenanigans while I was out? Hopefully none that will result in more paperwork..”

Spike opened his mouth to respond but immediately shut it after remembering the argument he and Starlight had that morning…

She just didn’t get it. She had to think she knew best. He turned to her when he needed her most, and instead she just had to make a big deal about it when all he wanted to do was drop it. Why couldn’t she just not care like he did? Why couldn’t she just let it go? Why did she—

“No!” Spike shouted, immediately covering his mouth.

Twilight’s jaw held open for just a moment. “Um, Spike? Is everything alright?”

He took a few breaths before relaxing his body again. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I just... I didn’t have the best morning. That’s why you found me out here instead of at the castle. But yeah, it’s all good, and no, we haven’t caused any trouble for you. I promise.”

“Well, that’s always good to hear,” Twilight said, putting on her brightest smile in a genuine, but poorly executed attempt to lighten the mood. “And you know what else is good to hear? Something that will make your day way better?”

Spike levitated an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“Derpy’s coming over for dinner tonight! With all of us!” Twilight jumped in the air, wings poofing out with excitement.

Spike followed suit, his eyes wide open. “What? Derpy’s coming over? Tonight?”

Twilight rapidly bobbed her head. “Yep! Aren’t you excited!”

Spike couldn’t respond. This… This was not what he needed to happen. At least, not today. But how in Equestria can he possibly say that to Twilight and especially to Derpy?

Twilight continued. “You see, after the spa, I ran into her on her mail route. We talked for just a minute, she had some very nice things to say about you by the way, hehe, but then I realized that I really don’t spend enough time with her and invited her over! It’s gonna be great!”

On one claw, it made Spike happy that Twilight had gotten so much more relaxed in previous months and especially weeks. What made him even happier is how much effort Twilight had been putting in to making Derpy feel like part of their family. They had even hung out together, just the two of them.

She was really becoming part of their family.

But on the other claw, company of any kind wasn’t something he wanted right now. Especially not from somepony he loved as much as Derpy. And what with Starlight and that situation, he just knew for a fact something was going to go south.

And he really, really, really didn’t want Derpy to be there when it did.

But, of course, he didn’t quite have a choice at this point.

“Yeah, Twilight, definitely,” Spike said, forcing a smile. “It’s gonna be great. Just, you know, make sure to cook something light. I’m not feeling like eating too much, today.”

Twilight nodded. “No worries. I was just thinking I’d  buy some of those hoof-sized hay and cheese sandwich things. That way it’d feel more casual than anything.”

“That’ll work,” Spike stated.

“Excellent!” Twilight replied. “Now, I told her to be over around seven so make sure your washed up and—”

“Yes mom, thank you,” Spike said with a playful eye roll.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Twilight responded, her cheeks a light shade of red. “You can get ready on your own these days, I suppose.”

“If I couldn’t, I suppose I wouldn’t have figured out how to get a girlfriend in the first place, right?” Spike chuckled lightly. “But, yeah, I’ll be ready. No worries.”

“Perfect.” Twilight took a few steps away. “I guess I’ll leave you to it then. I still want to go visit Fluttershy before heading home. Apparently she has some new kind of bird seed that all her birds are in love with. I want to get a sample for Owlowiscious.”

“Tell her I said hi,” Spike said with a wave as Twilight trotted away. Once she was out of earshot, he let out an exasperated sigh and slumped back to the ground.

He had no idea how things were going to go down. But, honestly, he knew that the night probably wouldn’t end well. If nothing else though, he would at least have a few hours to himself to enjoy the beautiful day.

He took another deep breath, the scents and sounds of the temperate summer afternoon filling his senses. He only wished he had more time to enjoy weather like this.
> Not Now
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Twilight, thank you so much for inviting me over for dinner tonight.” Derpy smiled at the alicorn from across the table. “I really appreciate it.”

Twilight, in turn, smiled back. “Of course, Derpy! You’re always welcome here.”

Spike looked first at Derpy who was sitting immediately to his left and he gave her a quick smile. He then turned his attention across the table to Starlight who sitting by Twilight. She had barely bothered to look up from her plate the entire time.

It hurt Spike to see her that way, but maybe it was for the best. Celestia only knows what could come of it if some kind of argument or scene were to break out. Luckily, everything had been going extremely smooth so far during the night. Now if only he could make sure they stayed that way.

“Uh, Spike? Are you there?”

“Huh, what?” He returned his senses back to the real world and noticed Twilight and Derpy both looking at him. “Yeah, I’m here. What’s up?”

“I asked if you liked the dessert I made,” Twilight stated, pointing toward the bowl of various fruits and sugary… things in the bowl in front of him. “You’ve barely touched it.”

“Oh, sorry, Twi.” Spike immediately got a spoonful and put it in his mouth. His eyes widened immediately upon impact, the sweetness and overall tartness giving his taste buds a panic attack. “Woah!”

“What do you think?” Twilight asked expectantly. “I tried to make something that was equally sweet and healthy. Hence the fruits and snow peas I put in there.”

Spike looked back at the dish and then up at Twilight. “Actually, Twi, this tastes like something that shoved healthy food into lockers back in High School.” He noticed Twilight’s hopeful demeanor evolve into a frown. “But, I mean, that’s totally not a bad thing. A healthy dessert isn’t really a dessert, right? It’s totally top-tier, no worries.”

Twilight perked back up. “Thank you, Spike!”

Derpy nodded in agreement. “Yes, Twilight, it’s very good. I would love to let Dinky try this sometime, but she’d probably get a sugar rush and I don’t think the town could handle her with that much energy.”

Twilight snickered. “Yeah, I don’t think that’d be the best idea. What do you think of it Starlight?”

The unicorn in question kept her eyes down, spinning the food around in her bowl with a spoon. “It’s great, I’m sure.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay, Starlight? You don’t quite seem to be yourself. I hope the sandwiches didn’t make you sick.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just…” She paused for a moment, giving Spike one of the saddest frowns a pony could possibly wear. “It’s nothing, I promise.”

“Well, okay then,” Twilight said with a nod before turning to Spike. “You don’t really seem to be yourself either, Spike. Normally I’d have had to apologise on behalf of at least one of you, but now you’re both quiet as, well… me, usually.”

Spike shrugged but tried to play it cool. “No, don’t worry about it, Twi. I’m pretty sure I’m just coming down with one of those bugs that make you sleepy all the time. Give me another day or so, and everything will be right back to normal.”

“Pfft,” Starlight spoke up, just louder than a whisper. “I really don’t know how you can just say that, Spike.”

Spike’s eyes immediately shot to the unicorn who was still staring at the table. “Well, yeah, things will be normal. You get sick, you get better, life goes on.”

“Sure thing. Whatever you say.”

Derpy gently tapped a hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Um, Spike, are you alright?”

Spike snapped out of it again and turned to his marefriend. “Huh? Yeah, I’m alright. I promise. Like I said, I’ve just been tired a lot and stuff. But I’ll get over it pretty quick.”

“I hope so.” She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek followed by a bright smile. “I don’t like seeing you unhappy.”

Spike waved a claw. “Nah, of course I’m happy! I’ve got the most beautiful mare in the world with me. What isn’t there to be happy about? LIke I said, I’m just a bit tired. I’ll get over it.”

A loud thud was heard on the table courtesy of Starlight’s hoof. “You’ve had a long time for it to get better, Spike. You can’t just get over it!”

All three turned their attention back to Starlight who was now glaring at Spike. The dragon in particular was biting his lip, trying to think of something he could say to deescalate the situation from his end.

Luckily, Twilight took the baton from him first.

“Starlight… did Spike do something that you know about?” Twilight peered back and forth between the two of them. “Is it something that I need to know about?”

Starlight continued to glare at the dragon for another moment before once again dropping her line of vision back to the table. “It’s… it’s not really my place to talk about I guess.”

“Yeah, you see?” Spike exclaimed. “Absolutely nothing to worry about. We’re both just kinda tired and not feeling well, apparently.”

“You’re not wrong,” Twilight said. “Okay then. Sorry about all the craziness, Derpy. I didn’t mean to invite you over when everypony was cranky and sleep deprived.”

She shook her head. “It’s okay. I’ve been out with Spike when he’s tired and hungry. This is nothing compared to what I’ve seen before.”

“Hey,” Spike said, giving Derpy a light nudge. “It’s not being cranky. It’s just my natural dragon instincts taking over, periodically. I am a part of a highly aggressive, dangerous, and mysterious species, after all.”

Derpy giggled. “Mhmm, yes, sweetheart. You have some dessert on your face by the way.” She grabbed a napkin and wiped off the food remnants on his cheek. “There you go, I got it.”

Spike drummed his claws on the table. “Well, just when I thought my species was advancing, here I come just to send it back a few millennia.”

Twilight and Derpy both chuckled at his response, leaving Starlight as the sole quiet individual at the table, as if she was trying to make things awkward. If anything, she was trying everything she could to not make a sound. But, from Spike’s point of view, he could clearly see the tears rolling down her cheeks, and he realized exactly how hard she was trying to not make a scene.

He had to look away.

“So, Derpy,” Twilight began. “I’m not trying to be overly invasive or awkward, of course, but do you and Spike have any goals or anything you’ve set with each other? Like, for the future I mean.”

Derpy blushed heavily and ducked her head slightly. “Oh, well…”

“Yeah, I appreciate the effort Twi but that was kind of awkward no matter how you say it.” Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “As far as the future goes… I guess only time will tell. I just hope it’s really happy and stuff.”

Derpy perked up a bit and smiled. “Me too. Oh, speaking of which…”

“Yeah?” Spike asked.

Derpy rotated on her seat to face Spike directly. “So, next week, Dinky is working with a couple of other fillies and colts in town on a play. They’re hosting it at Miss Cheerilee’s school on Wednesday. I was wondering if you’d like to go see it, too?”

Spike began nodding rapidly before forcing himself to a halt. Wednesday… that was one day after… Forget it, there wouldn’t be any problems with his appointment Tuesday. Nopony needed to worry about anything.

“Yeah, of course I’ll be there. No worries.”

“Aww, that sounds adorable,” Twilight said. “If I can, would I be able to join you guys?”

Derpy bobbed her head. “Of course! The more the—”

“I can’t do this anymore!”

All three turned toward Starlight who was now sitting upright, tears openly streaming down her beet red face.

Twilight shot out of her chair. “Starlight?! What’s wrong. What’s going on? What’s ha—”

“You have to tell them!” She shouted, pointing a hoof toward Spike. “Tell them right now or I will!”

It was Spike’s turn to get out of his chair. “Starlight! You promised! This isn’t a big deal. They don’t need to know anything.”

Twilight cautiously turned toward the dragon. “Spike? What’s going on?”

Derpy stood up as well, gently leaning against her dragon. “I’m… I’m afraid. What is she talking about?”

Starlight choked out a few sobs before gaining the ability to speak again. “Please… Please Spike. We love you. They deserve to know.”

Spike took a step back away from the three mares. His eyes darted between them, one at a time. Starlight was the only one crying, but all three had looks of concern plastered on their faces.

He really didn't have a choice anymore.

“Fine.. Fine! I’ll tell you!” He took a few deep breaths as a few unwitting tears began to fall down his cheeks.  “So, yeah, considering you all asked, I’ll tell you the truth. My visit to the doctor’s wasn’t good! It wasn’t good at all…”







Yesterday....

“Okay, no more jokes. Let me just sign those release forms so I can see my marefriend.”

Dr. Shavargo slowly approached him. “Spike, I’m afraid it won’t be as simple as that.”

The dragon rolled his eyes. “It never really is, is it? More tests?”

“No, no more tests,” the pony doctor spoke up. “We’ve reviewed what Dr. Shavargo found and there is something we need to speak to you about immediately.”

Spike bounced his eyes between the three of them, looking for some form of sarcasm or playfulness on their faces… but only seriousness could be found. Even Nurse Redheart, who was always good for a joke or two was straight-faced as they spoke. 

“Is something wrong?” Spike asked.

Dr. Shavargo spoke up again. “Spike, I am not going to waste your time by beating around the bush. You have a serious draconic ailment that needs attention immediately. Do you understand this?”

Spike simply stared at her, all of his nerves standing on end. He couldn’t even feel his heart beating or lungs taking in breath.

“I… I’m sick?”

Nurse Redheart nodded. “Yes, Spike. Very much so, I’m afraid.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Spike retorted, waving both of his claws. “You mean like I have a flu or something right? I take some medicine, drink some fluids lay in bed all day and I’m good right?”

Dr. Shavargo shook her head. “No, Spike. It’s a much bigger issue than that.”

“You see, Spike,” the pony doctor spoke up. “After reviewing your medical records, it came to our attention that you’ve been dealing chest and muscle pains for a long time, correct?”

“Yeah,” Spike replied. “But I was always told they were probably just part of growing as a dragon and they’d go away. I’ve been waiting for them to just go away this entire time!”

“Well, that’s the thing,” the doctor said. “It was until Dr. Shavargo got to look at your records and compare the blood samples and other tests she did that we found out what the problem is.”

“And what’s that?” Spike asked. “What’s the problem?!”

Dr. Shavargo began. “There is a rare draconic ailment that inflicts younger dragons occasionally. We call it Draconian Aortic Syndrome. You are in a very advanced stage of it, I’m afraid.”

Spike shrugged. “I don’t even know what that is? What does it mean?”

She continued. “It’s a defect that causes issues in draconic growth, primarily of the connective tissues in your body. Hence why you get pains in your joints and muscles when exerting yourself.”

“So…” Spike looked at all three of them. “I’m gonna have to live with being sore the rest of my life? That kinda sucks, but I can deal.”

“No, there’s more to it than that,” she replied. “Eventually, the connective tissues break down so severely that you will suffer what’s called Aortic Dissection. The tissue of your main blood vessel attached to your heart will weaken, tear, and will almost certainly lead to death.”

If Spike didn’t feel like he had a bag of bricks weighing on his chest before, he sure as heck did now. “So… you’re saying I’m going to… die?”

Nurse Redheart looked at him. “That is what the disease causes, yes. And if we don’t act soon, you’ll be in serious trouble, Spike.”

Spike shook his head. “No way… I don’t believe you guys. This is a joke right? Ha ha, you got me! You got me good! Just a little revenge for all the trouble I caused in the hospital the past few years, right? Redheart? Please tell me I’m right?”

Silence.

“No! There’s just no way!” Spike slammed a claw on the bed. “How could I have gone this many years in Ponyville, going to the doctor’s every year, and never having an idea that something this serious could be going on?”

The pony doctor shook his head. “Spike. We’re extremely sorry. None of us were ever knowledgeable enough with dragon biology to make a diagnosis like that. It wasn’t until recently anyhow that relations with the dragons were good enough to get a specialist over here to study you formally.”

“I can’t believe this…” Spike shook his head. Deep down, he knew they were right. Ponies just weren’t trained to deal with dragon health. If anything, he should’ve been the one to take the reigns and go to the dragonlands to see a specialist.

“Look,” Spike said, trying to maintain  a sense of calm. “You mentioned something about ‘acting now’. What are my options?”

Dr. Shavargo was the first to speak. “I am trained to perform a surgery that can help you. It will basically strengthen and repair any damage to your aorta that’s already been done. It won’t prevent the pain or danger from resurfacing, but it would take you out of danger at the moment.”

Spike nodded. “Okay, that sounds good. Let’s just do that then. Can we just do it today while you’re here?”

“Hold on a second, Spike,” Redheart said. “There is a drawback you need to be aware of.”

“Which is?”

“The surgery is not a guaranteed success,” Dr. Sharvargo stated. “It is very risky. Blood loss will occur during the operation and death isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Also, if the healing does not proceed as planned afterwards, a massive dissection could occur, as well.”

Spike looked at her directly. “So, you’re saying the surgery itself…”

“Could kill you. Yes, that is correct.”

He looked between the three of them. “So… what if I skip the surgery option and just take my chances on my own? What are my odds then?”

“A year at most,” Redheart said aloud. “Maybe two if you’re extremely lucky.”

Spike took a deep breath. “So, either I take my chances with a surgery that could save me but also kill me, or I blow it off and live another year or so. Right?”

Dr. Shavargo nodded. “Yes. Those are the two options.”

Spike shook his head. “Please tell me there are more options than just those two.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Spike. Those are the only two.”

He released a deep sigh. “And, just for point of reference, what are the odds of dying during the surgery?”

“I’ve performed this on nine dragons in my eighty years as a doctor. Three of them died from it.”

Spike gripped the mattress he was sitting on. “Heh… so a thirty percent chance of dying in the next week or a one-hundred percent chance of dying in the next year. Gotta love the sounds of that.”

“Spike…” Nurse Redheart said, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “I know this isn’t easy to hear. Please, do what you think is best, but I urge you to take the surgery. Dr. Shavargo is a great doctor and frankly… Equestria isn’t ready for you to go yet.”

He slowly nodded. “Yeah… I don’t think I’m ready to leave yet, either. Can I have just an hour or so to think about it before letting you know what I want? Please?”

“Of course,” the pony doctor replied. “Dr. Shavargo would have to return to the dragon lands to collect some supplies in the event of you choosing the surgery option, so we would not be able to operate today. However, we will return in an hour and whatever you choose we will assist you the best way we can.”

Spike nodded and watched the three of them leave the room. As soon as he was alone, he flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

He had a lot of thinking to do and not a whole lot of time to do it.








All three mares were staring at him.

“So, yeah, that’s it guys,” Spike said, averting his gaze to anywhere but the ponies in front of him. “I’m dying. I’m dying and the operation is on Tuesday. I’m living the life, huh?”

“No…” Derpy’s voice was quivering as she attempted to speak. “No, no, no…”

“What’d I tell you?” Spike said, shrugging his shoulders. “Nopony wanted to hear about this whole dumb situation anyway! It’s stupid. It’s really freakingstupid!” He used his free claw to grab the chair he was seated at and tossed it a few feet away. “One day you think ‘Oh, everything is great!’ And then BAM! Life smacks you upside the face. Maybe I'm the stupid one here for thinking things could just be easy and happy like they’ve been. Yeah… that’s probably it.”

“No… No…” Twilight darted her eyes around the room in a panic. “Oh.. M-Maybe Celestia will know what to do! She always knows what to do! I-I’ll go get the inkwell and ask her!”

She immediately began sobbing, and attempted to run up the stairs, only to be stopped by Starlight who pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Shh, shh, shh…” Starlight said, holding onto Twilight while attempting to reign in her own tears.

“This can’t be—no, this isn’t happening!”  Twilight’s body melted, only being held up by Starlight as she began wailing into her shoulder.

Spike had to look away as his heart was breaking by the second. His gaze drifted to Derpy, who was still standing in front of him. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, unmoving.

“S-Spike?” she asked.

He couldn’t look at her. “Yeah, Derpy?”

“Please tell me you’re lying?” Derpy asked, her voice wavering. “Please? Lie to me… just this once?”

Spike grimaced. “I told you I’d always tell you the truth. But… everything will be alright. You trust me, right?”

She shook her head. “No…”

And then the floodgates opened for her as she darted into him, burying her muzzle into his chest and pulling him towards her with her wings. All Spike could do was wrap his arms around her and hold her close.

“I love you, Spike…”

He gently rested his chin on her head and stroked a claw through her mane. “I love you, too.”




> All That We Are
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This sucks.”

Spike laid on his bed, his eyes fixated on the ceiling. This seemed to be a common occurrence over the past few days . Him all alone with his thoughts, struggling to try to make the best out of things, but somehow making them worse than ever in the process.

Why’d it have to turn out this way? He had such promise. He was intelligent, charismatic, and not bad looking for a dragon. Creatures with those attributes were supposedly destined for success, not destined to perish in a hospital bed at a young age.

And he didn’t even want to imagine how Twilight must be feeling about all this. The pony that was honestly closer to him than any other in the world. The breakdown of sanity that was last night’s dinner was a full night’s sleep away, but he doubted the time lapse did anything to make it easier on her. She deserved so much better than this heartache.

And then, of course, Derpy was completely broken down. He had no idea how he could even look at her until all this was over. There’s something terrible about looking at the pony you love and having to tell them things aren’t alright. It was his job to make sure things were always alright. He was supposed to be the confident one. The one that made things better. The one that prevented them from being bad in the first place. The one who could know that things were bad but tough it out so she didn’t have to know they were bad.

Frankly, he had failed on all accounts. Things weren’t alright and he couldn’t do a single thing to help it. He couldn’t change his fate or protect Derpy from being sad. No. All he could do was try and protect her, but he failed at that as well.

Lucky for him, Rarity and pretty much every other pony in town was still clueless as to the whole shindig. The less Rarity knew, the better, of course. He loved her to death and vice versa, but with her dramatic flair, well… She didn’t need a distraction like that to keep her from her work. Assuming everything goes according to plan, she’d never need to know.

And last but not least, there was Starl—

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Spike shot up and looked toward the door. “Who is it?”

“Who do you think?”

He rolled his eyes. “C’mon in Starlight. It’s not locked.”

The door slid open and was quickly shut as she came in. She did her best to put on a cheerful face for the dragon, but the bags under her eyes and frazzled mane spoke volumes about how she was actually feeling. She trotted over and climbed onto the bed with Spike, perched at the foot of the mattress.

Spike let out a sigh. “So, you’ve come to visit the invalid, singing the anthem of his dying day, no doubt? Oh, how the mighty mock the weak.”

“Not quite,” Starlight replied. “I just came to check up on you. I know things didn’t really go over so well last night. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”

“I guess so,” the dragon said with a shrug. “I mean, I’m doing about as well as any dragon could given the current state of affairs.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she stated. “I’m honestly not sure how you’re managing to remain so calm about it.”

“Eh,” Spike said. “When you’ve lived with Twilight for as long as I have, you’ve seen your fair share of near death encounters. As far as I’m concerned, this is the same as any other villain we’ve fought. Just, this time, I’m fighting it one on one.” Spike let out a brief chuckle. “But hey, we managed to beat all the other bad guys we’ve gone up against. I don’t see why this should be any different.”

“Very true,” Starlight replied. “You even managed to beat me when I went full psychopath on you guys. That’s a feat in of itself.”

“Eeyup,” Spike said with pride.

“And not to mention the time you saved the Crystal Empire,” she continued. “They don’t have a statue of you down there just because of your good looks.”

“You’re dang right.”

“But most importantly, let’s not forget the time you took down that double-decker challenge from Curly’s.”

Spike licked his lips. “Three hayburgers, a pound of fries, an order of onion rings, two milkshakes, a gallon of root beer, and thirty minutes to finish it all. Oh, it tried to get the best of me, but it failed.”

“Truly a momentous task, but you beat it,” she said. “And if you can do that, I’m pretty sure a little heart trouble isn’t going to be too tough.”

“I hope you’re right,” Spike said. “You know, I can’t help but assume that the double-decker challenge in some way contributed to my health issues.”

Starlight let out a hearty laugh. “I’m pretty sure it didn’t help. Actually, I’m surprised you didn’t keel over right then and there.”

“Heh, at least if I died there I could have died with honor on the battlefield. That’d be much more preferable than in a hospital bed. Who needs that noise?”

“Agreed.”

The two shared a laugh together, the first honest laugh they’ve had in a good while. Spike needed that. He needed it more than anything.

“So,” Spike spoke up after the laughter died down. “Nice to know you’ve gotten over the trauma of everything that went down.”

She nodded. “Nah, I’m just really good at hiding my emotions.”

“With a soul as dark and bottomless as yours, I’m sure you have plenty of hiding spaces.”

“That’s fair.”

Spike sighed. “I know it’s probably a stupid question, but how’s Twilight doing? Has she left her room yet?”

Starlight shook her head. “Nope. I was able to talk to her for a second. Apparently she had a message sent to Celestia that she needs to take a break from her Princess duties for the time being. So, yeah, don’t expect her to come out any time soon.”

Spike let out a soft groan. “Great. I catapulted my closest friend into a never ending abyss of depression right when she was starting to break out of her shell. How am I gonna live with myself?”

“Look on the bright side,” Starlight said. “According to the doctor, there’s a thirty percent chance you won’t even have to worry about living with yourself after the surgery.”

Spike deadpanned.

“Too soon?”

“Just a bit, yeah.”

“Okay, let me rephrase that,” she said. “Things will turn out okay. Twilight is just in a bit of a shock right now. I don’t even have to tell you how much she loves you. Living with you for all these years must have had some kind of an effect on her, I guess.”

“Who would’ve thought?”

“I know right?” Starlight’s lips curled slightly into a weak smile. “So, just give it some time, okay? Once the surgery is done and everything is back to normal, it’ll be smooth sailing from then on out.”

“I’m keeping my claws crossed,” he replied. “Starlight?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I tell you something? Something like… super personal that you can’t tell anypony ever?”

“Oh gosh. Please don’t tell me you got Derpy pregnant. That kind of drama is not something we need right now.”

“No, no, no,” Spike said, waving his claws. “Trust me, if she was pregnant, there’d be a whole ‘nother level of panic going on and the disease would be the last of my worries.”

“I can imagine. So, what do you wanna tell me then?”

He looked over to her, about to open his mouth before turning away rapidly. He could feel his palms getting shaky as he tried to form the words he wanted to say.

He never wanted to admit weakness, but admittedly, he was defeated right now. Every other obstacle he’d faced in life, he had some measure of control over. There was always something, some kind of action he could take to overcome it. But this… there was nothing he could do. He was helpless. And even though he obviously had friends ready to help him, friends who had his back, this was a battle he was having to fight on his own.

And that absolutely terrified him.

Spike steeled himself, closed his eyes and took the plunge. “I’m... afraid.”

Spike kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see her reaction. There’s a good chance she’d be loading up a sarcastic comment or two, or she might not even have been paying attention, but—

Spike’s thoughts were cut off as he felt himself pulled into a soft embrace. He opened his eyes to see Starlight right in front of him, her hooves wrapping him up in a tight hug.

Spike smiled and followed suit, wrapping his arms around her as well, burrowing his head into her shoulder for a moment.

“You’re not alone, Spike,” Starlight said through a pained gasp. “I’m afraid too.”

After a few more seconds they finally separated. As opposed to returning to her spot at the end of the bed however, she stayed within a hoof’s distance.

“So,” Spike said. “I guess we can both be losers together, huh?”

She snickered and nodded. “Yeah. That’s what friends are for, right? We stick together through the good stuff, the bad stuff, and the stupid stuff.”

“This definitely falls into the last category.”

“Definitely.”

Spike let out a sigh and pulled the covers off himself for the first time that day. He crawled out of his spot and sat next to Starlight.

“So, I have to admit, you made me feel somewhat better about myself.” Spike lightly elbowed her. “As per the usual, don’t tell anypony I said that. If word got out that I needed some kind of anti-depression support group to deal with my problems, I’d never hear the end of it.”

“No worries, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

“Excellent.” Spike dropped his eyes to the floor. “Now that all that lame, mushy stuff is over, I guess that leaves just one more issue that I’ll need to take care of.”

“What’s that?”

“Derpy.”

“Ooh, yeah, that’s definitely a thing.”

“Eeyup,” he replied. “And I have no idea what to do about it. You saw how she looked at me when she found out. How am I even supposed to talk to her about it? What would I even say? What should I do?”

Starlight rubbed her chin. “Here’s an idea, genius. You could try, you know, talking with her and having a mature conversation about everything.”

Spike waved both of his claws at her. “Nah, that’s crazy talk.”

“Well, what did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of ignoring it and hope the problem goes away.”

Starlight facehooved with extreme force. “No! That’s is not an appropriate course of action. I don’t mean to kick you while you’re down, Spike, but you can’t keep running away from your problems! I mean, this whole mess got started with finding out you were sick and trying to pretend nothing was wrong anyway, so why would you want to continue pretending that everything is hunky-dory, and let everything blow over when you, actually, want to do something about it! The Spike I know wouldn’t want to live a lie!” She stood up in front of Spike, her legs shaking as she spoke, “And I swear on Celestia’s subscription to Fancy Cake Monthly, if you just leave Derpy behind because you’re too afraid to have an adult conversation with her… not only will I lose a lot of respect for you, but I will personally see to it that your entire stash of rare comic books gets repurposed into coasters at the Canterlot Bar and Grill!”

Spike blinked a few times at the unicorn who was now gasping for air. “Woah. That was intense.”

“S-Sorry,” she replied. “Just, trust me on this one. I can’t tell you what to do, but you need to talk to her about this. You can’t just leave her hanging. You love her, right?”

“More than anything,” Spike replied.

“Mhm,” Starlight said. “And considering everything I’ve seen between you two, I can guarantee she loves you just as much. And if you think you’re scared about all this, imagine how she feels.”

Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh, I think I see your point, Starlight.”

“Remember when I told you that you were stuck with her, for better or worse?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well, this is part of what that entails. When things are tough, you’ve got to work together to make them better. Now, go make them better!”

With a forceful nudge, Starlight pushed Spike off the bed and onto the floor… to which he collapsed on immediately.

“Ugh.” He slowly pushed himself back onto his feet. “A little warning there would’ve been nice. I am sick and dying, you know.”

“Psh, save the pity party for somepony who cares.” Starlight chuckled and used her magic to open the door. “Now, go find her, talk to her, and get all that romatic-y, fluffy stuff out of the way. Your surgery is in just a couple days, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then time isn’t really something you have a whole lot of.”

Spike looked at the open doorway. He knew she was right and he knew he had to go find her. It would be difficult. It would be awkward. But he had a duty to her, and it was time to have a mature, adult conversation.

...As uncomfortable as those words made him feel.

He took a few steps to the door before turning around. “Thanks, Starlight. I owe you one.”

She winked at him. “I’ll make sure to cash in on the favor once this whole sickness thing is over with.”

He gave her a thumbs up and walked out the door. He was on a mission to find his girlfriend.
> True Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the first time since he started this relationship with Derpy, Spike desperately wished everything could be just like a romance novel. If that were the case, he wouldn’t be searching all over town for Derpy.

He had already checked all the usual suspects where a heartbroken pony might be. The park where they bonded for the first time. The empty grass patch where he gave her the flower. The restaurant where they had their first actual date. She was in none of those places!

Spike was now in town square, looking around at the few ponies that were still about returning to their homes. It was late evening at this point so the streets weren’t exactly populated. And, of course, the blonde pegasus was nowhere to be found.

He took one last glance around the quickly emptying street. The whole situation seemed to fit right in with the recent chain of events he’d been going through.

However, on the other end of the street, he did notice one pony that still in the process of packing up her cart for the day. Maybe she could help? It was worth a shot if nothing else.

“Hey, Roseluck!” Spike shouted out, walking toward the flower pony.

She in turn responded with a weak, tired smile. “Oh, hello Spike. What’s up?”

“I know you’re trying to get home and everything, but real quick, have you seen Derpy around recently? I kinda messed something up and I really need to talk to her.”

Roseluck took a moment to examine him and chuckled. “Well, with a look like that on your face, it must be a matter of life and death, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Spike said,  averting his eyes for a moment. “But, I can’t seem to find her anywhere.”

Roseluck shrugged. “I haven’t seen her since she dropped my mail off this morning. Where have you looked?”

Spike scratched his head. “Well, the park, our favorite restaurant, our dating spots— You know, all the emotional, romantic places I figured she’d be at.”

Roseluck tapped a hoof on the ground and raised an eyebrow. “Not to insult your intelligence or anything, but have you tried checking her house?”

It was at that moment he realized exactly how low he was on the evolutionary chain.

“Um… no, I totally didn’t think of that.” Spike blushed. “But I suppose that’d be a good place to start, huh?”

“It just might be,” she said with a grin.

The dragon was about to run away to find Derpy immediately but halted himself in his tracks. “Hey, uh, I don’t suppose you have any flowers left, do you?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Sold out. You’re on your own this time, unfortunately.”

“Figures,” Spike said with a shake of his head. “I guess I’ll just have to make things up to her with my social awkwardness and poorly timed jokes. That’s a recipe for success, right?”

She shrugged. “You’ll never know unless you try.”

“Good point. Thanks again. Roseluck!”

Spike immediately dashed off to Derpy’s residence as fast as his feet could carry him, cursing himself under his breath the entire time. Leave it to him to overthink and romanticize even the simplest details of his life. It was almost poetic irony that he was the one on the relationship who seemed to have blonde moments all the time. Well, if nothing else, he was using up his stupid quota for the day. If that was the case, he should have no problem with this conversation with Derpy. Or so he hoped.

After a minute or so of running and promptly heaving to catch his breath, he finally arrived at her home. He rapped on the door a few times, twiddling his thumbs as he waited for some response from the other side. Luckily, he was rewarded in haste as he heard the sounds of hooves shuffling around inside.

And then the door opened.

“Huuuh, Spike!”

He had not time to react as he was suddenly under siege from a blonde filly.

“Hey, Dinky!” Spike said.

Dinky for her part had firmly latched onto his leg, giving him the tightest hug she could muster. “Spike! I missed you so much! It’s been at least…” She bit her lip attempting to count as high as she could. “...forever since I got to see you last.”

She looked straight up at him with the widest eyes he’d ever seen.

“Well, hey, I’m here to see you guys, now, right?” Spike smiled and picked her up, holding her in his arms. Dinky immediately took the opportunity to nuzzle his cheek as he carried her inside. Upon entering, Spike set Dinky down onto the floor.

“Wait right here for justa teensy bit,” she said. “Ima go get my sister. She’s been all sad and stuff today. She’ll be way happier with you here!”

With that, Dinky raced down the hall, back to Derpy’s room more than likely. Meanwhile, Spike steeled himself for anything. If only Dinky knew that he was actually the reason she was so sad.

It was only a few seconds later, however, when Dinky poked out of the hallway again, dragging her sister with her by the hoof.

“C’mon, Derpy!” she squeaked. “He’s gonna leave if you don’t hurry and I don’t want him to leave!”

With a few more seconds of hard work from Dinky, Derpy finally made her first appearance from the depths of the darkened hallway. She looked up at Spike and it suddenly became apparent just how she was feeling about this whole situation.

She had deep, darkened bags hanging under her eyes. Her normally brushed and parted mane was in complete disarray. Her beautiful, golden eyes were practically bloodshot and swollen up.

This was, by far, the most guilt Spike had ever felt about anything.

“Oh, hey, Derpy,” he said with a weak smile. “How’re you doing?”

Spike mentally facepalmed. But, of course, being completely oblivious to the obvious had been a running theme so far, so it probably hadn’t run its course yet.

She tilted her head down, doing her best to hide her appearance behind her frazzled mane. “I’ve… been better.”

“I know the feel,” Spike replied. “I’m sorry I kind of came over without warning. I just really... really wanted to see you.”

Derpy perked up just a bit, looking at him directly for a moment. “It’s okay, Spike. I’m glad. I’ve been wanting to see you, too.”

“Me too!”

Both of them turned their heads to the filly standing between them. She was wagging her tail in excitement as she bounced her eyes back and forth between the two. Both adults couldn’t help but release a few chuckles at the sight of her. Nothing like adorable fillies to take the edge off of a situation.

“So,” Spike continued, “I don’t suppose there’s any chance you have some time to talk today, do you?”

Derpy slowly nodded. “Y-Yeah. Let’s talk.”

Spike knelt down and looked at Dinky. “So, me and your sister need to have a grown up conversation, okay? So, I need you to do me a big favor. Can you do me a favor?”

Dinky tilted her head to the side. “What kind of favor?”

“Well, I’m gonna talk to your sister outside, so I need you to be the boss of the house for a bit. You think you can handle that?”

“Hmmm,” Dinky thought for a moment before bobbing her head in a brisk nod. “Yeah, I can do it! I’ll make sure everything stays safe while you’re both gone.”

“‘Atta girl,” Spike said, giving her a quick hoof bump.

He rose back up to his feet and looked at his marefriend. “So, can we talk out front? I wouldn't mind getting some fresh air for a bit.”

Derpy glanced at her sister briefly before turning back to Spike. “Sure, that’s probably a good idea.”

Spike opened up the door, letting Derpy out first, while he followed right behind her, making sure to shut the door behind him. Spike was the first to make a move, sitting cross-legged on the soft grass in front of the home. Derpy sat down as well, a few inches from him.

For the first few moments, nothing was said. But, the awkward silence spoke volumes. They knew what was going on. They knew what they needed to talk about. But neither of them wanted to bring it up. But then again, why would anypony want to bring it up?

“It’s a really beautiful evening, huh?” Spike asked, looking towards the setting sun. “I’m glad it’s not too hot today. It’s warm enough having ignitable fluids running through my body as it is. You know, dragon problems and stuff.”

Derpy smiled. “Yeah. It’s really pretty.”

They looked at the sky together for a moment. The sun’s descent left behind a gorgeous trail of pink and orange streaks across the clouds. A light wind blew through the air, provide a calm coolness to the atmosphere.

Spike was about to try his claw at another ill-fated joke, but was silenced as Derpy spoke up again.

“Before I met you, I never really took the time to enjoy things like this.” She pointed a hoof at the sky. “The clouds, the sun, the wind…. I was always just so busy trying to make things work with Dinky or my family or myself, even. I never really…” She turned to Spike. “I never really got to see how beautiful the world was.”

Spike turned his eyes toward her. “I know what you mean. Well, about the world being a beautiful place and stuff.” He reached out a claw to which Derpy gratefully put a hoof onto. “My whole life, I’ve always been so preoccupied with trying to find my place with the other ponies. Trying to figure out what my purpose was. Trying to make sense of a world that, frankly, didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I mean, I’m a dragon, trying to live and grow up with ponies. I just, I always had such a hard time trying to figure things out.”

Derpy nodded and scooched a bit closer to him. She gently leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder.

Spike continued. “Like you said, I never took the time to see how good things were. See how awesome life could be. But with you… I think I finally figured out where I belong. And I guess I really hope you feel the same way.”

He didn’t bother looking, but he could her head nod as her soft fur brushed against him.

“Spike?”

“Yeah?” he responded.

“I, uhm…” She sniffled, trying to hold back a few tears. “I don’t want the world to turn ugly again. I want you to be here with me. You make the world so much prettier.”

Spike could feel his lip start to quiver and his throat get sore as he tried to hold back what would inevitably be an endless amount of sobs. For the sake of whatever self-confidence he had left after the nonsense known as the last few days, he did not want those tears to fall. Because at this point, they wouldn’t just fall, they’d crash around him. He was fortunately able to keep it under control, however, and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him.

“Hey, Derpy, you don’t need me to see how awesome the world can be,” he said, gently stroking her fur. “It’s always been a beautiful place. We just helped each other to see it.”

He could feel her start to shiver within his embrace, so he decided to play it real smooth, and switch positions with his mare to where he was sitting behind her, one leg on either side. He wrapped both of his arms around her and held her close to his chest while resting his head on her shoulder.

“But…” She said weakly, eyes closed. “Then why does everything feel so cold when you’re gone?”

Spike smiled. “Probably because we’re meant to be together or some romantic jazz like that. But, as long as I have anything to say about it…” He used his claw to tilt her head to the side and looked into her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He pursed his lips together and pulled her into a deep kiss. For a moment, it was purely one-sided. He could even feel a few stray tears drip from her eyes and run onto his face. But quickly afterward, she turned her body around enough to wrap both of her forelegs around him and pulled herself farther into the kiss.

There was an old trope about kisses lasting only a few seconds but feeling like hours. It never made any sense to Spike. But now… it kind of did. As they held each other in that moment, time meant absolutely nothing. All that mattered was the fact they were together, holding each other, taking in the warm, inviting scent and taste they’ve grown accustomed to. Most importantly though, they were letting themselves be engulfed in the love they had for each other.

And if it was up to him, he wouldn’t just let it last for hours, He’d have it last a lifetime.

As they finally separated, Derpy looked up at him, trying to catch her breath. “I-I… I love you, Spike.”

Spike continued to look into her eyes. “I love you, too. More than anything.”

She grabbed onto one of his claws and held it close to her chest. “Spike… Please don’t leave me. I want you to be with me. I want you to keep helping me see how beautiful the world is… forever.”

Spike used his free claw to hold onto her other hoof. “Derpy, I promise, I’ll always be there for you. No matter what happens… You’ll never have to say goodbye. You trust me, right?”

She darted her eyes down, looking at the claws that held her so tightly. The arms that she wanted to be held by for the rest of her life. And eventually, her eyes travelled to the warm, welcoming face that she knew in her heart belonged to the her one and only love.

“I trust you.”
> We Don't Need to Whisper
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next few days went by in a blur for Spike. He didn’t see much of anypony as he patiently awaited Tuesday. Honestly, he didn’t really want to see anypony. After all, he didn’t really know if he was going to make it past Tuesday at all and spending some time to himself seemed to be the most calming thing for him.

Thankfully, the news about his surgery didn’t manage to leak out anywhere. Derpy, Starlight, Twilight… they all managed to keep their mouths shut about it. Even Rarity, one of his most loved friends, remained in the dark.

And that’s just how he wanted it.

Spike didn’t want the cascades of visitors, pity parties, and greeting cards. That was way too melodramatic for him. Besides, if he came out the other side alright and realized how good and kind everypony was, how was he supposed to tease and mock them with Starlight like the olden times? That simply wasn’t an option.

No, he just wanted everything to blow over until it was all said and done. Heck, even if he died he didn’t want ponies to make a big deal about it. Funeral service? Forget about it. He’d rather just be dumped in the Everfree Forest somewhere and let everypony live on with their normal lives as if nothing happened. That was the real way to go out. Let your body give back to nature when you’re done.  He told that to Starlight and she admitted it probably be the most use to the world he’s been able to provide.

He was going to miss her sarcastic comments. He was also going to miss Twilight’s borderline psychotic episodes over every little detail out of place in her life. And Derpy? He really didn’t even want to the think about it.

No, now was not the time for depressing thoughts. Now was the time to face his fate and danger like a dragon. Because that’s what he was. A dragon. He was an adult. And now, more than ever, it was time to prove it.

“No, no, no. Forget the flowers. I want the band aids with the little dinosaurs on them afterwards.” Spike smiled at Nurse Redheart as she attempted to stifle a chuckle beneath her hoof.

“Of course, Spike, we’ll have them ready to go for you.”

Spike had been laying in the hospital bed for almost an hour now waiting for the doctors to come in and get the ball moving on everything. If they were going to possibly kill him, the least they could do is be punctual about it. This was an enlightened society, after all.

He examined the room around him again, still feeling just as awkward and uncomfortable as he did when he first got wheeled into it. Not only was there a random machine in the corner, but also not just one, but two sinks this time. That’s when you know you’re high priority. But, of course, hanging on the back of the door was the usual diagram of the mare’s reproductive system.

Some things never changed.

“So,” Spike spoke up. “Do you know how long this is gonna take? The surgery, I mean. Are we talking like... an hour, in and out, or are we looking at more of an all-day thing? Because frankly, I’d appreciate it if this shindig didn’t end up being my whole day.”

Nurse Redheart rolled her eyes. “I suggest you get comfortable, Spike. The surgery itself is scheduled for two hours and then you’ll have to stay in the hospital  for at least an extra night, afterwards so we can make sure everything is going according to plan.”

“Aww, that sucks,” Spike said, crossing his arms. “You know, I scheduled this surgery at eleven in the morning for the sole purpose of getting to hit up my favorite burger joint afterwards. But now, it’s kinda like I ditched the opportunity to sleep in for nothing. And that is a fate worse than death.”

Redheart laughed and shook her head. “You’ll just have to be patient, Spike. It’ll all be over soon enough and with any luck, you’ll be back to your normal, obnoxious self in no time.”

“We can only hope,” Spike replied.

Nurse Redheart bounced around the room for the next few minutes, getting things in place for the operation. An array of frankly ungodly tools and instruments were laid out on the nearby counter, their dastardly purpose having no place in polite society as far as Spike was concerned.

After a bit more preparation, the nurse finally seemed to be finished with her tasks and she turned to Spike.

“You know, I’m actually quite impressed with how well you’re holding up, Spike.”

The dragon blushed slightly. “Yeah?”

“Mhm,” she said with a quick nod. “I’ve had stallions come in here with papercuts acting like it’s the end of the world. It really is quite amazing.”

Spike waved a claw. “Nah, it’s not all that you make it out to be. You’d be surprised how easy it is to accept your inevitable doom when your self-esteem is so low it’s immune to the planet’s gravitational pull.”

Redheart blinked a few times. “Well, that was certainly a feel-good story for the whole family.”

Spike shrugged. “Eh, I find self-deprecation to be my strong suit in times of distress. Gotta cope somehow, right?”

“Fair enough,” she replied. “Now, the Dr. Shavargo is going to be running late back from the dragon lands. The traffic at the border was apparently pretty backed up today.”

Spike shook his head and groaned. “Oh, great, another delay. How long must I wait?”

“About another two hours, give or take. But, as soon as she arrives, she’ll begin. I promise.”

Spike nodded and nestled into his pillow. “Well, it looks like I don’t have much of a choice to believe you then, do I?”

“I’m a straight shooter if nothing else,” she stated. “Now, in the meantime, why don’t you get some rest and—“

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Oh, great,” Spike said. “I can’t help but feel like this is just going to be more bad news.”

The door slowly creaked open, revealing another nurse. She took a few steps inside and closed the door behind her.

“Hello, Spike. How’re you feeling?”

He shrugged. “I’ve had better days, nurse. I’ve had better days.”

“I understand,” she replied. “Well, something that might make your day just a bit better. A few ponies are here to visit you, if that’s alright?”

‘Oh no.’

It wasn’t necessarily that Spike didn’t want anypony to visit or talk to him. It was more or less that the current circumstance he found himself in was not the best for having an enlightened conversation. That… and the fact that he really didn’t want anypony to see him like this. It wasn’t really his finest moment. And judging by the fact she said he had a ‘few’ visitors, there was no telling what was about to happen.

Spike released a sigh. “Okay, send ‘em in.”

“Well,” the nurse continued, “it’s hospital policy to only let one in at a time. So, I’ll go ahead and let them know you gave us the okay, and I’ll send one back for you, okay?”

He gave her a thumbs up and she left the room.

He really had no idea who it could be. Nopony really knew he was here except for Starlight, Derpy and Twilight. And he’d already talked to them about in-depth about everything. Well, he talked to all of them except—“

“Spike?”

The door slowly opened, revealing a purple alicorn that had obviously been having a bad week. Her wings were bent out of shape, her fur was matted and her eyes were puffed out to the point it looked like she got beat up.

But she was here… to see him… even though they’d been avoiding each other for days at this point.

“Hi, Twilight,” Spike said, looking at her slowly enter the room. “It’s, uh, it’s good to see you.”

After Twilight took few more steps in, Nurse Redheart inched toward the door.

“I’m just going to give you two some privacy, alright? I’ll be down the hall if you need me for anything, Spike.” She rapidly slipped out of the room, leaving Spike and Twilight alone together.

“It’s been a bit since I last saw you and stuff,” Spike said. “I guess that’s kinda my fault what with being stuck in my own misery and all. But, like… how are you doing?”

Twilight stood stock still, simply looking him in the eyes.

Spike cleared his throat and tried again. “I’m really glad you came down here, Twi. I hoped it would’ve been under better circumstances, but you know how it is with hospitals and spur of the moment diseas—“

He wasn’t able to finish his sentence as Twilight was now right by the bed, gripping him in a hug so tight it might kill him before the disease ever got the chance to.

But, it was a hug he needed from a pony he loved.

“Spike…” Twilight said again, doing her best to hold in her tears. “I’m sorry. I just… I just didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to say. I was so scared.”

A few seconds later, she finally released the hug and took a step back, resigning herself to sitting on the floor. She had a few tear stains on her cheeks now which broke Spike’s heart. But, this needed to happen and it needed to happen now. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he never wanted to leave this world without saying goodbye to his oldest, closest frie— without saying goodbye to his family.

“Don’t be sorry, Twi,” he said, tilting over on his side to get a better angle. “If anything, I should be sorry. After you panicked and ran away that night, I had no idea what to do. I kind of just thought you’d get over it on your own like it wasn’t a big deal.”

She violently shook her head. “Spike, never! How in Equestria could you ever think that something like this wouldn’t be a big deal to me? How? Answer me right now!”

Spike, a bit taken back by her tone, shifted a bit further underneath the covers. “Well, I uh… You’re a Princess, Twi. You have a duty to the entirety of Equestria, and that comes first these days. I know it and I totally get it. But like, that means everything else has to come second, and that includes me.”

She stared at him in shock. “Y-You think that being a Princess is more important to me than you are?”

He looked around a bit uncomfortable before nodding. “Well, yeah, kind of. Remember the old days when we used to do stuff together all the time? We’d go to plays, go outside and play catch, visit our friends… all that kind of stuff. Well, ever since you’ve been a princess, you’ve been so busy with your work that we never really get to do anything like that anymore. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad thing. You’re just… busy, I get it. All of our friends get it. That’s why your princess duties come first these days, and everything else kinda comes second.”

She continued to stare at him for another few seconds before dropping her gaze to the ground and belting out one of the deepest, most heartbreaking sobs he’d ever heard.

“No! It’s not true!” She cried out, not even daring to lift her eyes. “How… how can it be true?”

And he did it again. Right when he was making progress, solving a friendship problem, and making things up with Twilight, he had to make her cry again. How was he going to live with himself?

“Twilight!” Spike called out. “Stop beating yourself up! You have a job to do and you do it better than anypony else. Why else do you think I’d support you so much with it?”

She used her wing to wipe a few tears away from her face and looked up at him. “Huh?”

“Twilight,” he continued. “If I ever thought you were mistreating me, or had your priorities wrong, then I would’ve left the castle years ago.  But that wasn’t the case. You’ve been caring about everyone instead of little old me, which shows that you’re an amazing princess that cares about everyone in Equestria.And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Besides, I know how much you love me. These past few days are proof enough. Trust me, you putting your princess duties first is a good thing and I’m always going to support you with that for as long as I can.”

“B-But… why would think I didn’t care about you then?” She asked, her wide eyes still locked onto him.

Spike let out a deep sigh. “Well, it’s not really that I thought you didn’t care at all. I guess it’s more or less that I didn’t want you to care. I want you to be able to forget about me and focus on your princess stuff. That’s what I want.”

Twilight shook her head. “That’s not possible, Spike. I… I love you too much to ever forget you.”

He cracked a weak smile toward her. “I love you too, Twi. I really do.”

Her lips curled into the smallest of smiles. The first time she’d smiled in days, more than likely. “Spike, I promise, when you’re better, the first thing we’re going to do is go to Canterlot and watch a play together. Just the two of us. Just like old times.”

His eyes lit up. “That would be awesome! Consider it a date, then.”

Twilight opened her mouth, about to finish her thought when Redheart opened the door.

“Oh, Spike, we actually just received word that Dr. Shavargo will be here in half an hour. Would you like to see your other guest before she gets here?”

Spike darted his eyes from the nurse back to Twilight, who simply nodded.

“Yeah, he’ll see his other guest,” she said with a weak smile. “Trust me, Spike, you’re going to want to.”

Without allowing him a chance to protest, Twilight rose to her hooves and kissed him on the cheek before trotting toward the door.

“Goodbye, Spike. I’ll see you when this is all over, I promise.”

He slowly waved. “I’ll see you then, Twi.”

As she walked out the door, Spike felt a sharp pain on his insides. He honestly didn’t know if that was the last time he’d ever see her. And that hurt worse than any sickness ever could.

He rolled back over on his side, waiting for whoever the next guest might be. Probably Starlight. She always had to get the last word in on everything and what more appropriate time to do so then the day he might not ever be able argue with her again.

After a short period, a small knock finally rang out into the room. Redheart peeked her head through with a warm smile.

“Spike, your next visitor is here,” she said.

“Oh boy, let’s see who else decided to jump on the pity committee bandwagon.”

She nudged the door open a bit farther. “So, normally we have a ‘one visitor at a time’ rule, but I thought we could make an exception, just this once.”

“Spike!”

His ears instantly perked up at the high pitched squeak of a small filly darting into the room.

“Oh, Dinky!”

The filly dashed over to his bed and poked her head up over the mattress, just enough where he could her bright eyes and fluffy mane.

“Spike, don’t worry! I’m here to help you not be sick anymore!” she shouted, her smile almost too wide to fit on her face.

“I appreciate that, Dinky. I really do.”

Spike glanced upward to see Derpy walk into the room. She appeared to look much better than last time. Her mane was brushed and she looked like she had at least some amount of sleep.

“I told Dinky you weren’t feeling well,” Derpy said. “And she wanted to come see you right away. She barely gave me time to take a shower, hehe.”

Spike looked from Derpy back to the innocent eyes of her little sister, who was desperately trying to climb up onto the bed with him.

“Well,” Spike replied. “If you wanted to make me feel better, it’s definitely working.”

He sat up and pulled Dinky off the ground and onto the bed. After a couple hops born from pure excitement, she stumbled up to Spike and nuzzled him.

“My sister says snuggles make everypony feel better,” Dinky said, sitting down next to the dragon. “So I made sure to snuggle you extra good just now.”

Spike smiled at her. “Oh yeah, I could totally tell. Just between you and me, I think you’d be an awesome doctor someday.” Spike gave her a sly wink.

“Really?” She immediately turned to Derpy. “You hear that? Spike said I could be a doctor pony if I wanted!”

Derpy chuckled and nodded. “Yes, Dinky, I heard. Now, we can’t take too much time. The nurses said we only have a little bit.”

She pouted. “But… But Spike always spent way more time with me when I was sick! I wanna spend more time with him, too.”

Spike shook his head. “Don’t worry, Dinky. There’ll be time for us to hang later, no worries. Besides, just having you come and visit me is totally enough.”

She squeaked out a small sigh. “Yeah, but…”

“Dinky,” Derpy said. “Didn’t you have a present for Spike?”

Her entire face perked up immediately. “Oh! Yeah! Derpy, get the present! Hurry, before we’re out of time!”

Derpy reached into the small satchel she was carrying and pulled out a small book. She walked it over to Dinky, who greedily took it and opened it up in front of herself.

Dinky turned to Spike. “Whenever you used to read to me, it made me super happy and I felt better. So, I wanna read to you, now.”

If Spike’s heart wasn’t completely melted, it was now.

“This story is called The Lonely Dragon.” Dinky cleared her throat and began reading… very slowly. “Once upon a time, there was a dragon. He was very sad and un—un… hold on.”

Dinky motioned for her sister to come over and she pointed at the word she was hung up on.

“Unhappy,” Derpy said.

“Oh, right!” Dinky continued once more. “He was very sad and unhappy. He didn’t have very many friends because all the ponies thought he was—s-sc—”

“Scary.”

“Scary!” Dinky looked at Spike with wide eyes before continuing. “But one day, he met a pony named Star. They became best friends and…”





It was time.

He couldn’t quite describe how hard it was to watch Dinky and Derpy walk away. But, unfortunately, that was how it had to be. And now, Dr. Shavargo had taken their place, a tray full of tools at the ready.

“Okay, Spike, relax and breathe deeply and slowly for me.”

She placed a plastic tube of some kind over his mouth. He did as she said, taking slow, careful breaths. Things got fuzzy really quickly. And why was the ceiling spinning in circles? Maybe… Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a second things would get back to normal.
> Did I Save You?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike opened his eyes again. And things were starting to get a bit clearer now. Yeah, that quick blink definitely helped get his head straight.

“Uhh…” Spike groaned, blinking a few more times just to clear the mist from his vision. “Wait, where am—” He slowly got a bearing on his surroundings. This wasn’t his bed. He didn’t remember having a poster of the female… Hold up. “Oh crap. I’m getting surgery today, that’s right.”

“Oh good, you’re awake.”

“Huh?” Spike twisted his head to the side and noticed Dr. Shavargo standing there, jotting something down on a clipboard. “Oh, doctor. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, but I think I’m ready now. Can’t we just get this whole surgery thing over with? I’d really rather not wait much longer. I do have a life… or at least I hope I will.”

She looked from her clipboard with a smile. “Actually, we’re already done. Congratulations Spike, the surgery was a success.”

Spike had to pause for a moment. The news he just heard…. Hold on, there’s no way it was that simple. Was it?

“S-Say again, doc?”

She set the clipboard down on the nearby counter and briefly patted his claw. “We’re all done, Spike. The operation was a success.”

Spike twisted his head back into a comfortable position and took a moment to just look at the ceiling. “I… I don’t know what to say. Just, I did it! Or, well, you did it. Thank you. Thank you!”

Spike immediately tried to sit up to give her a proper claw shake, but a sharp pain in his chest squashed that goal, forcing him to lay back down.

“Ouch! Well, that was unpleasant.”

“Yes, Spike, you’ll be quite sore for a few days. You’ll wanna take it easy and lay down as much as possible.” The doctor gave him a stern look. “So that means nothing that involves rapid movements, over-excitement, and stressful labor. You want your body to have an opportunity to heal.”

The dragon averted his eyes from her and looked at his chest. There was a rather nasty-looking scar running diagonally over the center of it. It had some kind of stitching holding it together as well some medical tape.

“Oh great,” Spike said. “If I wasn’t ugly enough before, this’ll sure send the kids running. Heh, I guess that makes me a little more dragon-ish at least.”

She rolled her eyes. “Every storm cloud has a silver lining.”

“You betcha,” he replied with a weak thumbs up. “But doc, I have to ask, how the heck did you even, well, cut me open? Dragon scales are like the toughest material known, at least as far as organic stuff goes.”

“I had to return to the dragon lands for a reason,” she replied. She walked over to a nearby case she had sitting on the ground and pulled out a disturbingly large blade. “This is a special tool we use for operating on dragons. Its blade is thin enough to slip through the small spaces between your scales and sharp enough to cut through the tough skin underneath. After that, our biology is relatively similar to that of a pony.”

Spike shuddered upon looking at it. “That is going to haunt my dreams for at least another two weeks.” The dragon gulped. “But, just out of curiosity, what else did you do? Like, what was the process?”

She let out a small chuckle. “Well, it was quite simple, actually. We had to reposition your heart for a brief moment, just enough for me stitch part of your blood vessels back together, and we also added another layer of stitching on a separate part of the same vessel that was becoming weakened.” She rubbed her chin. “But, I suppose it wasn’t all easy. Trying to do stitches on an aorta is like trying to sew two pieces of wet toilet paper together. It got very messy.”

“Ah!” Spike said, putting his claws over the scar. “Okay, enough of my curiosity. I’m just glad I’m still here. Thank you very much, Dr. Shavargo.”

“Of course, Spike. I’m simply doing my job.” She grabbed her bag and clipboard and headed toward the door. “I have some work to do, so I’ll be taking my leave, but a nurse will be in here shortly to go over some details. However, I’m going to be staying here in town for the next two days in the event that something goes wrong in the healing process. But, hopefully, this will be the last time you see me.”

Spike smiled and nodded. “Yeah. This is probably the happiest goodbye I’ll ever have.”

With a quick wave, the doctor left the room.

Spike was still smiling ear to ear, taking a moment just to stare at nothing in particular. He took a deep breath of air, letting the cold, musty scent of overly cleaned counters and fresh bed sheets overtake him. He loved every second of it.

A short time later, Nurse Redheart opened the door and trotted inside.

“Nurse!” Spike called out upon seeing her. “I’m alive!”

She giggled and nodded. “I can see that, Spike. I’m very, very happy that everything worked out. They say professional distance is part of the job, but I couldn’t help but root for you the entire time.”

“Thanks, Redheart,” he replied. “I’m pretty happy, too, to be honest.”

She smiled at him once more before producing a clipboard. “So, just because it’s a requirement, we’ve got some paperwork and information to go over, okay?”

“No problem. Do your worst.”

“First of all,” she began. “You’ll be prescribed some pain medication for obvious reasons and an antibiotic to keep any infections away during the overall healing process. I imagine the doctor already told you, but don’t do any physically taxing activities for the next few days and make sure take it easy on yourself for at least a week.”

Spike sighed. “Yeah, I get it. Continue.”

“Drink plenty of water and stay away from carbonated beverages for the next week. It’s highly unlikely, but a strong enough burp might loosen some of the stitching. Better safe than sorry. Also, you’re going to want to keep the wounded area from getting wet for the next couple days. So, don’t take any showers or baths in that time.”

“Oh great,” Spike said. “So I’m gonna have to stink too for the next few days?”

“Not necessarily,” Redheart replied. “If you have a pony that you’re close enough to that could give you a sponge bath in the meantime, that’d work.”

Spike grinned with a devilish smirk. “Looks like me and Starlight are about to get a lot closer. Oh, guilt-infused payback is such a beautiful thing.”

Nurse Redheart shook her head and giggled. “Do what you will, Spike. Just take care of yourself. Anyhow, the last matter is payment.”

“Ahh, yes, we’re all ruled by the almighty bit.”

“Unfortunately,” she replied. “The bill will be mailed to the Castle within one business week. Okay?”

“Got it,” Spike replied. “Can I go now?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, but we’re going to keep you here for the rest of the night, just to make sure everything is going according to plan. But, assuming it’s all alright, you’ll be released tomorrow afternoon. Okay?”

Spike frowned and slumped into his covers. “Mmm, alright. Wait a second. Rest of the night? What time is it?”

“About nine o’clock.”

“Nine?”  Spike moaned. “Great, there went my entire day. I thought the surgery was only supposed to take a couple hours?”

She shrugged. “It did. It took you the other five hours to get patched up and then wake up. You’re not exactly a light sleeper.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve been told that. But, either way, this sucks. I’m not exactly looking forward to being stuck alone in this room all night.”

Nurse Redheart grinned at him. “Well, I do have something that might cheer you up, however.”

Spike smiled. “Oh, is it one of those suckers? I hope you guys have the blue ones this time.”

She shook her head. “Sorry, no sugar or caffeine either.”

“Well, this day just keeps getting better…”

“But, I was able to make a special accommodation, given the circumstances.” She got up and trotted to the door. “We normally don’t allow visitors in the room post-operation, but since you’re gonna be here for a bit, well…” She opened the door. “Alright, Derpy, you can come in now.”

Spike had one of those smiles that we all get sometimes. The ones where you’re not really trying to smile, but it becomes an instinctive reaction, instead. Where your lips are pretty much quivering with excitement.

As Derpy walked into the room, his smile only increased. Her mane was messy like before, she looked exhausted like before, her fur was matted like before, and she was the most beautiful pony he’d ever seen.

“Spike!” She cried out, her voice cracking from the emotion behind it. Tears were flowing from her eyes as she approached the bed. She immediately took his claw in her hoof and leaned over, carefully planting a kiss on his lips before pulling away. “Sorry, the nurse said I’d have to be gentle with you but I couldn’t help it.”

“You won’t hear any complaints from me,” Spike said. “I’m… I’m so happy I got to see you, again.”

She nodded, her lips spread into a wide smile. “Me too. I’m so, so happy.” And the tears broke free again as she leaned over and nuzzled his cheek, planting kisses everywhere she could reach.

Nurse Redheart made a point of clearing her throat, getting the attention of Spike and Derpy.

“So, Derpy, the doctor did give you permission to stay the night here, if you wish. However, we do want to inform you that the nursing staff will be periodically checking in on Spike. Is that alright?”

She readily nodded. “Of course. Actually, if you just had a chair I could sit on for the night, that’d be enough.”

“Of course,” Redheart replied. “I’ll be right back.”

The two were alone together, not speaking, just looking into each others’ eyes. Things were… Things were gonna be okay, and Spike couldn’t be any happier. He gripped her hoof just a little tighter as he thought about it.

“You know, Derpy,” Spike said.

“What is it?”

“All that stuff I told you before? About wanting to spend the rest of my life with you and all that. Well, I meant it. And I wasn’t just saying that in the heat of the moment or because I was getting emotional.” He gulped. “I really meant it and I kinda hope you meant it, too.”

“Heh… Hehe…” Derpy cracked out a couple nervous laughs, still smiling wider than she ever had. A few tears dripped down from her cheek and onto Spike’s claw as she bobbed her head. “Yeah. I meant it, too.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, Spike.”

Their moment was cut short however when the door opened up. Redheart came in, bringing a modestly sized chair with her. “Here you are, Derpy. It’s not perfect, but it should do.”

She turned toward her and smiled. “It’ll be great. Thank you so much.”

She nodded. “Now, Derpy, please let Spike get some sleep tonight. We’re gonna turn the lights off for the night now.”

“Mhm, I will,” she replied with a curt nod.

“Great,” the nurse said. “Again, I’m so happy for you, Spike. Get some rest and we’ll be checking on you from time to time.”

With that, she flicked off the lights and cracked the door, leaving just a thin stream of light running through.

Still holding onto her hoof, Spike let out a small yawn. “Oh man, the whole rest thing actually sounds pretty great.”

Derpy let out her own yawn. “Yeah, you’re definitely right. I haven’t slept well in days.”

“Hehe, sorry about that.”

She shook her head. “It’s alright. I can actually get some sleep for once… with you here.”

“Yeah, and I’m not going anywhere.” He gently stroked her hoof with his claw.

“Oh, do you want me to get you any water or anything?” she asked.

Spike shook his head. “No thanks. The last thing I need is to have to get up and go to the bathroom all night. That’d be a disaster waiting to happen.”

She giggled. “I can imagine. But, I’ll try to wake up every couple hours if I can to make sure you’re okay, alright?”

“Are you sure?” Spike asked. “You need your sleep, too.”

She shook her head. “Don’t worry. I have to wake up early to deliver mail all the time. This is nothing.”

He just nodded. “Okay, sweets. Thank you.”

She moved away for a second to pull her chair up to the bed and sat in it. She leaned over a bit to rest her head on the mattress and took his claw in her hoof again. She rose up just enough to plant one last kiss on his lips before resting her head back down again.

“Good night, Spike.”

“Good night, Derpy.”









Opening her eyes was the most unpleasant feeling she could imagine at this point, but she forced them open. It was still dark in the room, so daylight hadn’t quite reared its unwelcome head yet. Thankfully. She had made a promise to check on him during the night, after all.

And Derpy never wanted to break her promises.

She lazily lifted her head up and looked over the dragon in the bed. It was dark, so she couldn’t make out every detail, but she could still feel her face heat up and heart beat more and more rapidly as she looked at him.

She still had a hoof under his claw, so she gently nudged it, hoping to wake him up.

“Spike,” she whispered to him, gently shaking his claw. “Spike, are you awake?”

No response, of course. From the couple nights he stayed over, she knew just how heavy of a sleeper he was. She didn’t want to hurt him, though. The poor thing must’ve been really sore.

She slid her hoof out from under his claw, watching it flop onto the bed. She chuckled lightly and used her other hoof to gently nudge his shoulder. “Spike, are you there? Do you want me to get you some water now? Or something from the snack machine?”

No response.

“Spike?” She nudged him a bit harder this time. Her voice grew a bit louder as well. “Are you alright? Wake up.”

Still no response.

“S-Spike?”

She rose from the chair and leaned closer to him. She pressed her muzzle to his cheek, nuzzling him slightly before nudging him. “It’s time to wake up, Spike... Please wake up.”

After she nudged him one more time, his head fell limply to the side.

“N-No… Spike!”

She immediately backed away, stumbling over the chair as she did. She fell to the ground with a hard thud. She tried to pull herself up off the ground before tripping over her hooves and falling again. Stupid clumsiness!

“D-Doctor! Doctor!”

She struggled back to her hooves and raced out the door and into the hallway.

“Doctor! Somepony! Help!”
> I Know You Saved Me
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It felt like forever. Yes, forever, since the moment he passed.

Do you trust me?

It didn’t take the doctors more than an hour to tell me you were gone.

One day you think ‘Oh, everything is great!’ And then BAM! Life smacks you upside the face.

I’ve been waiting for two whole days for somepony to wake me up. Waiting for somepony to shake me, tell me that I needed to start my mail route. Waiting to get up and be excited to see you again.

...But I won’t have you back.

Twilight couldn’t wait longer than a couple days. She wanted to give you the proper rest, because that’s what a Princess would do, especially for a hero, one that even I will always consider to the hero of my life.

Twilight had stood before the crowd, the absolutely enormous crowd, and she spoke volumes. She told us about the best assistant in all of Equestria, and the best friend she ever had. And now that assistant and friend would never be replaced. I think she’s wrong though. She’ll probably find a new assistant some day, but I do agree that she’ll never have her number one assistant again. That’s what a Princess would do. And that’s what you would want.

Maybe I'm the stupid one here for thinking things could just be easy and happy like they’ve been. Yeah… that’s probably it.

No, Spike. You were never stupid.

You were the best. You visited Dinky when she was sick, and you did more than you ever knew to cheer me up when things were at their worst.

You made me fall in love. You made me fall in a love with an ‘obnoxious dragon’ that made me smile more than I ever thought I could. And then you showed me exactly how the world worked… and how amazing and fun it could be when you had somepony to share it with.

I mean, I’m not gonna force you to do anything. But, if you really wanna see the surprise, you’ll have to trust me. It’ll be worth it.

You said that to me all the time. You told me that I could trust you and that you could make me happy. I guess I am happy. I’m happy that I experienced life with you, even for a little bit.

Alright, on the count of three I’m gonna let go and you can look.

I trust you, Spike.

Okay. One…

I feel the flower in my mane, and you looking at me with your smile.

...two... 

There’s a chimichanga on my plate, while I see you devouring a hayburger, and talking about root beer.

...three!

I’m in my favorite place, in your arms, and we’re on that giant building in Manehattan again. It was a place I’d never seen before.

It was the place that you kissed me for the first time.







Derpy opened her eyes.

It was nighttime now as she overlooked the city from her perch on that tall building. Ponies went about their lives down below, street lamps illuminating the soft haze that decorated the streets.

She looked off in the distance, waiting for Spike’s arms to wrap around her. Waiting to hear about his latest argument with Starlight or about some strange lesson he learned from Twilight.

But she didn’t feel his arms. She didn’t hear his voice.

All she could feel was the gusts of wind ruffling through her wings and mane. All she could hear were the distant shouts of ponies in the distance. But she could see something.

Through the lights and haze, she could make out a single star twinkling in the sky. It couldn’t have been easy for the light to make it through all the clouds and lights from below. But, it found a way.

She never really took time to notice the stars before. They were certainly beautiful.

...you don’t need me to see how awesome the world can be.

“You know what, Spike?”

It’s always been a beautiful place. We just helped each other to see it.

“You’re right.”

She reached into her mane and pulled out the small, yellow flower. It was dried out now, crinkled and broken. Being preserved in a book for a couple months will do that.

But she loved it all the same.

She planted a soft kiss on it before gently placing it back in her mane. A stray tear fell down her cheek as she gazed out at the horizon. At the far edge, she could see the sun barely peeking up in the distance.

“The world really is a beautiful place.”