That Deep, Romantic Chasm

That Deep, Romantic Chasm
A MLP: FIM fanfiction by NotARealPony.com

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Selfish. That's what I've been. Selfish and rude. Her thoughts were hardly a comfort, and she didn't know how to fix her mistakes. She had thought and thought, and suddenly there was no more time to plan. She had to do something, and she hoped her last-minute idea would suffice to make up for her wasted time. But even if it did, there would always be that period when she'd done nothing at all, letting time pass by without thinking about it clearly. And that word, that one word that was her opposite, would be thought whenever she looked back on those times, whether she wanted to or not.

Selfish.

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"Leaving?"

Pinkie Pie stared into space as Twilight Sparkle made her way across the room, her head down in shame. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both floated in the air, and Rainbow Dash had an unreadable expression on her face, while Fluttershy looked to be on the brink of tears. Applejack frowned and looked down at her hooves, and Rarity stared threateningly at the lavender unicorn who had been her friend for years. On the library steps sat Spike, who refused to look any of them in the eyes. His eyes were red, and there was something he was flipping in his palm.

Twilight finally broke the shocked silence by saying. "Yes, leaving." She said it in such a calm voice that Rarity seemed to think she was not upset about it. But she could see tears being held back in the unicorn's eyes, and she took a step forward. "Twilight, darling..."

Twilight shook her head. "No," she said, her voice choking up. "No, I'll be fine. It's you who feel betrayed. I've been packing for a week, and I never even told my friends until the last day."

The sound of Pinkie Pie's voice ringing out in the library startled them all. Though the normally bouncy pink mare had not lost her color, or somehow had her hair straightened, and there was a strange tone to her voice.

"What did we do wrong?"

Twilight smiled softly at her. The smile disappeared when she saw Pinkie's stare, and she nervously said, "It's not like I'm leaving forever, and I'm definitely not going because of you. I just want to see the world, and when the Princess told me my studies would take me around the world, I had to say yes." She walked back to one of the library shelves, and she pulled out a large map with her magic. It unfurled, and she pointed out where Ponyville was on it. "See, I'll get to move throughout the world, and I'll end up right back in Ponyville!" She moved her hoof around the map, circling it once before resting it once again on Ponyville.

Pinkie Pie stared at the map, and her expression didn't change. "You said it wouldn't be forever..." She looked up at the lavender unicorn hopefully. Twilight smiled at her, and said, "Of course not! I'll only be gone for a year!" She grinned at her friends, and was shocked to see that none of them had brightened.

Rainbow Dash moved closer to Twilight, and stood in front of the depressed Pinkie Pie. "Twilight, a lot can happen in one year. Did you ever consider that something might actually happen without you? Or were you only thinking about yourself when you packed for your little trip?" The way she said it made Twilight feel almost sick, but she turned so she would not have to face her when she answered.

"Oh please, Rainbow Dash, I'm certain-"

"Certain what?" The cyan mare circled around and shoved her face into Twilight's. Their faces were millimeters apart, and Twilight could feel the angered pegasus's hot breath wash over her snout. Her friend continued, and Twilight shut her eyes tighter as the insults came. "You're certain that nothing exciting could happen to us without you? Because when you weren't here, I'm pretty sure we all had our own exciting adventures without you." Her words stung, and Twilight started to say something when Rainbow Dash stopped her with a mocking voice.

"'Oh! What could possibly happen in boring old Ponyville while I'm away?' Well, how about this? I could get accepted into the Wonderbolts, and then you'd come back to a Ponyville with a new weather team leader, and without your good pal Rainbow Dash around to take notes on pegusi flight methods with, or watch doing tricks and helping her perfect them by using your mathematics skills to make my flight patterns work with the wind.

"Or, what if Pinkie Pie starts her own bakery? She could get so popular, she'd have to move away to someplace she could start a franchise? And then you'd come back to a Ponyville where the only place you can get an sweets that taste even remotely as good as Pinkie Pie's would be at a market, where you'd have to buy Pinkie Pie brand cupcakes to get that memory-filled taste? And what if-"

"What if one of us passes away?"

The question had been so quiet that everypony in the room began to look wildly about for the source of the noise. Then they heard the question again, and they all turned to look at Pinkie Pie, who'd slowly slunk to the back of the room, and was now stroking her straightened hair, looking almost angrily at them.

"What then?"

At first, Twilight didn't know whether or not Pinkie was expecting an answer. After an extended moment of silence, she said quietly, "I'm almost certain that that won't happen."

Pinkie stood up, and began to trot towards Twilight. As she did, she tilted her head menacingly back and forth, and said, "Well, what if it does? What if Dashie has a training accident? What if AJ bucks a tree a little too hard? What if Fluttershy tries to make friends with the wrong kind of animal?" As she listed the kinds of accidents that could happen, all of the others in the room stared at her, scared. They recalled her behavior when she believed that they weren't really her friends, but she hadn't been this frightening before.

The dull-pink mare stopped directly in front of Twilight's face. Light blue pools penetrated into lavender ones, and she whispered, "Would you even know?"

Twilight stared back for a full minute before turning around and putting the map back in its place. "Of course I would know," she said. "If one of the Elements of Harmony were to die, I'm certain Princess Celestia would inform me right away." She did not answer Pinkie's original question.

The pink mare noticed this, and she began to cry. Without another word, she went running out of the room, and Rainbow Dash went rushing after her. A deafening silence followed this, and Twilight sighed with relief when Applejack broke it.

"Are ya'll gonna apologize to her?" The earth pony stared accusingly at Twilight, and she simply glanced over at Spike. He had not looked up, as far as she could tell, and he was still flipping some object in his hand. She turned to the apple farmer, and without making eye contact said, "Maybe." She sighed, and looked up at Applejack. "Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe it's better if we just leave it at that and when we get back-"

"Wait." Rarity spoke for the first time since she'd stepped inside the library. "Who's we?"

Spike raised his hand without looking up. He said nothing, and Twilight filled in the blanks that he left for her. "Spike's coming with me, of course! You didn't think I'd leave my number one assistant behind, did you?"

Rarity stared at the dragon. He sat looking at the thing in his palm, and finally Rarity recognized it as a gemstone. She tried to see what he thought about the situation, but she could not read his face. She felt guilty, as though she'd done something wrong to him, and she felt a need to make up for it.

Twilight spoke again, and Rarity listened without looking away from Spike. "Seeing as this is our last night as a group for a while, I thought we could have one last hurrah before I-"

"Ya'll ain't gettin' nothin'." The lavender unicorn looked at Applejack, and saw fury incarnate. The orange mare took a menacing step forward and said, "After what ya did ta Pinkie Pie? Ah don't think anypony'd want ta hang around with ya. And if ya'll really think ya'll can end yer friendships that way, then ah'm fine with that." With that, she turned and left, and Twilight saw Fluttershy crawl out the door as well, silently sobbing. This left one.

Rarity looked over at Twilight, and saw a hopeful look on her face. But she shook her head, and Twilight felt some part of her curl up and waste away into nothing as the ivory unicorn took her leave, only pausing at the exit to bid farewell to the two.

"I hope that I can see you off tomorrow. I know you'll be wanting somepony to." She saw the look on Twilight's face, and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She saw Spike finally look up, and for a split second his emerald eyes bore into hers. Then she moved her head, ever so slightly, so that she wouldn't be looking at him, and said, "Goodbye."

She shut the door, and began the walk to her boutique. All the way, she thought about the object in Spike's hand. And, of course, she thought about Spike. He was going with her. Away. For a year. Her thoughts shifted to him more than what he'd held in his hand, and she thought back to all of the days he'd spent helping her with her dressmaking. Without him, she would not have been able to keep up with some of the orders she had received in her time working in the dressmaking business. She thought about all of the times she'd caught him stealing a glance at her, and the embarrassed look on his face when she caught him. She thought about the gemstone she would give him each time he helped, and the look on his face each time he received one. She thought of him fondly.

That was when she realized she'd stopped walking. Blushing only slightly, she continued on to her boutique. She didn't have to ponder why she'd stopped. She knew what she was feeling, and she was prepared to push it away as she had before. It had happened several times since what she called "the Fire Ruby Incident" occurred, and she'd been shocked at first that she'd been able to think that way about him. But each time she dismissed it, as a crazy thought of something out of a fairy tale.

But not this time.

Rarity caught sight of her store, and sighed with relief. Once she made her way inside, she lay on her couch and stared up at the ceiling. She waited, hesitant to let her guard down as much as she intended. Then she let the thoughts of Spike wash over her. Her relationship with Spike had never extended beyond platonic love, and she assumed he had given up trying to woo her when his accident happened. But now she knew he still cared. The stone that had been in his hand throughout her visit to Twilight's had proven it.

Now she thought about what could happen. Her days had been spent covering up her emotions with her work, letting herself be overworked so that she would not have time, lying awake in bed at night, to think about her feelings. This, it seemed, was the reason she had allowed herself to be fooled into falling for ponies the likes of Prince Blueblood. And now she gave herself time. She looked over at the staircase leading to her room. She was alone. She had no orders to fill, and there was nothing she wanted to create. Until she had an idea.

Rarity jumped up from her couch and rushed over to her design table. She drew out a fresh piece of paper, and began to create what she saw in her mind's eye. And all the while, she thought of the dragon that she knew she could now apologize to for her selfishness.

She stopped, shocked that she'd just called herself selfish. But it was true, and that was what made it hurt the most. She felt a tear run down her cheek, and she pulled another sheet of paper out. She began a letter, and after hesitating a minute, she sent it. Then she went back to her work, hoping that she could somehow make up all the time she'd wasted.

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Twilight finished packing. She sighed, and turned to the purple dragon still sitting on the staircase, still looking at the sapphire in his hand. "Are you going to eat that?" she asked, and he looked up at her. He shook his head, and put the gemstone away, placing it in one of the small pouches he kept hung around his waist. He stood, and for the first time that day spoke.

"Why did you say 'we'?"

His tone was unmistakable, and Twilight feared the worst. "Look, Spike, I know that you don't want it to be this way..." She trailed off, and she didn't know why. She couldn't continue, and her brain was trying to explain her silence. But it couldn't, and she simply stared at the dragon who was, because of her, standing almost a head taller than her.

Spike didn't move. He stared at his friend, his sister, and wanted to slap her. We? She thinks I want to do this? Leave them all? Leave Rarity? He began to walk up the stairs, and stopped. A pressure was building in his chest, and he covered his mouth with a hand as a small burst of green flame came out of his mouth, and a scroll along with it. With some strange mix of disappointment and delight, he saw that it was from Rarity:

Dear Spike,

Please come to the Carousel Boutique. I have several dresses I need your help on, and I'd like to "have one last hurrah" before you go.

Sincerely,

Rarity.

Spike's heart stopped for a second. Then he looked up at Twilight, who had an expecting look on her face. "Well?" she said, and he felt his anger at her returning. "Who's it from?"

He suddenly felt more furious than he had been in years. "That doesn't concern you," he said coldly, and the look of surprise Twilight's face gave him a kind of inexplicable satisfaction. He walked down the staircase, and headed towards the door, pulling the scarf that had been his 15th birthday present off the nearby hat rack and wrapping it around his neck.

Twilight followed him. "Spike, where do you think you're going?"

He turned at the door, and said nonchalantly, "Someplace I don't have to deal with your problems for once." The hurt look on Twilight's face that followed made him regret what he said, but he didn't try to take it back. Instead, he opened the door, and walked out into the evening sun.

Twilight was alone now, with only her thoughts to accompany her. She walked towards the door, considering running out after Spike. She stopped in front of it, and shook her head. No. If he wants to be angry, he can be angry. He has every right to be that way. She turned, and made her way to her desk. She sat down at it, and resisted the urge to cry. She let out a pained sigh, and slammed her head against the table.

"This played out so much better in my head!" she shouted to nopony in particular. Her brain decided to kick into action, and she was suddenly playing through the reactions each of her friends had had. In her mind's eye, she saw the look of surreal calm on Rainbow Dash's face. Repressing emotion. That's always been a problem with Dash. Too proud of her image to do anything that doesn't represent it. She laughed halfheartedly as she recalled the incident Dash had gotten into when she'd found a passion for reading Daring Do books. Her smile faded at the thought of not being able to see Rainbow Dash train for her dream for a year.

It's only a year.

Anything could happen in that time.

What, Dash will stop training? I don't think so.

Next came the look of pure shock from Applejack. She'd almost lost her hat from her violent reaction to Twilight's news. She could not understand what had made Applejack upset. The two had never made any special connections. In fact, Twilight could not think of any time when she and the apple farmer had been alone together. They'd made no special connection at all, and Twilight saw no reason as to why the earth pony would be more upset than Rainbow Dash.

Except maybe the fact that she's losing a friend.

It's only a year. I'm not going away forever.

As far as you know.

Twilight winced inwardly as the memory of Fluttershy's tearful expression surfaced. She knew that Fluttershy would be the hardest of all to tell, and she had refrained from telling each of them separately for this reason. But it had still hurt her badly to see the insecure yellow pegasus so hurt. She thought back to when she'd measured her wing power for the hurricane job, and had been glad that Fluttershy had gotten over her fears of being teased enough to help the other pegusi.

You made her cry. You should be ashamed of yourself.

I'll make it up to her when I come back.

Of course. It's only a year.

She found the voice in her head to be a little more than annoying at this point, and tried to block it out. She replaced with Rarity's silence at her news. When Twilight focused more on what she'd seen on Rarity's face, she realized the ivory unicorn had not even been looking at her. She was looking slightly upwards and off to the left, at something behind her.

No. Not something. Somebody.

Spike.

Her thoughts were in a congealed mass. She had noticed Rarity's change in behavior since Spike's accident, and had almost burst with happiness whenever she let slip a taste at her true feelings. She wanted to tell Spike, but Pinkie Pie had made her promise not to "interfere" with the two when it came to their relationship.

Pinkie Pie.

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes, and stared across the room at the chest where she'd placed all of her friendship reports. Pinkie Pie took it worst. Why her? Why not AJ, or Fluttershy? She found herself shifting in her chair, getting up to move towards the chest. She felt as though the answer was somewhere in the many scrolls sent to her mentor. She'd seen Pinkie's hair deflate into the bubblegum waterfall it had been when the party mare had believed that she was no longer considered a friend of theirs. The conflict in her head began again, and she stopped in front of the chest.

What caused it this time?

Well, she obviously thinks you aren't her friend anymore.

That's ridiculous. She knows that I'm still her friend. Plus, she only lost her bounce when she thought we allhated her.

Well, maybe you're special.

What do you-

She placed a hoof on the chest. "It couldn't be," she breathed, and with her magic unlocked it. She looked at the many scrolls lying in it, and using a locator spell took out only the ones that Pinkie Pie had written. She unrolled the first one. It was about what Pinkie had learned when taking care of the Cake twins. Twilight sighed, frustrated, and placed it back in the chest.

There's no way.

Next one. This was from her experience attempting to help make Cranky smile. She'd succeeded, and the letter was written shakily, as though Pinkie had been shaking with excitement at her success at the time. She read through the letter carefully, and was about to roll it up when she noticed a footnote.

P.S. I'm glad I was able to help somepony- oops! I mean somedonkey- with their love life. Now maybe I can help myself!

P.P.S. Is somedonkey right? It doesn't sound right.

P.P.P.S. Not that there's anything wrong with donkeys.

Twilight smiled. Someone would be good, Pinkie. She looked back at the first post script, and frowned. She wants help with her love life? She gulped, and set the scroll back. Then she pulled the last scroll out of the chest. Unrolling it, she looked at the date. It was the day of the Hearts and Hooves incident she'd-

Wait. Pinkie wasn't a part of that.

Her eyes widened, and she trotted over to her desk. Sitting down, Twilight lay the letter on the table. She was unsure if she should continue. It was thin ice she was treading on, and if she wasn't careful she could ruin her friendship with Pinkie forever.

Like it hasn't been already.

Don't say that.

She shut her eyes and took a breath. She didn't know why, but she felt overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. Forcing her eyes, open, she looked own at Pinkie's secret letter and began to read.

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Spike stood outside the door of the Carousel Boutique, held in place by his warring thoughts. He was still considering going back to the library to apologize to Twilight. After a minute of thought, he decided he didn't want to see the lavender unicorn at the moment, and knocked on the door twice.

"Come iiiiiiinnnn!" Rarity called from inside the shop. Spike smiled at the sound of her voice, and opened the door. He stepped inside, and left his scarf on the nearby coat rack. He shut the door, and looked around the area Rarity usually set up as her studio. It was dim, as the only light in the room came from several candles that were lit and set up around the room. They were scented, and Spike savored the mix of smells drifting around the shop. He was so absorbed in the candles' scents that he didn't notice the mare setting the table set up in the center of the room.

Rarity smiled. "Hello, Spike," she said, and the dragon opened his eyes and looked across the room at the mare. He did a double take, and rubbed his eyes. She was wearing a deep purple gown that matched the color of her hair perfectly, and said hair now cascaded down her body, straightened and covering a small part of her face. She was laying down a silver tray, and a bottle of champagne sat in a bucket of ice next to the tray. Once again, Spike did a double take, and stared at the smiling mare. He looked up and down her form, and stopped at her neck. Around it, in a golden case that she's made herself, was the Fire Ruby he'd given her on his 13th birthday.

"R-Rarity..." He couldn't speak. She'd taken his breath away. He simply stared at her as she sat down at one end of the table. The unicorn gestured to chair across from her, and said, "Won't you join me?" Her azure eyes were fixed on him, and he couldn't break away from their gaze. He nodded wordlessly and sat down at the table with her. Looking down at the place set for him, he tried to ask her what was happening, but all that came out was, "Uh..."

Rarity lifted the top of the tray off with her magic, and revealed two dishes. One sparkled with gemstones, while the other was a deep grassy green. "I know what you're thinking, and no, I was not going to design any dresses this evening. That was to make sure Twilight Sparkle didn't try and stop you from coming. I thought we could have a quiet dinner together, for our last evening before you leave for..." She trailed off, not truly knowing how long he'd be gone.

Spike noticed her hesitation, and managed to gather himself and say, "Well, Twilight says we'll only be gone for a year, but something keeps gnawing at the back of my head, telling me she's going to change back into the Twilight that I knew before we came here." He looked down at his plate, and said, "Then we won't be able to come back here."

Rarity felt her heart drop. Never some back? Surely at least he could leave? She doesn't need him! She kept a calm face, and said, "Let's not worry about the future right now." She levitated the dishes to their respective plates, and raised a small bit of her food to her mouth. As she ate, Spike stared at the bottle in the bucket of ice. Following his gaze, Rarity smiled. "Oh, of course. I forgot the champagne. How silly of me." She uncorked the bottle and poured an amount into her glass and then Spike's. The dragon stared at the champagne, and said, "I don't think I should drink."

Rarity only smiled, and placed the bottle back in the bucket. Her thoughts were against her as she said softly, "Spike, it's for a special occasion. Besides, you're an adult now..." She stopped again, and blushed, looking down at her food.

Spike smiled. "Rarity, it's alright. I know I was upset when it happened, but I've come to like being older. It has his perks." He lifted the champagne glass in his hand. "Such as being able to fully appreciate how lovely you look tonight."

Rarity's blush did not fade as she raised her glass to his. They clinked, and Spike said, "To the hopes of a better future." He took a sip of the drink, and Rarity watched him. Her thoughts screamed at her for the rash and brutal decisions she'd made that evening, and her smile faded for a moment as Spike kept his eyes shut, tasting the champagne to see its worth. He smiled as it went down, and took another sip. "Fantastic," he said, and Rarity almost broke her glass from the inner anger she was forcing on herself.

You're sick.

I saw no other way.

Other than telling him?

I couldn't do that.

Rarity shut her eyes for a moment, and let the self-hating thoughts fall to the back of her mind. There would be time to feel guilty later. Now, it was simply her and Spike, enjoying a meal together.

The two set upon their meals, and as they ate they reminisced on memories of orders gone wrong, adventures long past, and other oddities in their lives. Every chance he got, Spike scanned his eyes over Rarity's form, and realized she'd never worn the Fire Ruby, save for the only day when it mattered. The mix of her change in hairstyle and the form-fitting purple gown was enough to send him into a coma, but he somehow managed to keep a hold on his emotions.

Soon, though, there was no more food to eat, and Spike stood up from the table. He walked to the door, and reached for his scarf. A thought stopped him.

You have to tell her.

He turned, and saw that Rarity was frowning at him. "Are you leaving already?" she said. Spike hesitated, and said, "What do you mean?"

The mare got up, and levitated the empty tray and dishes into the kitchen, where Spike heard the sound of water rushing. From the kitchen he heard her say, "I was certain that you would want to spend a little more time with me."

His heart stopped for a second. Oh crap. She knows already. He knew that he was overreacting, but he felt himself start to sweat. As Rarity came out of the kitchen, Spike nervously repeated, "W-What do you mean?"

Rarity gestured towards her couch. At the coffee table stood several items that confused Spike. A bottle of what appeared to be whiskey, two shot glasses, and a plate of lime wedges, along with a strange assortment of items lined along the table.

"I have to say, I felt very frustrated with Twilight today. And when I'm frustrated..." She trotted over to the couch and laid down on it. Spike stared at her disbelievingly. "...I tend to drink," she finished, and looked over at Spike coyly. "I can tell you're angry at her too. Would you care to join me?" She smiled, and deep pools of azure bored into his emerald ones. Spike answered almost subconsciously.

"Sure. I'm feeling pretty pissed right now. Pour me some."

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Twilight galloped through the now-dark streets of Ponyville. Tears were pouring down her face, and she was biting her lip to keep from sobbing out loud. Held in a magical grip beside her was the letter from Pinkie Pie she'd just read. It was crumpled, but Twilight didn't care. She knew already what was written on it, and there was only one goal set in her mind as she tore down the road towards Sugarcube Corner.

Find Pinkie Pie.

She turned a corner.

Get to her quickly.

She dodged a lone pedestrian.

Apologize.

She leaped over an apple cart.

Hope she doesn't hate you forever.

The lavender unicorn slowed as she found herself in front of the Sugarcube Corner. She looked desperately at the windows, and sighed with relief when she saw that Pinkie's was still lit up. She trotted quickly over to the door, and entered the bakery.

The warm scent of fresh baked goods wafted throughout the store. Twilight ignored the flashy pastries set along the counters and display cases, and headed directly towards the staircase that would lead her to Pinkie. To her surprise, she was stopped by none other than Mr. and Mrs. Cake, who blocked the staircase and stared her down furiously.

"We know what you did," said Mr. Cake. Twilight shrank before them. Mrs. Cake nodded and said, "Just because Pinkie isn't our daughter doesn't mean we don't love her like she is. We won't let you hurt her anymore."

Twilight tried to reason with them. "Please, you have to understand, I didn't realize how badly I hurt her. But now I do, and-"

"I don't think you do," said Mrs. Cake, and she took a step towards the emotional unicorn. "You broke Pinkie's heart, and you didn't even notice."

"Please! I know how much she cares!" Twilight's argument was lost on deaf ears, and she desperately tried to charge past the bakers. She found that, as a team, they had more horsepower than she'd expected, and she found herself bucked out the door of the shop. She got up as quickly as she could, but it was no use. The Cakes shut and locked the door to the bakery, and turned without once acknowledging the mare they'd just kicked into the dirt outside.

Twilight shivered in the cold. She looked up at Pinkie's window, and thought about calling out to her from her current vantage point. She knew that even if Pinkie heard her, she would not talk with her unless the two were face-to face. And there was only one way to do that.

"Alright." Standing up straight, Twilight felt a strange energy flowing through her veins, warming her body. The unicorn's eyes glowed, and she got into a charging pose. Her horn flashed with a brilliant white glow.

"No more Mrs. Nice Mare."

She charged at the door. Her magic unlocked it, and she dashed into the bakery. Once again, the Cakes blocked her way to the staircase. This time, though, she didn't care if anypony else was hurt. She had to accomplish her goal.

With a flash of white light, two beams of lavender energy shot from Twilight's horn and struck the Cakes. The two earth ponies found themselves in midair, unable to escape Twilight's hold. Suddenly the magic shot them forward towards each other, and they slammed together in air. the two fell to the ground, unharmed but winded, and Twilight rushed past them up the stairs. At the top, she set a force field around the staircase, and galloped down the hall to where she knew Pinkie Pie was.

She burst through the door, and turned to shut and lock the door with several locks that she'd created out of thin air. Then she calmed down, and her eyes stopped glowing. She turned back to face the room, and was shocked to see Pinkie Pie standing almost directly in front of her. The bubblegum mare's hair was still straight, and Twilight feared the worst.

"What are you doing here?" It was not as sad-sounding as she'd thought, but Pinkie Pie still sounded severely depressed. Twilight wiped a leftover tear from her eye, and said, "We need to talk. About us."

Pinkie took a step back, her expression never changing. "What is there to talk about? You don't really care anyway."

"Pinkie."

The earth pony turned away from her, and said, "There's no chance of us ever talking about 'us' again, so you might as well just go."

"Pinkie."

"I mean, what could we talk about? Party books? Books about parties? You're being stupid, thinking we can-"

"Pinkie, I read your Hearts and Hooves day letter."

Pinkie stopped, and didn't say or do anything for a moment. Then, very slowly, she turned on the spot to the lavender unicorn, look of disbelief on her face. "Spike said he wouldn't let anypony else look at it." She stared at the piece of paper in Twilight's magical grip, and Twilight saw tears coming to the mare's eyes.

"Pinkie..."

The pink pony burst into sobs. "Why would you leave?" she asked, shouting over her sobs. She lowered herself to the floor, and began to curl up into a ball. Twilight watched, and tried to say something. Her words were caught in her throat, however, and she found she could not breathe. Instead she listened as Pinkie rattled off a list of pleas through her sadness.

"What did we do wrong?

"What did I do wrong?

"How could you do this to me?

"Why did you ignore me?"

The last question was enough. Twilight rushed to Pinkie's side, and lifted the earth pony into a deep embrace. Pinkie wrapped her forelegs around Twilight, and the two hugged while their tears ran onto each other's backs. Eventually, Pinkie's sobbing died down, and Twilight pulled away from her. The pink mare didn't look any worse, but she didn't look any better to Twilight, either.

"You didn't even give me time to plan a goodbye party." The words coming out of Pinkie's moth sounded more like her, and Twilight managed to let out a small laugh. "I know. I've been very..." She looked for the right word, and Pinkie delivered it to her. "Stupid," she said, and Twilight sighed heavily and nodded. "Yeah. I guess you could call it that. I didn't realize how terrible I'd been to all of my friends..." She paused, and after a moment, added, "...and you." She looked over at Pinkie, and saw that her hair was starting to look springier again.

Pinkie sniffled. "Well?" she asked, with an unnaturally quiet tone. "Did you like my letter?"

Twilight moved closer to the pink mare. "Pinkie Pie," she said, and Pinkie could hear the sincerity in her voice. "Your letter was the most beautiful piece of writing I've ever read." With those words, the unicorn pulled Pinkie Pie in, and whispered into her ear:

"I love you."

Pinkie Pie's hair underwent a metamorphosis at that moment. It sprung up, and the force of the shift caused Pinkie to move away from Twilight. The lavender unicorn saw a grin growing on Pinkie's face before her vision was filled with a wall of pink. She felt something warm press against her mouth, and she realized Pinkie had kissed her.

The shock of Pinkie's change of heart was brief. Twilight shut her eyes and let Pinkie take over, wrapping her forelegs around the earth pony's waist. An intense warmth poured through her, and every ounce of her being went into her kiss. The two kissed hungrily, over and over, and showed no signs of letting up their embrace. Twilight slowly lay down on the floor, letting Pinkie Pie climb on top of her and press her chest into Twilight's. Every moment they spent with their lips together was more than either of them had ever asked for. As she rubbed a hoof through Twilight's hair, Pinkie thought back to each of the lonely nights she'd spent fantasizing about the scene playing out before her. Each time she imagined it she'd gone and stood outside Twilight's door, thinking, and in the end she'd turned and gone back to the Sugarcube Corner. She thought of the countless times she'd found herself lying awake in her bed, moving her hoof down her body as thoughts of the lavishing unicorn she was kissing filled her head. Now her dreams and fantasies were becoming reality before her eyes, and nothing would keep her from reaping the rewards she so desperately needed.

Twilight felt something wet press against her mouth, and knew immediately what Pinkie wanted from her. Without hesitating, she allowed Pinkie's tongue to slip past her lips, and she moaned in pleasure as the sweet taste of cupcakes filled her mouth. Mmmm. Of course she tastes like this. She felt an intense heat radiating in between her hind legs, and more than anything wanted Pinkie to satisfy her. She moved her hoofs across Pinkie's body, resting one on her flank while the other wrapped around her neck and pressed their lips together. Soft moans bubbled up from Pinkie's throat, and when Twilight began to caress her flank they became louder. Pinkie's tongue wrestled with Twilight's and the two mares were lost in the shower of pleasure each other’s embrace brought. Twilight had become so absorbed in Pinkie's lips that she did not notice that her enchantments had worn off.

The sound of the door being flung open made Twilight open her eyes. Regretfully breaking away from Pinkie Pie, Twilight looked over to the door to see Mr. and Mrs. Cake in the doorway. They were staring at the two mares with a look of disbelief on their faces. Pinkie Pie looked up at them, and smiled. "Don't worry about me, Mr. and Mrs. Cake! I'm all better now! But I need you to leave now." She nodded at the door, and the Cakes slowly backed out of the room, shutting the door behind them without a word.

Pinkie turned back to Twilight. "And you, my silly little filly," she said in a sing-song voice, nipping the unicorn's ear, "don't have to worry about the Cakes anymore. I'll explain it to them later." She got off of Twilight, and pulled her to the bed nearby. She pushed Twilight onto it, and slid on top of her again. Twilight gasped as a wave of heat rocked her body. Pinkie was rubbing a hoof slowly around her sensitive area, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out in pleasure.

Pinkie Pie grinned down at her new lover. "Oh, does that feel good?" she asked playfully, turning herself around and putting her flank close to Twilight's face. "Well, I think while I get to work here, you deserve a little snack." She pressed her round pink rump into her lover's face, and shuddered as she felt Twilight's hooves begin to caress her flank. She couldn't help but giggle when Twilight began to work her tongue, and paused long enough to say:

"Tastes like frosting."

----------

Rarity bit her pillow to keep from losing control of herself. She was trying desperately to keep from busting into a fit of giggles as Spike handed her the bottle of hot sauce. She shook her head into the pillow, and heard Spike giggle. She peeked up over the edge of the pillow, and the almost-emptied bottle of whiskey stood next to a filled shot glass. Two wedges of lime remained on the plate, and Rarity knew that she had to make her move.

Spike shook the bottle of hot sauce. "C'mon, Rarity," he said, grinning evilly at the unicorn. "You took the dare. Now you have to drink the sauce, take the shot, and bite the lime." He laughed again, and watched Rarity pull the bottle out of his claws with her magic. She unscrewed the top, and stared at it for a second, contemplating whether or not she could actually stand the taste of the spicy condiment on its own. Then, she shrugged, and in one swift motion brought the bottle to her lips and took a large swig.

The effect was immediate. Rarity's face turned bright red, and Spike swore he saw smoke puff out from in between her lips as she groped for the glass. She swallowed as quickly as possible, and brought the shot glass to her lips as quickly as she had the bottle of hot sauce. She gulped it down, and felt the slightly bitter liquid wash over her taste buds. The taste of the cold drink made her sigh with relief, and she calmly reached for her lime wedge. She finished Spike's dare, and looked over at him with a slightly strained smile.

"There. Easier than making a brooch."

Spike laughed, and looked down at the lone slice of lime on the plate. He felt crestfallen that their game was almost over, and the thought of coming back home to a most likely enraged Twilight while drunk worried him deeply. Still, he felt entitled to enjoy his last night with Rarity as much as he could, and looked over at her with a smirk.

"Alright. What's mine? And make it good." He pointed at the lime wedge. "You got one left."

Rarity giggled again. She looked down at the plate, and her smile disappeared for a second. It went unnoticed, and she looked back over at Spike with a coy smile on her face. "Don't you worry, Spike," she said in a voice she hoped wasn't giving anything away. "I have something in mind."

The Fire Ruby levitated up to her mouth, and she began to lick the surface of it. She never broke eye contact with Spike, and he began to feel almost uncomfortable sitting next to her as she went along. Eventually she stopped, and with her magic brought the salt shaker sitting nearby to her neck and sprinkled salt over the gem. She grinned at the look on Spike's face as his eyes widened. She set down the salt shaker and scooted closer to him on her couch.

This is wrong.

I don't care anymore. I want this.

"Alright," she said, looking him strangely in the eye. "First:" She lifted the Fire Ruby. "Lick the salt off the gemstone. Next:" She poured the last of the whiskey into a shot glass. "Take your shot. And finally:" She lifted the small plate. "Bite into the lime. Easy enough, no?" She looked at him questioningly, and felt only the slightest satisfaction to see he was still staring at the Fire Ruby around her neck.

If this fails...

It can't.

"Well?" she said, and Spike glanced up at her face. She scooted an inch closer. "Go on then. I did yours, now you do mine." She almost lost her composure when she saw him blush.

"Uhhh..." Spike was more hesitant than she would have thought. Rarity shut her eyes, unsure of how to ix the situation. Just when she began to move back to the other side of the couch, she felt something brush against her neck. To her delight, she found Spike at her neck, licking the salt off of the Fire Ruby. He made no sound, and Rarity tensed as one of his hands wound its way around her neck for support. The feeling of his claws slightly gripping into her fur made Rarity bite her lip, and she submerged herself in her self-made pleasure.

You, Rarity, are a sick and twisted mare.

And I couldn't care less.

She felt a sudden grinding. Spike had become absorbed in the taste of the gem itself, and was now unconsciously trying to eat it. Before he could cause any damage to the Fire Ruby, Rarity pushed him away. "Spike, the salt's gone. The glass."

He nodded absently, and reached for the glass. As he reached, Rarity took advantage of the fact that his eyes were closed, and checked the Ruby. It was unscathed, and she sighed in relief. She looked down at the lime wedge, and back at Spike, who raised his glass in cheers and tilted his head back. Rarity knew this was her last chance.

Well? DO IT!

With no further hesitation, Rarity made her move.

Spike set down the sot glass, and leaned over the table. He looked over at the plate, and frowned when he saw it was empty. He looked up at Rarity, who had a calm look on her face.

"What happened to the lime?"

He sat up. Rarity took another scoot closer, and he watched her smile, confused. Her smile grew wider, until it broke out into a full on grin, and Spike almost jumped at the sight of her grin. It was green.

In between Rarity's teeth was the last slice of lime. She looked at him coyly, and he could almost tell she'd planned for this. Again she moved closer, and Spike didn't know whether or not to move away. He stared at the wedge, then up at Rarity, then back at the wedge. Her face was unreadable, but Spike could have sworn that as she moved closer, he heard her breath a single word:

"Please."

He looked her in the eyes. She had not moved her gaze from him, and he waited another moment to see if she was joking. Then, after a minute of simply staring at each other, Spike moved closer to her. Rarity raised an eyebrow, and bit deeper into the lime. Then, without warning, she closed the gap between them.

Spike didn't care if he was dreaming or not: every second was now worth its weight in gold. He had dreamed of it for years, and now it played around him as it had played in his head. He shut his eyes, and placed a hand on her cheek, letting time freeze for them. There was nothing to stop them.

Rarity wrapped her forelegs around Spike's neck, and pressed into him. She felt his arm slide along her waist, and shivered at the feel of his claws softly scratching her. Each second was an eternity, and she could not have wished for more. Her lips pressed harder against his, and she began to feel heated up. Just as she began to push him down on the couch, he pushed her away, and she looked at him in shock.

"Spike...?"

He raised a finger, and turned his head. Looking down at the plate on the coffee table, he violently spit out the lime wedge. Rarity began to giggle again, but was stopped by Spike. He grabbed her waist and placed a hand gently at the back of her head, and pulled her to him again.

She could taste the lime on his lips as they kissed again. She let out a soft moan as Spike began to caress her, holding tightly to her body. The two were locked together, and Rarity pressed into him as hard as possible. Now she felt him lower onto the couch, and she relaxed as her mind began to fog over. She began to breathe heavily as his claws moved across her body, and her mind was focused on only one thing: pleasure.

Her horn glowed, and Spike found his hands being moved on their own. His eyes shot open as he suddenly felt something soft and round under his palms. Glancing down, he found that Rarity had forced his claws on her flank. Before he could fully react, Rarity pulled away, and leaned over to his ear and whispered:

"Don't you dare."

Rarity rested her nose on his chin when she drew back, and their eyes locked. Spike felt seconds slow into minutes, then hours, then days, and he felt as though he couldn't move. His hesitation did not go unnoticed by Rarity, and her eyes seemed to beg him to do what she wanted. He looked into them, and realized too late that he'd done something wrong. Rarity pulled her head up from his chin, her eyes filling with imagined flames as she stared threateningly down at him.

"Oh for the love of Celestia!" she shouted, frustrated with his lingering obliviousness. "We both want this, so-" She stopped herself, and her horn began to glow as she lowered her head down to his chest. Spike gasped as he felt his hand being pulled by her magic again. He blushed as it slid along the wide curves of her rump on its own and bit his lip unconsciously as he felt it rise and smack down on her cutie mark. He stared up at the ceiling, and suddenly felt Rarity slide over to his side. Her mane appeared in his line of vision, and he found she was lying next to him, facing the back of the couch. She still held his hand on her flank, and she turned her head to him, teasing him with a seductive look.

"Well? Are you going to take over?"

There was nothing left to say. With no more hesitation and shyness left in him, Spike moved his hands forward and rested one on her hips and one along her flank. He leaned forward and pressed his lips into her back. Rarity cooed at the feeling of his claws tracing her curves, and she rested her head dreamily on the arm of the couch as Spike's lips slid down her body. Each breath he took made her skin tingle, and the sound of his sighing as he left wet marks down her body set off a new kind of indulgent pleasure in her head.

Spike moved down the length of her form, and his hands were free to glide across her flank and legs. They had minds of their own, one moment stroking her haunches gratefully, the next caressing her rump intensely. He heard her moaning softly into a pillow, and felt his own lusts fighting to burst out of the cell he'd put them in months before. Now he let them out, gently, occasionally, and his movements were timed and gentle. His lips found her hips, and he looked up at her. She was lost in a dream world, her eyes closed and a dreamy smile on her face.

He continued to feel her body, and became bolder as he went. What were once nervous strokes were now strong and powerful caresses, and Rarity moaned into the fabric of the couch. He clutched her flank tightly in one hand as the other came to rest on her back, stroking her softly. He began to kiss her hips, and after a moment of hesitation he went lower and brushed his lips against her wide, curved rump. She began to pant, and bit the arm of the couch as he continued to pleasure her.

His movements intensified. Rarity felt his lips press firmly into her cutie mark, suckling slowly on one of the diamonds that adorned her flank. His claws dug into the thick flesh of her curves, and Rarity couldn't stand it anymore. She gasped and softly called out his name, and Spike looked up at her. Her face was flushed with heat, and when he saw the look in her eyes he knew what she wanted. He slid his body along hers and pressed his lips into her neck, bringing about a soft moan from the ivory unicorn. She slowly pulled herself back on top of him, and she brought his eyes up to look at hers.

"Don't stop."

It was barely a whisper, and if anypony else had been in the room Spike would have thought that it was them. Rarity firmly pressed her lips against his, and the two were interlocked in a seemingly endless embrace. Spike's hands slid along her wide rump, groping and rubbing her lower body frantically now. Her moans echoed out from in between their lips, mingling with the short wet smacks of their kisses. Rarity slid her tongue past his lips, and felt a sudden sharpness on it as she came in contact with his fangs. Her tongue felt over them, and she pulled away from him when she felt a prick on her tongue.

Spike stared up at her, panting lightly from the extensive display of affection. "Rarity..." His voice was almost raspy. "Did I-" His voice broke when he saw the look in Rarity's eyes. She was staring down at him hungrily, and her eyes burned with an unknowable desire to take the dragon beneath her.

She raced down to meet his lips, and forced her tongue past his teeth. The feel of the sharp, possibly deadly fangs sliding against her teeth brought a new wave of arousal and adrenaline crashing down on Rarity, and she lost control of all basic motor skills. She felt Spike's hand move up to the back of her head, and barely registered the feeling of his fingers stroking her mane. If anypony had walked in on them, they would have easily been frightened at the sight of the beast that was taking advantage of its poor victim. No, she thought briefly, that's not right.

I'm not taking advantage of him.

After minutes (or hours, neither of them knew nor cared) of frantic kissing, Rarity slowly pulled away, leaving a thin string of saliva between the two's lips. Spike waited for the strand to break before he spoke:

"What just happened?"

Rarity laughed gently, and lay down next to him, panting heavily. She nuzzled into his neck, and when he wrapped an arm around her waist she said, "Something that should have happened a long time ago."

He sat up suddenly, and Rarity looked up at him, surprised. The drake looked at the bottle of whiskey, now empty, and realized he no longer felt the buzz of the drink. This was not some alcohol-induced tryst. He turned to Rarity, and said, "Why now?"

She sat up and reached out to him. When he didn't respond, she lowered her forelegs and said, "I thought I would always have you here. I'd grown so used to seeing you that I couldn't appreciate how much you cared about me until you were leaving. I suppose..." She paused, and again reached out, silently asking for his embrace. "I suppose I didn't realize I cared for you as much as you do for me until it was too late." Her eyes shone out at him, pleading for him to hold her.

Spike pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly. She sighed into it, and when they parted he said, "Good. I thought you were just drunk." Then he kissed her again, sliding a hand down her body and resting it on her flank. She pulled away from him and smiled.

"As enjoyable as this is, I think I'd enjoy this much more if we were to adjourn to the bedroom." She whispered into his ear seductively, and he felt his shyness returning as she took his hand and moved it to a particularly heated part of her body. She sighed softly at his touch, and got up from the couch. "A taste," she said teasingly, and turned to the stairs. Her hips swayed as she trotted to the staircase, and she playfully wiggled her flank at him when she reached them. She went up the stairs, and after a minute, Spike followed her up. He wondered whether or not Twilight would come looking for him, and after a moment of consideration he decided he didn't care. Just for one night.

He entered Rarity's room and found her laid out on the bed. Her legs were splayed out, and her flank was facing him. On her hind legs were long, black lace stockings, and Spike suddenly felt that Rarity had something in mind. His theory was confirmed when he saw the bottle of skin lotion floating next to her rump. She looked over at him innocently, and said in a seductive tone, "Oh! Spike, you came in just in time. I was just readying for bed." She brought the bottle of lotion next to him, and placed it in his hand. She stuck her bottom lip out in a slight pout, and asked in an innocent-sounding tone, "You wouldn't mind getting my flank, darling, would you? It's soooo hard to get everywhere, and you know how I am."

Spike stared at her flank, entranced by her voice. Without a word, he moved towards the bed, prepared to enjoy the night he'd so dreamed of for years. Any thought of what Twilight would do to him when he came back to the library was gone, replaced by thoughts of what Rarity would do to him if he complied with her "request". As he opened the bottle, only one thought crossed his mind at all, and he didn't bother to shy away from it:

Sweet Celestia, has she got a great ass.

-------

Twilight leaned against Pinkie as the two made their way along the darkened streets towards the library. She could barely stand, and it was only the encouragement from the pink mare next to her that kept her from falling over right there in the street. Pinkie held her up, and she was giggling at the unicorn exhaustion.

"Heehee! Wow, Twilight, I didn't think you'd get that tired from it. Next time I'll be gentler, okay?" She nuzzled her lover's neck, and Twilight smiled distantly. They'd come from the Sugarcube Corner after they'd explained their situation to the Cakes. After several assurances and promises not to sleep together at the Corner ("The babies, you know?" said a clearly traumatized Mr. Cake), the bakers had accepted that they were happy together, and had sent them off. Now they were heading for the library, and Twilight could think of nothing but the aspect of her warm familiar bed.

She nuzzled into Pinkie's neck, and lightly kissed her. "I hope you understand you have to stay with me tonight. I'm not going to let you walk out the library door." She giggled lightly, and heard Pinkie gasp.

"Twilight! How could you think I would do something like that?" She nudged the unicorn playfully. "Silly filly. Of course I'm gonna stay with you! I'm gonna help you tell Celestia-"

She was interrupted by the sudden change that went through Twilight at the mention of her mentor's name. The lavender mare shot up in the air and began to rush towards the library, her weariness shrugged off. Pinkie Pie followed, calling her name.

When Pinkie found Twilight, she was frantically looking around the library at all of her bags, looking for some unknown item. Before Pinkie could ask her what exactly she was trying to find, though, Twilight began to sob in a performance that would make Rarity applaud. Pinkie moved closer to her, and quietly said, "What's the matter, Twi?"

The lavender unicorn looked up at her lover, her lip quivering silently. "I don't know what to do! I've said I want to go, and I don't want to stop learning with Celestia, but I love you too, and Spike hates me, and fifty different warning lights are going off in my head and I don't know which one to-"

Pinkie pressed against Twilight, locking the two in a kiss and silencing her panicked marefriend. The two sat in silence, savoring their moment together. When Pinkie Pie pulled away, she looked Twilight in the eye and said in a surprisingly calm voice, "Twilight, I want you to calm down and tell me who or what you care about more. Is it Celestia, your studies, and your work? Or is it your best friends, your brother, and the mare who loves you more than anything in the whole wide world?"

Twilight felt more tears brimming at her eyes. She hugged Pinkie and whispered, "I think we both know the answer to that." She stood up and walked to the stairs. She looked back and said, "I know exactly what I'm going to do. But I think I'm going to wait until tomorrow, when the others are here." She gave Pinkie a familiar smile that made the pink mare grin with excitement. She knew what was coming next.

Twilight wiggled her flank at Pinkie Pie, and began to trot up the stairs, swinging her hips rhythmically as she said, "For now, I think I'd like to go to bed. I'd love some company though. You wouldn't m-"

She was spun around as Pinkie Pie zipped past her, galloping excitedly towards the bedroom door. Twilight sped up, ready to pounce on her lover as soon as she got the chance.

This is going to be fun, she thought, and thanked Spike silently for not being there to ruin her night.

--------

In the darkness of the Carousel Boutique, a single candle lit up Rarity's bedroom, illuminating the two forms lying peacefully in the large bed that took up half of the room. There was no sound, save for the soft purring of the mare as her lover gently held her against him.

Rarity sighed into Spike's chest. She was finally beginning to come down from her sexual high, and the calm of the moment was soothing. Spike was slowly running his claws through her mane, and she had her forelegs wrapped around him. Nothing could ruin their moment together, and she felt herself slipping into a greatly-needed sleep when Spike spoke.

"I love you."

He said it to say it. He wasn't revealing anything or trying to plead with her. It was a simple, undeniable fact, something both of them knew and accepted as the truth. That was what made her say, "I love you, too."

Their lips met in the dim light, and Rarity felt truly loved. When they pulled apart, she nuzzled his neck and forced herself to look ahead, to the impending separation that awaited them tomorrow. "Spike," she whispered. "What happens now?"

He laughed quietly. "Now? I was thinking about sleeping. Or did you really want to use every moment tonight?"

She smiled. "I meant after tonight. You have to leave tomorrow, and-"

She was surprised to hear him laugh, and she felt him lift her head up. Their eyes met, and Spike said, "Yeah, right. I get everything I've ever asked for in one night, and I'm supposed to leave it behind the next morning? Not happening." He sat up, and Rarity looked at him in amazement. "I love Twilight," he said. "Really, I do. She's pretty much my sister, and I owe it to her that I met you."

He leaned towards her, and kissed her neck. "But I don't have to tell you that I'd choose you over her in a heartbeat. At least, now I wouldn't." He laid back down on the bed, and found Rarity looking down at him with tears in her eyes.

Her voice barely penetrated the darkness around them. "Do I really mean that much to you?" He felt a tear drip on his face. "After how selfish I've been?"

Again, he laughed. "Rarity," he said, pulling her down on top of him, "we just had sex. Like, twice. After years of knowing each other, and months of both of us hiding our feelings for each other, it all comes exploding out in one big night of...well..." He scratched his neck nervously. "...gasping and frenching, and you seriously still doubt that I'd stay with you?"

He smiled and simply looked into her eyes, mere inches from his, and Rarity realized that he was right. She pulled her head back a little, and said, "I--I'm doing it again, aren't I? I'm trying to make things hard on myself." She stared down at Spike, but he didn't answer. Instead, he rested a hand on her cheek, and she slowly lowered herself onto him. Quietly, softly, they kissed, and Rarity felt her doubt rushing away in the rush of passion and love that flowed in between them. Spike's claws traced along the soft flesh of her thigh, and she felt a familiar heat gracing her body when his tongue flicked against her lips. She gratefully slid her own tongue into his mouth, and his touch intensified, his claws boldly gripping her rump. Before he went any further, though, Rarity pulled away, and teased him with a coy look.

"Now now," she said playfully, "I thought you said you were tired?" She gave him a suspicious stare, and the drake grinned.

"Yeah, well, I lied." He grabbed her, and swiftly pulled her down on top of him. As she felt his hands traveling down her body, she used her magic to extinguish the candle that dimly lit the room. We can talk in the morning, over coffee, I'm sure, she thought.

Spike's claws touched home, and she moaned in the darkness as her mind went to nothing.

-------

Rainbow Dash and Applejack enjoyed disagreeing occasionally. It was something that anypony would agree was the main factor that made them friends. They'd argued over the importance of stunt-flying versus rodeos. There were competitions to see whose method of apple picking was the most efficient (the winner had, without any doubt, Applejack, and Dash later agreed that it had been stupid of her to try and compete with a member of the Apple family in the first place). And of course, there were arguments over who would make the best couple. At the moment, though, they both agreed immediately that the couple they saw today had been a perfect match.

When the two had entered the library that morning, prepared to see Twilight of on her trip, they were shocked to see that Twilight was having breakfast, sitting at her table in a bathrobe reading a book. The appearance of an elated Pinkie Pie carrying a large tray of pancakes several seconds later only confounded them more, to the point that each of them began to babble at them, trying to coax an explanation from them.

"Buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-" Rainbow Dash stuttered.

"What-How-When-Duh?" Applejack asked.

Pinkie and Twilight only laughed, and Rainbow Dash asked Applejack to buck her in the flank to prove she wasn't dreaming. After she'd returned from her trip upstairs, the pegasus seemed if only a little more relaxed about the situation, albeit still in shock that Pinkie Pie seemed perfectly... Pinkie.

Applejack shook her head clear, and asked, "What exactly is goin' on here?" She stared Twilight down suspiciously, and the unicorn replied, "You'll have to wait for the others to show up!" She sipped her tea, and said, "By the way, do either of you know where Spike is? He stormed out yesterday and never came back."

Pinkie Pie giggled. "Twilight!" she said, looking at the unicorn jokingly. "I told you, don't look a gift pony in the mouth! If Spike did come back last night, then he'd really be mad at you." She went into a fit of giggles, and Dash stared at the pink mare questioningly.

"And what exactly happened last night?" she asked, staring Pinkie down.

The mare only giggled more, and said, "Ah-ah-ah! It's a surprise!"

Dash was about to question her more when the door to the library opened, and Fluttershy came in. Applejack was once again shocked to see that something strange was happening with her friends. The cream-colored pegasus, usually slow and careful, was now giddily zooming through the air, squeaking with delight. When she landed, Dash was startled to see an uncharacteristically large grin on her face.

"Uh, Fluttershy? Is everything alright?" Rainbow Dash asked, and the yellow mare answered, "Oh yes, Rainbow Dash, everything's fine. More than fine, really. You see, I saw-"

A knock at the door made Fluttershy turn quickly. "Oh! They're here! Oh, I'll let them tell you!" She slid into a corner as the door opened, and Spike walked through. Upon seeing Twilight, he blushed slightly.

Twilight looked up from her book and smiled at her assistant. "Good morning, Spike. Sorry about yesterday. Did you find some place to stay last night?"

Spike stared in wonder at the unicorn sitting at the table before him. "Uhhh..." When he and Rarity had discussed how they were going to explain their situation to Twilight, they had not expected her to be as laid back about his disappearance when he confronted her. He stuttered, "Wh-What do you mean, Twilight?"

She smiled again. "I mean, where did you sleep? Were you just out somewhere, did you sleep on a park bench, or did you find somewhere where there was a bed to sleep in and a roof over your head?"

He blinked. "Yeah..." he said. "Yeah, I found some place." He turned nervously to the door, and said, "What exactly is going on? Aren't we supposed to be leaving, y'know, now?"

Twilight laughed. "I'll tell you once Rarity's here. In the meantime, Pinkie Pie made some pancakes, so why don't-"

"I OBJECT!"

Rarity burst through the door, standing on her hind legs and pointing accusingly at Twilight. "You're not leaving here without going through me! I've-" She faltered when she saw the relaxing unicorn eating at her table, instead of the distant and cold one she'd imagined she'd see that morning. She looked at Spike, who was sitting in a chair now, holding his head in his hands. The enormous blush on his face was poorly covered, and Rarity found her own face taking on a reddish hue itself.

Twilight ignored Rarity's overly dramatic entrance, which had left Pinkie in hysterics, and stood up from the table. "Oh good," she said cheerfully, ignoring the intensely embarrassed look on the ivory unicorn's face. "Everyone's here. Now I can tell you the news." She walked over to Pinkie Pie, who was still rolling on the floor giggling, and pulled her to her hooves.

Pinkie held in her giggles as best as she could as Twilight began to explain. "As you all know, you've all come here this morning to say your goodbyes to me and Spike." She gestured to the drake at the table, who was still holding his head in his hands. "You've found that I am instead calmly relaxing here in my bathrobe reading a novel while enjoying some of Pinkie's wonderful pancakes."

The pink mare waved at the mention of her name, and she said, "Ooh! Ooh! I want to say the next part, Twi! Pleeeeeease?" She batted her eyelashes pleadingly at Twilight, and the unicorn laughed. "Sure, Pinkie," she said, and went back to her tea for the moment. Pinkie Pie trotted to the center of the room, and announced loudly to the room:

"Twilight and Spike aren't going to leave Ponyville!"

There was a moment of silence, when everything felt weighted down by Pinkie's words. Then there was a squeal of joy, and five mares turned their heads in time to see Rarity rush over to Spike and pounce, knocking him out of his chair and sending them both crashing to the floor. Rarity began to frantically smother him, pressing their lips together again and again. Eventually she looked up at the shocked faces staring at them, and she regained her composure, stepping off of Spike and brushing herself off.

She coughed lightly, and mumbled, "Well, we were going to tell you later."

Fluttershy began to giggle joyfully, and Rainbow Dash simply blinked at them. Applejack's pupils were dilating rapidly, trying to process what she'd just witnessed. Pinkie Pie grinned wildly, and Twilight stared for a moment before smiling gently at the two.

"I guess you did find some place to sleep yesterday, huh?" she said, sipping her tea and looking at him questioningly.

Spike blushed, and muttered something indiscernible under his breath. He sat up and looked over at Rarity, rubbing his head. "You could have been gentler, you know."

She smirked, and turned her head up at him. "Of course I could have," she said, and walked over to another chair. She twirled her tail playfully and sat down, saying, "I just didn't feel like being gentle."

Pinkie Pie zipped over to Rarity, pulling her into a hug and shouting, "Ohboyohboyohboy! I knew it would happen some day! I knew it!" She gasped, and rocketed over to Twilight, who was still smiling down at Spike. "That makes our news double special!" she said, and yanked Twilight out of her chair and twirled her around in a dance-like pattern. She pulled the unicorn into a hug before yelling her news once again:

"Twilight and I are a couple now!"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other.

"Ah knew it," she said, and smirked up at the cyan pegasus.

"We both knew it," she said, and landed next to the apple farmer gently. She smiled, and said, "So, that makes tonight..."

"Eyep," said Applejack, tilting her hat up. "Yer gonna love what ah got in store for ya. By tomorrow, yer gonna know a whole new meanin' ta the term 'apple bucking.'" She held in a laugh as Dash blushed and struggled to keep her wings from popping out at her sides. Fluttershy, who had been standing behind them at the time, blushed frantically, and scooted away from them, whispering silent "Oh my"s to herself.

Twilight pulled herself out of Pinkie Pie's grip, and dusted herself off. "Yes. Pinkie and I had a bit of a coming to last night, and realized how much I love her." She said it without hesitation, and Rarity felt herself tearing up at the confession. "It's also the reason I'm not leaving Ponyville," Twilight said, and brought a quill and blank piece of parchment over to the table.

"I think this'll make a perfect final letter to the Princess," she said, and began to write.

Rainbow Dash came out of her fantastical trance and looked over at Twilight. "Wait," she said, "what do you mean, 'final letter?'"

Twilight sighed, but did not look up from her writing. "I'm resigning as Celestia's student. There's no other way to stay with you all. I have to do this."

Rarity looked surprised. "No other choice?" she asked. "That seems rather harsh of her. Are you sure you have to leave her as a student?"

Twilight nodded, and continued writing, dictating it as she went:

Dear Princess Celestia,

As you know, I have been asked to attend a year-long 'sabbatical' from Ponyville under the guidance of various masters of magic from around the world. When I originally answered back to this news, I agreed immediately to take said sabbatical. However, as events played out, I discovered that I would have to leave behind the one thing that is most important to me when I left: the love and friendship of all of the ones I know in Ponyville.

It is for this reason that I have to turn down the chance of traveling the world, and I hereby resign from my post as your student. I don't want you to be angry with me, and I still want to be able to write to you occasionally, but I can't continue in my studies if I can't do it with the ponies I love.

I hope that this makes a proper final friendship report. I will miss visiting you and I will treasure all of the time I've spent under your tutelage.

Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight set down her quill. "Spike, can you send this?"

The drake took the letter from her silently. He stared at it for a moment, and felt a sudden urge to tear it up. Then he sent it, and there was nothing he could do anymore. He rested his cheek comfortably on his hand, and he looked over at Twilight. "Well, what now?" he said.

Twilight gestured to the pancakes. "Well, it's not like we have anything to wait for. Let's eat." She levitated a pancake onto her plate and began to eat. After a few hesitant moments, Spike went into the kitchen and came back with several plates and sets of silverware. He took a plate, snatched up a pancake, and began to eat nonchalantly. The others slowly followed, and soon the table was covered with plates and silent eaters.

Rarity glanced back and forth between Spike and Twilight throughout the breakfast, trying to catch any sign of antagonistic behavior towards each other. She saw nothing out of the ordinary, besides the surprising calm Spike had towards Twilight's decision to quit being Celestia's student. She tried to start a conversation several times, but every time she opened her mouth, she found herself subconsciously putting more of her breakfast in her mouth.

The breakfast was unceremoniously interrupted by a sudden hacking fit from Spike. The six mares looked at the purple dragon as he began to grip his throat, starting to turn red in the face. "Spike?" Rarity asked, and she tried to help him when he merely answered by pointing at his throat. She began a frantic attempt at the Heimlich maneuver, and Twilight was about to try and unclog his windpipe magically when he suddenly belched, and a scroll came bursting from the small bout of flames that gushed from his throat. Spike groaned, and he fell into his plate, smacking his face into a half-eaten pancake.

Twilight brought the scroll over to her plate and unrolled it. For a few seconds, she read the scroll with a nonplussed expression on her face. As she read on, however, Pinkie Pie noticed that Twilight's eye was twitching. Twilight set down the scroll, and for a second the lavender unicorn's face was contorted into an expression of pure terror. Then she regain control of her facial expressions, and she lightly coughed, and said, "Well, I have some good news. The Princess is being generous with me, and letting me stay on as her apprentice. So that's-"

Pinkie reached for the letter, and Twilight slapped her hoof away. "Don't touch it!" she burst out, and the others at the table looked at her with worried expressions on their faces. Twilight took the scroll off the table, and laughed off her outburst. "You really don't want to bother yourself with my issues with the Princess. Re-" She was interrupted when Rarity took the scroll in her magic and brought it over to read.

Pinkie Pie had to hold Twilight make to make sure that Rarity would not be hurt as Twilight tried to snatch the letter back from Rarity. "Please! You don't want to read that! I'm begging you, as a friend!" Rarity ignored her, and slipped on her glasses so that she could read the letter to the ponies seated around the table:

To my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,

I must say, I was quite shocked to receive your letter this morning. I was shocked to think that you believed that I would not allow you to pass up an opportunity to travel the world, though I admit I am slightly disappointed you chose not to go.

But I will say it again: You have to stop jumping to conclusions! I was not putting you into a corner, and I most certainly did not say that you had to choose between your friends or your studies. You are perfectly allowed to choose to stay with your friends, and I am not going to patronize you for your choice. On the contrary, I could not have been more proud of your decision to stay with your friends. You've learned more about friendship than I have expected, and I hope you can continue to learn from your friends.

You are hereby denied your request to resign, on the grounds that you have no legitimate reason to leave. I expect to continue to receive reports on your findings in the field of friendship, as well as any other findings that you believe can prove helpful to Equestria in general.

Her Royal Highness,

Princess Celestia of Equestria

P.S. I'm glad you found Pinkie Pie's letter. I had given up trying to convince her to show it to you, and I was sure that sending it back to her would not be enough.

All eyes were on Twilight. The lavender unicorn was covering her face with her hooves, trying to cover up the enormous red stain that adorned her face. Before any of them could say anything, Pinkie Pie took the letter from Rarity and smiled gently at them.

"Don't worry about Twilight, you guys," she said, grinning slightly as she pulled Twilight out of her seat. "It wasn't her fault. You should probably go, though. I think Twilight needs some time to herself." She brought Twilight over to the stairs and sent her up. Then she escorted Applejack and Rainbow Dash to the door. "I'm sorry about this big mess. But everything should be back to normal tomorrow!" She seemed unnaturally cheerful for somepony who'd just found out that their emotionally traumatic experience had been caused entirely by the one who'd fixed it.

"Uh, Pinkie..." Dash began, but Pinkie stopped her.

"I know what you're thinking, and yes, I am." She pushed the cyan pegasus out of the doorway, and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Rainbow Dash nodded, and looked at Applejack with uncertainty as Pinkie brought Fluttershy outside the library with them. "Thanks for being so understanding. See ya!" she said, and slammed the door.

Fluttershy looked over at Applejack and Rainbow Dash, trying to think of something to say. Finding nothing, she simply nodded at them, mumbled a quiet "Goodbye," and left the two to their own devices.

A moment of silence passed. The two mares stood quietly outside the library, trying to think of something to say. Finally, Rainbow Dash blurted out, "Your place or mine?" and blushed at her outburst.

Applejack grinned. "Ah think ya'll can guess. Race ya to the farm." She swished her tail in Dash's face as she passed, and after a moment of stunned silence Rainbow Dash zoomed off into the air, passing Applejack in a heartbeat. The two raced towards Sweet Apple Acres to enjoy each other's company.

Rarity prodded Spike with a hoof as Pinkie trotted towards the stairs. The drake's face was still lying in his pancake, and Rarity was beginning to worry about him when he lifted his head up and looked over at Pinkie Pie.

"Should we get out of here, too?" he asked. Pinkie turned to him and shrugged. "If there's a problem with that, I can try to be quieter when I deal with Twilight this time around. You might be better off on your own, though." She winked, and Rarity felt blood rushing to her face. She stood up, brushing her hair out of her face, and said, "Well, I think we'll be going, then." She smiled at Pinkie, who was already half-way up the stairs towards Twilight's room. "Thank you for breakfast, darling. It was wonderful."

Pinkie waved and disappeared up the stairs without another word. The sound of a door opening and closing told Rarity she was safe to speak with Spike. She turned to the dragon and saw that he was eating the pancake he'd been using as a pillow. He caught Rarity's gaze, and shrugged innocently.

Rarity decided against complaining, and said, "Spike, we should talk about what we do now."

Spike didn't look up from his food. "Well," he said, "I was thinking I could eat my breakfast, and then I could go grab my stuff and move it over to your place." He looked up at her, and was not surprised to see a look of shock on her face.

"S-Spike? You want to move in?" Rarity blinked at him, shocked at how forward he was being. She had not expected him to be so keen on leaving his old home, especially now that he had a choice.

Spike finished his pancake and stood up, stretching his arms slowly. "Yeah," he said, looking over at her like it was the most obvious choice to make in the world. "We decided that, didn't we? No matter how difficult it would be, and all that romantic stuff you said last night."

Rarity sniffled, and shot towards Spike suddenly. She pulled him into a spine-crushing hug and buried her head in his shoulder. He held her hesitantly, unsure of what would happen next. She lifted her head up and locked eyes with him, moving her face closer to him. "I think we can wait for Twilight and Pinkie to finish their business together..." she whispered, and just as their lips brushed together they heard a sudden scream.

Twilight's voice sounded from the floor above them, and Spike pulled away from Rarity in time to hear her moan something through the floorboards of her bedroom. Both of their faces grew bright red as they listened in on the conversation between Pinkie Pie and Twilight, accompanied by the sound of something being pounded into a wall.

"Oh Celestia, Pinkie! I'm so sorry! Don't hurt me!"

"You had a choice, Twilight? A CHOICE?!? Well, not anymore, you don't!"

"Ooh, I've been so bad, Pinkie! I deserve this sooo much!"

"You bet your sweet flank you do!"

The pounding intensified, and Spike heard both Twilight and Pinkie Pie moaning upstairs. He turned to Rarity, whose mouth was open in shock at the scene heard above them.

"...from the boutique," Rarity added on to her sentence, and Spike nodded rapidly before heading to the door. Rarity followed without hesitation, and the two burst out of the library into the mid-morning sun gratefully. Spike locked the door behind him, and his eye momentarily twitched when he found he could still hear Twilight's moans from inside the library. He turned to Rarity, and mouthed, "What the hell?" The unicorn shrugged, and they practically sprinted away from the library, stopping only when the Carousel Boutique came into sight.

Rarity stopped outside the store and sighed. "I suppose Twilight being... err... busy with her own relationship is better than her being against ours," she said, trying to push the traumatizing noises from her mind. She pecked Spike on the cheek and opened the door to her shop. She turned to Spike and smiled. "I have some dresses I need to make today. You wouldn't mind helping, would you?"

Spike nodded. "Hey," he said, shrugging, "I was doing that before all this happened. It's like second nature to me now." He stepped inside, and Rarity shut the door to the shop. She raised a hoof to the Fire Ruby hung around her neck. She had not taken it off since she'd put it on the night before.

"Thank you," she whispered, and stepped into her studio, where her Prince Charming was waiting for her.

The End