Spike gets a little crush

A shallow moon sickle hung low above the Equestrian skies. Crickets sang through the cloudless night as the whole town slept. No more than a lone wanderer was out to walk the dark narrow streets of Ponyville.

All lights had gone out many hours before making the town nearly invisible against the night sky. But there was one home where the lights were still on, though not much activity seemed to be going on behind them. A silhouette of a pony slowly passed back and forth at one of the windows, showing one of the sole signs of life in this town.

The illuminated house was Rarity's boutique and she was the pony casting the silhouette up against the window. Her horn lighted up as a broom passed and trash was gathered. Ribbons and balloon fragments were flung together and vanished into trash bins while the shop's ponyquin puppets emerged and took up their regular place at the boutique. Soon little of the shop's activities earlier that evening were still visible, but there was still a lot of work to do.

Rarity's birthday was due in a week, but because her parents and her sister were moving out tomorrow for a long vacation at the family's traditional resort they had celebrated the occasion during this weekend. But now she was on her own, while the rest of her family occupied the bedrooms being exhausted from nearly two days of spoiling her.

All this cleaning was pretty exhausting, but tomorrow the boutique had to be open for business. The pony knew she could not do much more than get the front of the shop in order. Her kitchen and dishes would have to wait, as there would soon be more cooking at breakfast. Her mother's cuisine was mostly edible, but she had a habit of making a mess while cooking. And when Sweetie Belle joined forces with her as she did this weekend there would certainly be no shortage of crusty pots to scrub.

Moments later her shop was back in order, as was her storage and work station. Now the only thing left to do was set up her make-shift bed and try to get a couple of hours of sleep before the inevitable rush at dawn started.

Luckily this time her mother had kept breakfast simple and quick, allowing Rarity to limit her intake of her mom's creations to a minimum leaving enough room in her belly for the more extravagant breakfast later with her friends. Nevertheless with her sister's help her mom did manage to raise the stack of dishes and pots a little higher and create an extra layer of carbonized crust on her furnace.

Though at any other pony she would have complained, with her mother at most she would sigh quietly and hide her frustrations out of respect. After all her family did go out of the way to make this weekend as pleasant as possible for her. So when they finally departed she still waved and smiled and assured them she was absolutely enjoying herself.

Things needed to get done and she was about to start and tackle at least some of the stack of plates before heading to the library when she checked her mail box. Among her letter was a notice for a large order to be completed and sent by the end of the week. No less than twenty costumes had been ordered by a dancing club. At first she was delighted at the trade, but nearly instantly realised the mess in her kitchen would consume a lot of the time she needed for this order. She had a problem! The order would certainly pay enough for her birthday celebration the next weekend with her friends, but for sure she could not bear presenting food on paper plates.

"...and then they found him inside the treasury vault. Princess Celestia wasn't pleased and..."

Twilight was interrupted by the library's front door swinging open. Her worried look drew the attention of all five mares seated around the large round table. She had the letter containing the order in her mouth and tossed it in front of Twilight.

"Wow! What's with the mood? I thought you would have had a good weekend. Didn't it go well?"

Rarity cracked a shallow smile at Pinkie Pie in response.

"I'm not in a bad mood. I had a really good time this weekend, but I'm swamped by the cleanup afterwards. My whole kitchen is a mess and I didn't dare to take a look upstairs yet. You know my sister!"

A purple halo surrounded the letter as Twilight read it. She smiled as she saw the sum attached to the order.

"Wow! That's a lot of money! Congratulations, Rarity!"

"Thank you, Twilight. That money will most certainly cover my candlelight supper you'll be attending next weekend. That and more! But it is also a burden and my cause of worry. I can't have you girls eat off the ground! And I can't make tasty food in a dirty kitchen. I would poison you!"

A worried look appeared on Twilight's face as well guessing what Rarity was about to say.

"I'm in trouble girls. This is a huge dilemma and I wouldn't ask this normally. Can I enlist you girls into cleaning my kitchen? I would appreciate it and I'll make the occasion next week extra special if you do."

A silence fell across the table. The cheerful faces present when Rarity entered the library all vanished. Wings folded up and snouts looked down on their plates. The first pony who found the courage to speak was Applejack, seated opposite to Rarity.

"Oh, I would love to help you out. But I'm sorry, I can't. Our family is having sales at the surrounding villages all week. After our breakfast I'll have to rush and catch up on them. It will take hours to haul our apples over there and more hours in the evening when we return. You know I'll never shy from helping a friend, but this time I really can't make it. I'll sure make it up next weekend. I can help cleaning up then!"

On Rarity's right Rainbow Dash also looked up and spoke.

"I'm sorry too, Rarity. I can't help you either. You see, Appleloosa has been suffering from a drought and I've been drafted in to gather storm fronts and send them over. You understand, right? Their crops will fail if we don't deliver the water soon. I really wish I could make it."

In between Rainbow Dash and Applejack, Fluttershy now raised her head.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you as well. The mayor asked me to make an inventory off all wild animals living within the town's perimeter. It will take me days to find all the critters and count them. Many of them don't stick to the same area you see and I'll have to be careful not to double count them. I'm really sorry about this, but I need the bits to make the ends. I wish I could help out."

Now it was Pinkie Pie's turn to disappoint the white pony, seated in between Twilight en Applejack.

"Mr and Mss cake are out all week catering in Canterlot. They left me in charge of Sugarcube corner until Friday. And that means all of Sugarcube corner rests on my shoulders. I've been up since the crack of dawn to bake all the goodies and cakes. And I'll have to bake more once the shop closes this evening for tomorrow. I'm so-so sorry, Rarity! I hope you won't think badly of me. I'll make it up at your birthday, I promise!"

Rarity was starting to get a bad feeling. On her left Twilight's face looked as sour and apologetic as the others. Could none of her friends help her out? Of course she could always hire a cleaning service but those ponies were expensive and take a good bite off her order.

"I suppose you can help me neither?"

With a glow of her horn Twilight lifted up a rug in a corner of her library. Surprisingly it contained a pile of books covered with titles as "Royal duties", "Royal history" and "Government principals".

"Princess Celestia is expecting me to write an essay covering each book by Friday. I may not get much sleep as it is to complete this task. I'm so sorry, but you must understand that becoming a princess does not come without a cost."

As ponies were finishing their food, Rarity sat quietly. She would have to choose between the order and cleaning and neither choice appealed to her. Cancelling the order would not only cut into her budget, but her reputation would also suffer reducing the chance of further large orders.

"Twilight, with your magical abilities, isn't there some spell you can cast which would clean my home instantly?"

The young alicorn sighed.

"Before I had these wings that would not have been a problem. But now that I'm a princess my spells are much more closely monitored. Ponies must not become reliant on magic spells by their rulers for their convenience. Magic must be used only when necessary and appropriate. Imagine if I were to cast spells to clean your kitchen, then somepony else might want me to cast a spell to do their laundry, their gardening and all chores that they don't seem to have time for. They'll become reliant and they'll unlearn these skills. And then imagine suddenly my magic stopped. Households would fall apart, and take Equestria with them."

"Or you could just cast a spell just this time and just for me."

The alicorn shook her head and cast an irritated look at Rarity."

"It won't be just this once. Others are entitled to the same treatment as you. A year ago I could have done this, but with these wings... Celestia would know, she always knows. She could take these wings back if she thinks I'm corrupt and cater only to my friends."

A tear of embarrassment appeared in Rarity's eye. She knew Twilight was right and didn't want her to get in trouble for a stack of plates.

"I'm sorry, Twilight. But I have no solution otherwise. I guess I'll have to cut into my savings to grant you all a good time next weekend. I won't be bad about it, but I won't be able to do anything more than a fancy meal."

The unicorn was about to get up having finished her plate, as the rest of the mares were gathering plates and preparing to leave. Twilight felt sorry for her friend, but there was one other individual who could potentially help her out, one who would otherwise just be lazing around.

"Well, you could always ask Spike. You know he fancies you and he'll probably jump right in to help. If he wants to you can have him all week to help and clean!"

A look of confusion and scepticism ran across Rarity's snout. She still remembered last time Spike "helped" her clean.

"Oh, dear Twilight. That is not a good joke. Spike? Last time he cleaned of a plate in my house, my whole kitchen was flooded! If I enlist Spike you won't be eating off the floor because my plates are dirty, you'll be eating off the floor because I won't have any plates!"

Twilight chuckled and turned to the unicorn with a smile.

"I assure you Spike will be a far greater help than he was! As I was telling the girls earlier, we just came in yesterday from Canterlot. And when we first arrived there a week ago, Spike managed to sneak into the Royal Treasury. He nearly ate Equestria to bankruptcy up until he was discovered. Princess Celestia was pretty upset and sent him to the kitchen to help. Until we came home Spike did nothing but scrub pots and furnaces. I heard I was getting quite good at it!"

Surprised at this revelation Rarity agreed this might be a good idea. This was certainly the only chance she had that enabled her to treat her friends right and get the order finished and sent. What else could she do?

"Well, I guess if he did improve I can try it. Where is this dragon of yours? Can you call him and ask?"

"Help yourself! He's upstairs in his bed, asleep as usual at this hour. And besides he has been doing nothing but cleaning all week. I'm afraid he'll freak out if I ask him to do it again. You should ask him. I'm sure he'll be pleasantly surprised to see you."

A little hesitant at first Rarity paused to see if Twilight could change her mind and wake up Spike instead. But the alicorn had her mind set on cleaning off the table and then picked up the first book off the stack and started reading. The other mares were already gone and so if she wanted to call upon Spike she had no choice but to go and ask.

Absolutely uneasy she felt as she climbed the stairs. Entering a boy's room, while the boy was still asleep in it? That was unheard of! Even though the boy was a baby dragon and she was a mature pony and there was no one who would think uneasy of her entering that bedroom, she still felt this was a step too far.

Dark as the room was with double blinds and curtains shut the unicorn lit up her horn to see where the dragon was located, although she could probably have guessed by his loud snores. Then she aimed her horn at the windows to invoke her magic to open the blinds and curtains. As each window was cleared and let sunlight in the room was illuminated and Rarity could now see the young dragon asleep in his old dog basket.

Oddly she now noticed a difference between the Spike who first entered Ponyville years ago and the Spike asleep right in front of her. He was curled in a foetal position fitting more comfortably in his bed than he would be stretched out. Spike was growing and he would probably need a new bed by his next birthday. Rarity made a note of that in her mind while she approached him, almost sorry to have to lift him out of bed in this cute position and clearly in a deep sleep.

"No! No more!... No more pots!... Please stop! Can't anypony help me? No! Stop!"

Surprised at the outburst Rarity stopped and paused, doubting her request she was about to submit. Clearly the dragon was having a nightmare about his ordeal last week. But since this was a nightmare it would be equally cruel to turn tail and leave him to suffer more. She approached the basket and stood above Spike. Her horn glowed and his blanket was pulled off his body.

"Spike! Spi-ike! Wake-y wake-y!"

Her hoof gave a slight nudge on his dog bed and his eyes opened just as his dream faded.

"No!... No."

Looking up he saw the while legs of the unicorn next to him, then the purple mane and tail, then the three diamonds on her flank. For a moment he couldn't believe what he saw was true. This was a dream! It had to be!"

"Argh! I'm having that dream again! Stupid imagination!"

For a moment he shut his eyes again and began to doze off again, but Rarity had little more time to waste and gave his dog bed a slightly firmer nudge. As she did his eyes opened again slightly allowing him to see the white hoof slamming in on his bed. His first instinct told him to get out of the way, but another part of him ignored that order and kept him in place. As a result his nose for a moment felt the pressure caused by her hoof as she hit the bed. It did not hurt, but there was an increase of pressure. Spike didn't know what to make of it, but the shockwave Rarity caused oddly carried a pleasant feeling. He looked up and smiled.

"Rarity? This is not a dream? Is it really you?"

The unicorn looked down returning the smile.

"Good morning, Spike! Yes, it's me waking you up this time. I came to ask you a favour, but I heard your nightmare and Twilight told me what happened. If you don't want to take help me out with my problem. You can rest and recover for the rest of the day if you wish."

Immediately the dragon sat up and gazed at the unicorn as if expecting candy. There was no doubt he would be willing to do whatever Rarity wanted him to do.

"Well, tell me what to do and I'll do it! Of course I'll help you out!"

The unicorn sighed before recounting the events.

"As you might know my parents and my sister were at my home all weekend to celebrate my upcoming birthday. But as they did they also caused a huge mess, not the least of them in my kitchen. I could clean it up all by myself, but this morning a large order came in for me to finish by the end of the week. I can't both clean up their mess and complete this order at the same time and my birthday celebration is due next weekend. I need help cleaning my kitchen, but none of the girls are available. Twilight proposed asking you for this favour, but as she told me what happened at Canterlot this week and seeing you having a nightmare about it I suspect you'll want to pass on this job. I can understand and I won't bother you with it if you refuse."

But the dragon jumped out of bed and stretched his legs and knuckles.

"Of course I'll help you out! My punishment at Canterlot is totally different context. You want me to do your dishes? Consider it done!"

"...and my pots. And my furnace and my oven! The whole room and everything in it needs to be clean if I'm to have my candlelight supper this weekend. There's a lot to be cleaned, don't underestimate it. A mountain to conquer."

By the time her last sentence was finished Spike was already at the stairs and ready to go down. There he waited for the unicorn to join up with him and descend to the library. And so there was no doubt about his willingness to do as Rarity asked of him. A few moments later they were out the door.

Indeed the stack was tall as Rarity foretold Spike. The highest stack nearly reached the ceiling. The oven and furnace were covered in butter, olive oil, tomato sauce and had burnt crusts stuck on all sides. There was a stench in the kitchen, a mixture of smells all the food which had been cooked from Friday night onto this morning combined with mould starting to form at the cutlery and pots used earlier that weekend.

This kitchen resembled the Augean stables, nearly as dirty as the Canterlot kitchens. A work for titans! But in Canterlot Spike had never been all alone to do the job. This time it seemed like he would be. In his mind though the amount of work was of less importance than the reason he would be doing it for: Rarity!

"I warned you, didn't I? Do you still want to do this?"

Before Rarity finished her first sentence, Spike already put on his favourite apron. He pulled a footstool from a corner and put it in front of the sink. Then he looked up and noticed the stacks were too high for him to grab.

"I'll do it! But could you please reorganise these stacks so I can reach the top without breaking anything?"

The unicorn did as her new servant asked and redistributed the dishes and pots into smaller stacks across the kitchen's floor. She also provided Spike with enough soap, cloths, towels, sponges, scrubbers and brushes to do the job and she showed him where all of the items had to be stacked.

"...and please don't flood the kitchen. Remember also I don't like doing plumbing and fixing sinks. Try not to clog the drain and..."

"Would you please let me do this? I know I was a clumps once, but my stay in Canterlot really taught me how to do this properly! Who knew all that punishment would turn out to be a blessing in the end? Hehe!"

Spike smiled at Rarity showing a confidence she had rarely seen before. He knew what he was doing and so she decided to let him be and focus on the order that was due and her shop which was to open shortly.

"Alright! Thank you, Spike. If you pull this off, I'll owe you one!"

And with that she left the dragon to start her working day.

First order of the day, Spike knew, was to make sure the storages and cupboards the clean dishes were to be stacked in were clean enough, otherwise their cleaning would be pointless. Some of the stuff was to stay in the kitchen and some would have to be brought up to the attic and stored onto shelves. Cleaning all that storage space took Spike past midday before he could start the actual dish washing.

Three whole days were what it took the dragon to decimate the mouldy layer of dishes and pots. Working through the nights and keeping breaks to a minimum were keys to his progress. Apart from an occasional cookie to keep his stomach from growling and a glass of milk or water, Spike consumed very little wanting to keep the pace and avoiding enlarging his stack to clean.

Luckily Rarity had the sanity of doing the same and went outdoors to get her meals. She did not know though that Spike was going at it around the clock, assuming he would go over to the library to get his food. She did not ask, fearing she might interrupt his work and as she was swamped herself her mind did not set on Spike's working routine.

Thursday morning was when the last set of mugs, beakers and table spoons entered Rarity's cupboards. Then the empty fridge and the empty food storage were due for a bath as soon the unicorn would bring in fresh food for the weekend. The dragon was starting to get tired steadily, deprived from sleep since the work started. His brain wanted some rest, but Spike denied the demands and kept on going regardless.

Once the fridge and the food storage was clean, spike turned his attention to the furnace and oven, covering it in soap and letting rest while the oven's grills and plates were taken out for cleaning and scrubbing. The cupboard doors, cutting station, wall tiles and table had to be cleaned yet, then the furnace and oven were to be scrubbed for the first time, and then Spike had to repeat the whole process twice to get through the repeated layers of nastiness down to the surface. Towels, cloths and tablecloths needed to be laundered, the floor was to be mopped and the trash bins were to be placed on the lawn outside. Finally the last bits of crust and fat had to be cleaned from underneath the oven to which end Spike carefully had to raise its legs to reach that space. This made a bigger mess around the oven than Spike anticipated and some of his earlier work was undone.

With the floor mopped a second time, the laundry done and stored and the remaining soap and cleaning tools stored Spike could finally gaze at the result of his hard work: Rarity's kitchen was as clean as Celestia's ballroom. The dragon was poised to call in the unicorn and show his craftwork, but then noticed outside it was dark and the hour was late. Poor Spike didn't even know what day it was and hardly realised just how long he had been busy. His body was starting to protest and his heart raced. His legs failed and he fell rolling underneath the table up against the cupboard wall. His eyes slowly fell shut and he could not fight them.

"For you..."

A loud shriek could be heard as the white and purple unicorn danced across the bridge, hauling forth her cart filled with food and drinks. She was as happy as a spring foal having just sent out the order and bought a ton of deliciousness to treat her friends later. A large cover sail hid the content of her cart from view as she did not want to spoil the surprise for her friends if she happened to bump into them.

Only Twilight crossed her path as she would need Spike to send off her essays to Princess Celestia for review. The alicorn understood what was underneath sail and did not ask about the content as she joined her friend to the boutique.

"So, how did it go this week? I hope Spike behaved for a change. That boy sometimes will get on my nerves these days. Did it go well?"

Rarity shrugged having only seen Spike a few times, but never bothered him when he worked.

"It went well. I hardly knew he was there. I'm sure he did a good job not ruining my kitchen further. He seemed quite confident when started and never complained at any stage. I guess I should check on that kitchen now. After all if we want food tonight... I guess if he didn't manage we can always cook outdoors!"

Both mares chuckled, though a bit uneasy. They arrived at the boutique and were about to enter when suddenly Rarity remembered her upstairs. Her bedroom was quite in order for sure as her parents did not make a big mess of it. Her guest room, the room Sweetie Belle stayed at, had not been touched and it had the potential of resembling a storm aftermath.

"Twilight, would you be a dear and help me fix the guest room? I don't know how big the disaster my sweet sister left behind is. In case any of you girls want stay here and sleep over after our little candlelight supper, you might want to have it in order. Meanwhile I can store all the food. I'll make you some tea when we're done!"

Not knowing what to expect Twilight carefully opened the door of the guest room. Surprisingly the huge mess Rarity expected simply wasn't there. Apart from a couple of toys, a swung open bed cover and a couple of open closets there was really nothing indicating a storm passing through. An open window was all it took to banish the bed odours. The covers, blankets were changed and the toys stowed away. No more than minutes Twilight needed to open the guestroom for business.

Meanwhile downstairs Rarity was busy stowing away all her food and drinks. She marvelled Spike's work for a moment noticing that even the food shelves were now spotlessly clean, better than they were before last weekend. She did not notice however two little dragon feet sticking out from underneath a tablecloth. Figuring the dragon must have gone home as he was done, she did not look for him. He was taking care of his business now and she now had to tend her business, as they had done through the week.

Twilight came down to the living room and retrieved her saddlebag left at the door. She really wanted to see Spike and send them off, but figured the dragon was now sound asleep, as he usually was at this hour, somewhere inside Rarity's bedroom. When he woke up in a few hours she would be well within her deadline to send off her essays. She approached the tea table to sit and wait for her treat. There were two pillows underneath the table, one close to the window and one exactly opposite to that one.

"Sit anywhere you like, dear!"

It was hard to pick, but the one near the window seemed nice. The alicorn retrieved the pillow and placed it to sit on.

"But not the one near the window, that's where I'd like to sit."

Twilight's eyes rolled, then she stowed the pillow back and took the other spot.

Water ran and filled a small kettle. This created a loud noise and woke up the young dragon underneath the table. Spike was dazed and for a moment didn't remember where he was. From underneath the table, underneath the table cloth he could see the white hooves running back and forth across the kitchen's floor.

Now Spike remembered where he was and what he was doing there. A large stack of food was placed on the fare side table as well as the table he was under. Rarity was busy sorting it all and stowing it where she wanted it. She did not know he was there or otherwise she would have called him from underneath that table.

A part of him wanted to run up and greet her and ask her how she liked her kitchen. But something inside him overruled that idea and kept him quiet. There was something pleasant about seeing her from this hidden position. Often her hooves were almost on top of him as she ran up to grab food, but she never touched him.

Soon her kettle sang and was lifted off the furnace. Time for tea! She prepared a platter with her tea pot and a couple of cups, sugar and milk.

"Biscuits! I need biscuits!"

The biscuit cupboard was right above the table the young dragon was under. Still she did not notice the feet. But the dragon noticed hers! Her hooves were right on top of him, the cupboard she wanted to browse was right above. The white hind leg came up close, then she raised her upper body onto the table to get a better view. Spike perceived time to slow as the hoof settled on top of his right foot. Full away! Scream! But his mind refused and just gazed as the pony he loved slowly began to crush his toes.

"No! No! Chocolate biscuits leave stains. I'd better go with the butter biscuits!"

The weight of her hind leg wasn't too terrible although it did make a mark as the pressure continued. Blood flow was restricted, toes were squeezed. He could feel his foot getting squeezed and flattened. There was pain, but nothing overwhelming. Why was this happening? Why didn't he scream? He was puzzled. His foot was sustaining damage as Rarity, still unaware of Spike and his foot, remained on top of it.

"Is it ok to come in yet? I'd like to see if Spike did a good job."

A small plate of biscuits was being assembled. As Twilight spoke Rarity's attention was drawn to the room. Her hoof was removed from Spike's foot as she shifted and aimed her ears at the living room. It was slightly bruised, painful, but the dragon was amazed he somehow loved the feel. Every once in a while a pony had stepped on him in the past and on those occasions he screamed like a little girl. This time however it was Rarity who stood on his foot. And as he pondered he realised 'Rarity' was the reason he somehow liked the pain.

"That's ok, darling. All the surprises are out of sight. Please have a look. He did a splendid job!"

In one quick move the unicorn lifted her upper body off the table. Her right front foot landed straight onto Spike's bruised foot. As the front of her body held a lot more weight than her rear this time the damage was much greater. The young dragon bit his lip as he heard and felt something snap. His foot was completely covered by the unicorn's hoof, squeezed flat and brought to ruin. Yet even now Spike remained silent suffering the pain willingly. All because it was 'Her'.

"Wow! Our little dragon for sure outdid himself! Maybe you should pay him for this job? I'm sure there's a lot you can do in return."

Right now in Spike's mind the breaking foot was all the pay he required. The occasions on which Rarity had touched him were scarce and this occasion, although painful, was one of the longest touches he had so far received.

At first Twilight delightfully gazed at all the details seeing that there was not a speck of dirt left in her friend's kitchen. Then she saw the tea and biscuits prepared for them. When she looked at her friend Twilight noticed the familiar scaly sticking out from underneath the table. And one of these scaly feet was stuck underneath Rarity's hoof!

"Rarity! Get off my dragon!"

Before the unicorn realised what was going on a purple halo surrounded her and lifted her off the ground for a moment. Then she saw the dragon underneath her and shrieked. She saw the damaged foot where her hoof was just a moment ago made her realised what had happened. Spike just gazed at her calm and in wonder and almost sad the moment had ended.

"Spike! Why didn't you yell? Look at it! I completely ruined your foot!"

Reality came back to the dragon and now the pain became unbearable as blood rushed back in and hit every damaged part. He could not hide his discomfort but still restrained his urge to scream. The tears setting in his eyes had nothing to do with the ruin of his foot, but with the ruin of his moment of glory. All his work through that week was now pointless as the unicorn cast an angry look.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Honestly! I don't know what got into me..."

A purple halo now surrounded Spike and lifted him off the ground. Twilight lifted him over to the living room and landed him on a couch while Rarity dove into her freezer and fetched some ice.

"Upset me? I upset you! Look at it! It's broken! Were you asleep underneath there?"

The moment the ice touched the foot the dragon briefly hissed in pain, but then found his pain numbed by the cold. There was a terrible swelling now, enlarging his foot three-fold.

"Yes, I fell asleep last night I guess after I finished. I couldn't help it, honestly! I woke up just as you sorted all that food. I guess I should have gotten up right then, but somehow I could not."

"You were awake when I stepped on you?"

"Twice! You stepped on me twice. Yes, I was awake. I wanted to scream, but for some reason I couldn't. I can't explain it! I'm really sorry I didn't tell you I was there."

Confused Rarity didn't reply but instead focused on pressuring the dragon's foot with her eyes. This was embarrassing to her and she didn't know what to make of it. Not knowing how to deal with this she just decided silence was best now.

"... So... How do you like your kitchen? I handled that well, didn't I?"

The change of subject startled the unicorn and she thought of complimenting the dragon on his job, but just then Twilight lifted him up and carried him outside.

"You can both talk later. Right now I need to get you to the hospital. Rarity, can you please return my saddlebag to the library today? I'll still need those scrolls sent."

And with that everything turned back to normal.

That evening the party Rarity threw was a blast. Hardly ever before did she cook for her friends. All of them were surprised at her skill. The food was delicious, every little dish just perfect. The beverages were exclusive and exotic, a delight for a pony's tongue and soon ponies were dancing through her shop while she prepared yet more food.

Applejack briefly entered the kitchen returning some of the used plates and beakers. They had all agreed to help with the cleanup, to avoid repeating this week's ordeal. But that wasn't scheduled until after the party.

"You sure are a good cook. I would never have thought you had it in you!"

A new tray was ready to roll onto the dinner table. A big lid hid the content.

"Well, my mother always cooks 'edible' at best. Under those circumstances one has to teach oneself a couple of things, you know."

For a moment Applejack tried to get a sneak peak of the next course, but the unicorn would not have it and used her magic to keep the lid on the tray.

"Are you sure you're having a good time?"

"Well of course. Why wouldn't I be when my best friends are here? This is probably my best party ever!"

A little sceptical Applejack nodded.

"Well I know what it's like throwing a party for others while locking yourself in the kitchen. It may be fun for your guests, but it's 'your' birthday party, remember? Don't spoil it!"

A chuckle came from the unicorn and she politely escorted her friend out. Then she rolled out the tray to the dinner table where her friends gathered once more for a meal. This time it consisted of dozens of tiny bits of toast each covered with a different cheese garnish and buttered in olive oil. They were heavenly but Rarity at little off them leaving most for her friends as she had done throughout the evening. But generosity wasn't the only factor in her lack of appetite.

All her friends were here except one, one who had a hand in making this party possible. And she was at least partially to blame for his absence. It wasn't the dragon's foot which kept him away from this party. He had not been invited as the hour was late and fancy dining wasn't his type of thing. Twilight had agreed to her decision as she too was shy to let Spike visit late night parties. Rarity felt a little uneasy now and regretted he wasn't there.

"Twilight, I'm not sure you noticed, but your dragon is growing out of his bed. I think maybe with his next birthday we should give him a new bed, a bigger one. That one I saw is one he had since he was a baby dragon, isn't it?"

Surprised at this first spark of conversation Twilight looked up with a confused expression. Rarity's first full sentence of the night involved Spike, a rare occasion by itself.

"Erm, yeah! I agree! Spike is getting a little older. Indeed that bed my parents bought for him when I first got him. And indeed, he outgrew it, didn't he? Good idea!"

A quill and paper appeared and Twilight made a note. But rarity wasn't finished.

"I can't believe didn't say anything..."

"Didn't say what?"

Pinkie Pie greedily ate her stack of toast while pointing her ear at Rarity, as did the ears of the other ponies. Only Twilight knew what had happened earlier that day.

"Spike fell asleep last night underneath my kitchen table. I didn't know! This morning when I was sorting food I accidentally stepped on his foot and broke it. He never screamed or yelled when I did, even though he was already awake and aware of me when it happened. He just sat there and looked at me. I don't know what to make of this behaviour. It's not normal, is it?"

An amazed look fell on the mares' faces. Looks of shock and disbelieve, except on Rainbow Dash who just kept eating. Fluttershy spoke first.

"He hurt himself? Oh that poor little baby! We should all visit him in the morning and give him treats!"

Then Applejack spoke while her expression changed from disbelieve to discontent.

"He fell asleep on your floor just like that? Just like that?? You're lucky he didn't die from hypothermia! Did you ever check on that boy while he was helping you?"

Rarity thought about that aspect of Spike's behaviour and indeed found it strange the boy didn't seek out a warmer place to curl up.

"I checked on him a couple of times and gave him a cookie and a glass of milk on the occasion. You're right, that wasn't normal either. Do you think he's sick?"

Applejack slammed the table with her front hoof in frustration nearly knocking all the plates and beakers off.

"His sickness was 'overwork'! Remember that time when I tried to harvest Sweet Apple Acres all by myself? Or when Pinkie Pie took care of the Cakes' fillies? You remember that, don't you?"

Quietly Rarity nodded embarrassed she didn't see the obvious.

"I bet that guy worked non-stop, around the clock, to get your kitchen in order! He exhausted himself. Girl, you'd better be nice to him for a while. Talk about a pony who is all about 'good manners'."

And so now the party turned quiet. Rarity felt guilty about her fit, and in her mind apologised to Spike. Next to her Twilight Sparkle also felt a sense of guilt being at least part of the cause of this trouble. Overly occupied with her studies she neglected to check on Spike through the week assuming he took care of himself or Rarity took care of him. And she was the one who proposed to Rarity to enlist Spike for this titanic job. The unicorn however felt the overwhelming crush on her shoulders even though Spike had willingly agreed to take up this job.

"But... But why would he..."

This time it was Pinkie Pie's turn to slam the table. A few beakers and plates were ejected from the table but were kept from falling by a purple halo.

"Because you asked him! Because 'you' asked him! You know he has a crush on you; he had it ever since he arrived here. We all know it and so do you! Go ahead and ask him to bring Hades' crown and he'll be off to hell! He will do whatever you ask of him, no matter what it costs him!"

As if there was not enough guilt on her shoulders, now a new load was put on her. Rarity wondered if whether she should encourage or discourage the dragon further. She had to be nice to him, agreeing with Applejack's warning. But that was as far as she could figure.

"But when I stepped on him... Twice..."

Again Pinkie Pie rose up.

"Because it was 'you'! He saw you were stepping on him, so he let you step on him and didn't make a fuzz of it. Only because it was 'you'."

Pinkie Pie was right, all knew. Twilight felt a shame she was trying to work herself up to be a princess yet failed to recognise the gradual evolution of the other half of her tiny household.

"You are right, Rarity. Spike is getting older. And he is a boy after all. He has feelings for you. We all know this. I think it's time we learn to deal with his growth. Soon the day will come when you will have to make choices regarding Spike."

"I know, Twilight. But I don't want to hurt his feelings. I'm afraid that if I choose to reject him, as my common sense seems to tell me, I will hurt him a lot more than I did this morning. On the other hand he's too young and a dragon. We can't possibly pursue any bond! Certainly not the bond he's looking for."

"He needs a dragon!"

All ponies' ears aimed at Rainbow Dash as they ran in shock. Twilight and Rarity looked at her in disbelief, while Fluttershy ducked under the table.

"A dragon? Are you kidding us? You were there last time he tried to mingle with other dragons. You know how they are."

"That's true, Twilight. Nevertheless if we don't want him to stick to Rarity and ponies, we will have to encourage him to seek out a lady dragon by the time he matures. Only then can we cut him loose from Rarity and ponies."

Fluttershy was shaking in fear.

"You won't be inviting them, will you? They'll eat us all including Spike!"

Twilight nodded in agreement with the scared pegasus.

"Equestria would be whipped off the map if we sent out invitations for Spike. We'll be nothing but snacks for these creatures. But Rainbow Dash is right that a lady dragon is the best solution if we want to change Spike's mind about Rarity and let each live their own life. We will have to find out how to approach them. Maybe there are friendly flocks of dragons?"

A lady dragon made sense to Rarity as well and she silently agreed that was the least painful way for Spike to let go. Her special status in his mind would be revoked, but that was the least of the draw back. A part of her was not at all pleased with the prospect of 'letting go' of Spike. He was beyond a doubt the dearest and most considerate person she knew. He was the only one who stepped right in to help, without questioning his own interests. If indeed he let go of her and one day went off to start his own family, where would she be? Who would fill in that gap? Letting go of Spike was not as easy as it sounded. But there was still time.

At last she got up to roll out cake and tea, the final course of the evening. But Rarity herself had none of it and strolled up to bed and left it to the other mares to finish up and clean the plates, as they had agreed to do for her. The unicorn had a lot to think about.

The next morning, as the other ponies, except for Twilight who was the only one to return home after dinner, were still asleep in her house, Rarity quietly left her shop. She made her way straight to the library. This really could not wait.

Twilight was already awake when the unicorn arrived and quietly let her in. Then she locked the door and handed over a tiny box. Inside there was tiny bottle with a clear liquid inside. Carefully the unicorn wrapped her tail around it to conceal it.

"Is he awake?"

"He is and he is expecting you. Go now, quickly. I will make sure no one will disturb you."

A moment later Twilight's horn lit up and a protective dome came down over the library making sure nopony would visit. Then the unicorn once more crept upstairs to the bedroom.

Spike was indeed awake, seated in his old bed awaiting his visitor. He smiled as he saw her and grabbed his crutches to get up and meet her. However a halo quickly surrounded him; lifted him up and landed him onto Twilight's bed. Then Rarity climbed up to the bed and settled next to the dragon.

"Good morning, Spike! How is your foot? Does it still hurt?"

His foot wrapped in dressing concealing the wounds. Spike's expression and tone were a lot calmer than the first time she entered his bedroom.

"Good morning. It hurts, but it's healing quickly. Too quickly if you ask me."

A confused look came onto the unicorn's face. But she wasn't upset. Her front hoof ran out to the dragon and she dragged him toward her shoulder so he could lean on her and relax.

"You'll find that strange, won't you, my sweet? So do I. A broken foot is no fun at all. However this one... Ermmm..."

Spike paused for a moment trying to find the right words.

"Do you remember that time you kissed my cheek and I refused to wash it off? This wound has the same feel, but Twilight can't wash this off. It has to heal. It reminds me of you and leaves a physical mark which I can see and feel every time I walk around."

The unicorn sniffed the wrapped leg for a moment then ran her snout to Spike's face gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"I guess that makes sense. I know it's because you have a crush on me and since you are growing older things may start to play. But you must also understand that you are too young. Life is short, too short. By the time you'll come of age, what will become of me? Should my life freeze in time?"

Spike felt a little uneasy thinking about this.

"We could ask Twilight to cast an age spell. Maybe I can catch up in age if she does. It's only a matter of time... But no, Twilight should not change the course of nature. I guess our time is limited. But until this ends, let's make the best of it, shall we?"

"We shall! I don't like it either. It's like we are cursed or something. We'll need to make the best of this. But there are boundaries we cannot cross. Boundaries which you are yet too young to understand. But someday this will make sense."

A moment of silence as Spike enjoyed his rest against her shoulder.

"I've got a gift for you, my sweet. Your birthday gift. I planned to make a surprise visit to the party yesterday, but as you know that kind of fell apart."

A wave of pony breath washed over the young dragon as he pointed to his bed.

"Beneath the bed there is a hatch. And the space below the hatch contains your gift. Could you please retrieve it?"

Not wanting to break the moment Rarity used her magic to cast aside the little dog bed, open the hatch and lift the box onto the bed. Next she opened the box and revealed its content: a figurine resembling her image. But the other peculiar thing about the figurine was the fact that was made entirely out of... diamond?

"A diamond?"

"Yes, a diamond. And the true reason for my punishment in Canterlot. Long time ago, long before Twilight and I were sent to Ponyville, I uncovered it during one of Twilight's excursions. I realised it was valuable and hid it in the Royal treasury, the most secured chamber of the whole of Equestria. Whenever I got time I sneaked in to polish and nourish it until it began to resemble the shape of a pony. After I met you I set to work on it every time I had a chance to do so shaping it to resemble you. On my last visit to Canterlot I finished it and retrieved it. But then I was caught by the guards. I told them I felt like having a snack to conceal the jewel in my pocket and they bought my story. But then the Princess... You know... But that's the price you pay and in the end it worked out well since now I clearly have gotten more competent in my help. Don't you agree?"

Of course Rarity agreed. Her eyes lit up as she marvelled her gift. She had tears in her eyes as she realised just how much this would be worth. Spike could have easily bought an education with this diamond or saved it up for when he got older. Giving it away seemed just as irrational as was leaving his foot under her foot. He did this for her and cared not for his own interest if her interest were considered. As much as she desired large diamonds, Rarity knew she could not simple sell or squander this jewel. It would have to be kept safe until she found a way to return it or its value to the dragon, or if there was a time of need.

"Spike, this is the most precious gift someone ever offered me. In fact I estimate this diamond sculpture to be more value than my whole boutique! We will have to keep it safe! I will talk to Twilight about it, so we can clear your penal record. I do believe I owe you at least that. I will not forget this!"

Her horn glowed as she put away Spike's gift and moved her box closer behind her back out of Spike's sight.

"Yes you did a good job. I was really impressed by your work. Without your help I doubt my guests would have enjoyed themselves as much. I'm sorry I neglected to thank you yesterday. But today I wish to make up for it so I'll grant you a little treat, one you will for sure enjoy!"

Rarity's box appeared and opened. With her magic she ejected the bottle and handed it to the young dragon.

"Drink it up! All of it!"

Spike obeyed immediately. Every last drop of the syrup-like drink vanished. He felt his stomach starting to glow gently. Amazingly the rhythmic pain in his foot nearly instantly numbed and vanished. A halo caught the empty bottle and stored it back in its box.

"What did I just drink?"

"Crawl in the space between my knee and my bell! Then on your back!"

Not really knowing what to make of this, Spike quietly obeyed sensing something good was about to come. He settled where Rarity asked him to, then relaxed as Rarity's hind leg shifted again and pinned him in his spot.

"It's one of Zecora's potions. Twilight went out to get it for us. It protects ones bones and internal organs during extreme pressure. In other words I could stand on you right now with not one but all four feet and you would not get injured. If you fancy that, perhaps I will someday, because Zecora has a lot more where this came from. But we probably should wait for that until you get older."

Spike pictured the unicorn standing on top of him smiling at him teasingly as her hooves danced on him. For some reason the idea seemed pleasant.

"But for today I only plan to use you as a pillow. Fancy that! Now relax and enjoy!"

Just as when the unicorn stepped on his foot time seemed to slow down. She curled up and her head gently slid onto his belly and chest. The full weight of her head and neck came to rest on him trapping him into the soft gap between her knee and belly. Her pony breath blew directly into his nose and her soft fur gently tickled. As she predicted there was no pain from her weight and he could actually enjoy the pressure rather than suffer it. Her eyes fell shut and there was nothing else for Spike to do than to shut his eyes as well and simply enjoy this moment. And from that moment on each of them knew that no matter what life would bring, they would be inseparable.

The end