Love Measured in Scales

Wearing his birthday suit (that is, the uptown vest and shorts that Rarity had designed) Spike made his way through the streets of Ponyville towards Carousel Boutique. Every now and then, the little dragon would reach down and tug his shorts to the side to prevent them from riding up she sides of his crotch. He waved to a number of ponies as he passed by, such as Mr. Davenport of the Quills and Sofas shop, who gave him a somewhat perplexed look at first, but waved back nonetheless. He also noticed Lyra and Bon Bon looking in his general direction, both of them grinning widely, Lyra in particular seeming to struggle with holding back a fit of laughter. Spike waved to them as well, and Bon Bon nodded as they strolled by. Once he had passed them, he heard a cat-call whistle, and looked back just in time to see Bon Bon swat Lyra with her tail while saying “Now you leave him alone!” both of them giggling like crazy.

Unsure of what they were laughing about, Spike put it out of his mind. He was on his way to see Rarity! The young dragon had fallen madly in love with her the first day he and Twilight came into Ponyville, and he had always done a poor job of hiding it from those closest to him. While her creations in fashion often received praise from ponies everywhere, Spike always seemed to offer a little bit extra in his attempts at flattery. Every outfit, every craft, every meal, even every word that she uttered, Spike had treated it as a masterpiece that should be held in the Canterlot Museum of Art.

Spike reflected on his perception of Rarity. While he was still fond of the unicorn, he realized that the flame of his passion for her had begun to burn out over the years. It made him slightly sad. There was a time when he had nearly told Rarity his true feelings for her, when he thought that he might be speaking his last words, which she had politely stopped while offering him a warm smile. Even though it made him feel happy, he had been confused by what she had meant with that gesture.Did she feel the same way about him? Or was that her way of saying that she had known all along, but didn't want to ruin the friendship they had already? After that day, he could have sworn that Rarity had become more affectionate with him. Instead of politely dismissing him when he offered to do extra chores around her boutique, she was much more open to offering him a thankful hug, with an occasional kiss on his cheek or forehead (effectively ending his need to keep his face unwashed, since he was sure one kiss would be replaced by a new one in due time).

Despite the appreciated tenderness from Rarity, she still offered no plausible expression of her feelings for him; nothing to say that she wanted him nearly as much as he wanted her. What was that supposed to mean then? Was she just being nice to him? Did she feel sorry for him, and was just trying to keep from hurting his feelings? Dwelling on these thoughts for so long had made him consider the possibility that Rarity might never return the same kind of love he felt for her. It was heartbreaking, but Spike was growing up, and he considered it a life lesson on the way to adulthood. Twilight’s new form of “study breaks” certainly helped to take his mind off of his pain for a while, but Spike had eventually come to yearn for something deeper than just sex, though Twilight made it clear that she had nothing more to give than just that.

“Good grief.” Spike sighed out loud. “Can’t a dragon get a meaningful relation—oof!” Spike cried out as he ran into a solid object. He shook his head and looked forward, the entrance to the Carousel Boutique right in front of him. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he had crashed right into Rarity’s front door. Spike lifted his claw to knock firmly on the door, and then pressed his ear against it to listen for any movement.

“Just a moment!” He heard Rarity call out from inside. Hearing the known formal accent made him smile. Even if his feelings for her had subsided, even if he no longer worshiped the ground she trotted on, he still enjoyed spending time with her, just as he enjoyed Twilight and the rest of his friends. Rarity’s keen eye for detail and beauty, as well as her gift in generosity, made her unique in a way that was worthy of her name. She was a one of a kind gem more precious than any other dragon would ever find, no matter how large their horde might grow.

Spike waited outside the front door, bobbing up and down on his feet patiently. As he moved, he realized that the pair of shorts he was wearing had ridden up his legs and his behind. He turned back and reached a claw down to pull at them a bit, wriggling to give his nether regions a bit of space. Hearing the door crack open, Spike hastily pulled his claws forward and offered a wide grin as he looked up at the beautiful unicorn with the spiral purple mane. Rarity gasped excitedly upon seeing him.

“There’s the dragon of the evening! Happy birthday, Spike,” Rarity leaned her head down against his shoulder, and Spiked wrapped his arms around her neck in a friendly hug. “Oh, I see you’re wearing the suit I gave you!”

“Heck yeah: this makes me look good!”

“It certainly does.” She acknowledged him. “Well, come in, come in!”

Spike stepped into the unicorn’s boutique at her request. “Thanks for inviting me over.” He replied as she shut the door with her magic.

“Oh, not at all darling! I simply felt terrible that I could not attend your party this evening. Did you have fun at any rate?”

“Yeah, it was a lot of fun!” Spike replied as he sat on the edge of the stage at the center of a group of mirrors. “Dash had this awesome mix that we all danced to, and then we played some sports outside for a little bit—oh yeah, me and Fluttershy even won a game of badminton! I never knew how good she was before today!” He told her excitedly, his eyes scanning the row of hung up dresses on the rack next to the lone ponyquin frame. “And you should have seen the piñata they got me!”

Rarity beamed in delight as she heard Spike recounting the joys of his party for her. “That sounds like ever so much fun, darling.” She told him, trotting up to the stage and pulling herself up so that she could sit next to him. “It truly is a pity I could not attend. I shall have to implement a new ‘same day orders’ fee to discourage ponies from taking advantage of my services in that way.” Rarity scooted closer to Spike, so that her flank was in contact with his hips, and turned her head down to him. “What about gifts darling? Did you get anything nice this year?”

“Yup! The girls all got me a lot of cool stuff, they always do. I think my favorites were the skates from Dash, and the comic book from Twilight. Oh, and this little number of course.” Spike said, pinching his bow tie as he stared up at her.

“Oh, I’m so glad you like the first part of your gift.”

Spike tilted his head in confusion. “First part? You mean there’s more?”

“Yes indeed. In fact, it’s upstairs in my bedroom,” she explained, scooting off the edge of the stage and offering him a hoof to help him down. “Would you like to see it?”

“Uh… yeah!” he responded happily, taking her hoof and hopping down. The two walked side by side until reaching the first step leading up to her bedroom, Spike turning to Rarity and bowing slightly. “After you, m’lady.”

“Such a little gentleman!” she commended him, leaning her head down and touching the tip of her nose against his. Rarity trotted up the stairs to her room with Spike following behind. Walking behind her at a downward angle, Spike couldn't help but steal quick glances at her curvy white rump, her purple tail swaying from side to side as it revealed her slender marehood between her shapely haunches. Spike felt his cheeks burn a bit as he looked back up to her head, reminding himself that it was impolite of him to stare at her privates.

The two reached the top of the stairs and stepped into Rarity’s bedroom. Rarity trotted behind a dressing screen and began to rummage around through some unseen clutter. “I’ll be ready in just a moment darling!” she called out to him. Spike nodded and he looked about her bedroom, noticing something odd. Rarity’s room was… clean. Very clean, especially for somepony who had spent all day completing orders for some difficult clients. Come to think of it, it was even cleaner than it usually was, compared to her usual “organized chaos” state that she tended to keep it in. All of the spools of yarn, sheets of fabric, and various sewing machines and other tools had been picked up off the floor and stowed away out of sight, only a ponyquin pushed to the side of the room. Had she gone out of her way to clean it this time?

“Spikey-Wikey~” He heard Rarity call out to him in a playful voice.

“Yeah Rarity…?” Spike’s voice trailed off as he turned his head and looked at the unicorn, who had just stepped out from behind her dressing screen. Rarity now wore a pair of lacy black stockings on her hindlegs, rising up just past her thighs. Affixed to her midsection was a flowery black corset, pulled tightly around her body to push some plumpness to her rump, which now had her purple tail raised just slightly to show off the curves of her cheeks, but still held in place to keep her privates concealed from him. And draped around her neck, Spike noticed a very familiar looking fire ruby that seemed to shine against her brilliant white coat.

“Do I look nice, darling?” Rarity asked, giving her rump the slightest shake for him.

“Nice? More like breathtaking, Rarity!” Spike replied.

Flicking her hair back as she turned around to face him, Rarity levitated a large piece of cloth and scampered over to Spike. “Here you are sweetheart; this is for you.”

Spike held out his claws and let the cloth drop in his grasp. “I don’t get it,” he replied, confused. “My gift is a handkerchief?”

“Oh no no no!” Rarity laughed daintily, holding a hoof to her mouth. “Your present is still coming. I just thought that you and I could play a little game before I give it to you.” Rarity reached her hoof out, gently drawing imaginary circles across Spike’s chest. “You sounded like you had so much fun playing games at your own party after all...”

“O-okay. What game are we playing?”

“You've played marco-polo before, haven’t you sweetheart?” Spike nodded. “All you need to do is tie that blindfold ‘round your head to cover your eyes, and wander around looking for me. Or perhaps I’ll find you instead.” Spike felt a bit confused by Rarity’s proposal. She of course would never turn down engaging in party games with her closest friends, but she was never the one to bring up the idea in the first place. Spike raised the cloth up to his face and began to pull it evenly throughout his fingers. “Oh, and Spike?”

Spike stopped fiddling with the blindfold for a moment. “Yes ma’am?”

Rarity lifted a hoof to her mouth with her teeth clenched as her eyes darted from side to side. “If during any of this I do something to make you feel… uncomfortable… please do tell me so. I do not wish to force you to do anything just to make me happy if you aren't enjoying it. Do you understand?”

Spike was puzzled at her words, but he had heard this sort of question before. Why did it sound so familiar?

Spike, if you’re not enjoying this, just tell me, he heard Twilight’s voice ringing in his head, along with the image of her hindlegs spread before him while lying in bed. This is something you and I need to both enjoy, okay?

“Ohhhhh!” The pupils in Spike’s eyes shrank as he realized what was happening. He began to wonder how he didn't notice before that Rarity was seducing him. Seeing her now in her lacy outfit suddenly made more sense, and his knees began to buckle as the tingle in his lower body increased, his legs crossing a bit to conceal himself.

“Goodness darling, are you alright?” Rarity asked in response to Spike’s trembling and heavy breathing. Spike felt his erection beginning to poke out from the inner pocket between his legs and touch the cloth of his constricting shorts, Rarity biting her bottom lip eagerly in response.

“Y-y-y-yeah. Y-yeah, I’m okay,” Spike stammered, trying hard to keep himself standing without passing out. Rarity lifted her hoof up to his shoulder and looked into his eyes. Spike took another breath, and began to collect himself. “I’m good. Just kind of a surprise, I guess,” he assured her, feeling his length poking as far as his constricting shorts would let it.

“If Pinkie Pie has taught me anything,” Rarity began, holding a hoof to his chin, “It’s that surprises can be marvelous. Now then, go on and affix that to your eyes. No peeking~”

Rarity offered a playful wink before Spike affixed the cloth to his eyes and secured a knot behind his head. The little dragon put his arms out as Rarity began to tip-hoof away from him, being careful not to make too much noise. “Marco?” Spike called out, just as Rarity reached the far side of her room.

“Polo!” she called out to him in return. Spike turned and followed the direction her voice had come from. Rarity shifted to the side and eased her way past him, biting her lip to keep herself from giggling as he stepped right past her.

“Marco?” he asked again, moving his extended arms from side to side while trying to scope her out.

“Polo.” She called to him again, reaching the point where Spike had been previously standing. She heard Spike grumble a bit as he turned around and marched back where they had started their game.

“Marcoooooo,” Spike’s voice had a very slight hint of frustration, and Rarity noticed that there was no longer anything jutting out between his shorts. With a mischievous smile, Rarity trotted past Spike and stepped just behind him.

“Polo~” she replied in a sultry tone, letting her purple tail brush up against his back, his posture straightening with the tip of her tail leaving him.

“Marco!?” Spike turned around quickly, grabbing frantically at the empty air. “Marco—ahh!” Spike lost his balance with his sudden turn, and fell promptly on his rear.

“Ah ha ha ha, polo!” Rarity called out as she laughed behind him. Lifted the little dragon off the floor with her magic and planted him on his feet again.

“Marco?” Spike called out to her as he turned around slowly. Keeping silent, Rarity snuck up quietly behind Spike as he stood still waiting for her to reply. “Marco…?”

Rarity lowered her head, with her soft white mouth just near the edge of his ear. “Polo.” She whispered, illuminating her horn and using her magic to take hold of Spike’s hands. “Looks like I found you, Spike.”

“Heh, that’s ‘cause you’re not blindfolded.” He replied, his legs tightening up as a wave of excitement spread through his legs from his loins.

“I know, I don’t play fair,” Rarity stepped in front of Spike as she focused her magic on his vest, “I’m so sorry, my sweet little dragon.” Rarity slowly pulled the button’s on Spike’s vest apart, as she did with his shirt underneath. In a matter of seconds, Spike’s bare chest was exposed to her. Rarity lifted her hoof and lightly moved the tip of her toe across the lighter green scales of his chest, eliciting a soft shudder from Spike. Her eyes traced down his form towards his lower half, where she noticed a very prominent tent had returned in the front of his tight shorts. “Mm, Spike, what’s this you’re hiding in your shorts? Is it for me?” She asked, moving her hoof down his chest and towards his waist. She began to trace the front of his shorts, making the extension jump at her touch.

“M-m-maybe…” Spike muttered bashfully.

“How thoughtful; bringing me a present on your birthday.” Rarity turned her head and brushed the side of her face against his chest. “May I open my present Spike? Please…?”

“Hnn!” Spike groaned, his knees bending and turning towards one another. “Y-yeah, Rarity; go ahead.” Another magical field surrounded the front of Spike’s shorts, and carefully stretched the waistline out and pulled it down. Spike’s stiff rod poked out from between his legs, bouncing slightly from being released from its confinement so suddenly, and pointed up towards Rarity’s chest. She gasped as she took in the sight of his erection for the first time and tucked his shorts underneath his slender rod.

“Oh Spike, it’s marvelous,” she whispered, letting his shorts drop to the floor, her hoof touching the base of his shaft and gliding up until she reached the tip of its triangular head. “And much bigger than I thought it would be.” Rarity took her eyes off of his rod and looked up at Spike, who was blushing profusely. “Oh dear, you’re blushing! Do you like it when I talk about your long, thick dragon shaft, hmm?” An embarrassed smile crept over Spike’s face as he lifted his claws up to cover his face getting redder by the second, making Rarity squeal in delight. “You are just so cute! Widdle Spikey-Wikey wuvs it when I play with his big juicy cock, doesn’t he? Yes he does…”

Spike’s legs began to tremble with Rarity’s hoof gliding up and down his erection. “Having trouble standing, dear?” Spike nodded feebly in response. “Then let’s see if we can get you to bed. Ah ah ah!” Rarity used her magic to catch Spike by his wrists as he attempted to pull his blindfold off. “I promise you’ll get to see soon enough. Just follow my voice for now, I’ll guide you. Come come, this way.” Rarity instructed, backing up as Spike stepped out of his shorts on the floor. He blindly followed her voice, his shaft bouncing slightly with each step. She stepped to the side once they reached the edge of her bed. “Just a few more steps and you’re there.” Spike’s claws brushed up against Rarity’s red sheets adorned with white flowers, and began to pull himself up onto her bed. “Here, let me help you with that.” Rarity sunk her head down underneath his tail and gave him a swift push upwards onto her mattress. Spike landed a bit roughly with his shaft sandwiched between the mattress and his belly, and his tail lifted high enough to expose his anus. Rarity licked her lips and lifted her forelegs up onto the edge of the mattress, a hoof on either side of Spike’s feet. Before the dragon could pull himself up, Rarity moved in and pressed her tongue up against Spike’s taint, letting it drag upwards across his soft dragon hole. Spike’s body went rigid as he let out a surprised gasp.

“Mm, Spike…” Rarity teased him as she rubbed her snout against the underside of his tail, “What an exquisite little posterior you have.” Rarity placed a gentle kiss on the right cheek of his rear before her tongue returned to its post. Rarity strengthened her tongue and pushed past the entry point of Spike’s hole, her lips covering the rim of his anus as her tongue pushed deep inside of him. Spike’s dragon cock twitched hard as the tongue of the unicorn wriggled inside of him, exploring the inner walls of his rectum.

“Mmm…” Spike buried his face into the mattress and let out a high pitched whimper. He fought desperately to keep his voice from sounding too girlish in front of Rarity. Her tongue continued to flex inside his inner walls, forcing a euphoric tickle to build from his rear and spread up to his chest. “Ah… ahhhh!” Spike moaned out loud, squeezing his legs together to keep his cock, dripping slightly with semen, from spewing its load too early. Rarity’s backside began to tremble as well, her mare lips winking furiously and becoming moist with the sound of each moan that Spike let out.

Rarity’s tongue slithered back and exited Spike’s tight hole with a light wet popping sound. “Goodness, you’re quite the noisy little one, aren't you?” she teased him.

“S-sorry,” Spike whimpered, the tingling sensation still pulsing in his loins.

“No need to apologize dear! Those adorable little sounds you make tell me I’m doing my job right. Do you like having your little tush played with?”

“Yeah…” Spike panted in response.

“Does it feel good when I’m eating you out, little one?” she asked, placing another soft lick on the surface of the slick hole under his tail.

“Hnnn—yes!” Spike moaned, keeping his back up as his body begged him to let his seed fly free.

“Ooh, I can tell,” Rarity teased as she touched the back of her hoof against his shaft, pressing a bit of his precum flat against the tip. “But… I am not going to let all that dragon filling be wasted all over my bedsheets. I want every drop… for… my...self, darling,” she continued, before licking the bit of semen off her hoof. Activating her magic, Rarity took hold of Spike and gently rolled him on his back, his rigid length pointing up towards the ceiling. Rarity pulled herself on top of her bed, the mattress shifting as she turned herself around so that her rear was facing him. “Are you ready, darling?” She asked, her purple tail brushing gently against his belly.

“Yeah-huh!” Spike muttered as he nodded frantically.

Rarity took a deep breath, and lowered her white rump downwards slowly, until she felt her slick lips press against the tip of Spike’s penis. “Mm!” Rarity whimpered slightly, feeling a sudden tingle shoot up her loins. Rarity bared her weight further down, the head of his shaft penetrating and pushing deep inside of her sopping caverns. “Oh-oh… ohhhhh!” Rarity continued to push down, until her backside came into contact with Spike’s pelvis. “Eep!” Rarity tilted her head back and kept her forelegs down, pressed against the mattress to give herself leverage as she writhed from the feeling of Spike’s length filling her. “Ohhhh, Spike! You feel absolutely wonderful inside of me! Mmm…”

With Spike powerless to move underneath her, Rarity eased her rear up until she reached the head of his throbbing shaft, and slowly shifted back down against his waist. Every few repetitions, the unicorn would stop against his waist and wiggle her backside, letting the sensation of being filled up tickle her inner walls. Rarity activated her magic, and undid the blindfold still affixed to Spike’s eyes, letting him see for himself what was taking place.

There she was: the unicorn of his dreams, her elegant white form wrapped in her lacey corset. Her back was arched and towards him, her shapely rump pushing back and forth against his waist as she moved her body up and down, letting her slick pussy lips envelop his cock over and over again. Finally seeing it for himself brought back the feelings for her he thought he had cast aside: she was beautiful, she was elegant, charming, and everything he wanted from a unicorn. He loved her, and after this moment he would never forget that fact again.

“Cum inside of me, Spike.” Rarity instructed him, looking over her shoulder as she pressed her backside against him. “I want you to fill me to the brim with your hot, sticky, dragon spunk.” Rarity pursed her lips out as she batted her long eyelashes at him, giving her rump another wiggle against his pelvis.

“Hnnnnng!” Spike reached down and squeezed Rarity’s cheeks, making the unicorn gasp in response. Spike thrust hard into her, feeling the tickle in his cock build tremendously as he took in the sight of his desired mare on top of him. Spike closed his eyes and pushed his hips forward as he felt the rush of semen shoot out of him and eject into Rarity’s soaking caverns.

“Ahhhh!” Rarity moaned out in pleasure, her head tilted back with a wide open mouthed smile. “Ohhh, Spike! Mmmm~!”

Spike pulled his hips back after the final thrust and let his arms fall to his sides against the bed. He opened his eyes to see Rarity’s backside still trembling against his body with his shrinking erection still inside of her. He had spewed so much of his cum into her that it had overflowed out the edges of her marehood and pooled around the base of his shaft. Rarity struggled to pull her bottom up, his limp cock slipping out of her caverns. With a final moan and shiver, another flood of his semen and her vaginal fluids poured out of her as she dropped to the side of him. The unicorn remained at his feet for a moment, gasping for breath, before her magic quickly untied the back of her corset and she heaved a giant breath of relief. Eventually, she raised her head and looked back at Spike, offering the dragon an exhausted, but very satisfied smile. “Happy birthday, Spike.”

Spike kept his eyes on Rarity as he struggled to catch his breath. The unicorn fought to turn herself around and inch her way up to him. Once she was eye level with him, she leaned in towards his face and rubbed the tip of her nose against his.

“Did that… did that really happen?” Spike asked, in a state of bewilderment.

“I believe it did, darling,” she reassured him sweetly. “And I certainly hope it was everything you imagined it would be.”

“Nope; not even close.” Spike replied flatly. A slight frown accompanied the look of puzzlement that formed on Rarity’s face. “It was even better than I imagined. Thank you Rarity.” He reassured her, reaching a claw to her foreleg. Rarity’s eyes moved down to his claw, and then back up to him. Spike was about to pull away, until Rarity reached with her other hoof and held it in her grasp, relocating it to her cheek. Spike was astonished; not only had he finally been able to court the unicorn of his dreams, but she was even letting him be affectionate towards her afterwards. As much as he enjoyed the usual sexual release with Twilight, her refusal of any petting afterwards usually left him feeling just as pent up as before they went to bed. This new freedom seemed to relax him even more than his initial climax.

“My sweet little man,” Rarity fawned over him affectionately as he continued to rub her cheek, “I am ever so sorry that it took me this long to realize it.”

“Realize what?” Spike asked her.

“How much I… how much you mean to me, Spike.” Rarity told him. She slowly moved her head in towards him, and pressed her lips on his cheek, slightly touching the corner of his mouth. She pulled her head back, her face merely centimeters from his.

Spike couldn't remember if he had ever seen Rarity this close before. He had forgotten how mesmerizing her eyes could be, those large pools of glistening azure seemed to be staring half-lidded into his very heart, begging him to follow through with what he knew he wanted. Feeling her soft breath against his face, Spike closed his eyes and pressed his puckered lips against hers gently. His heart nearly soared right out of his chest when he felt her lips move and push towards him in return. The two of them broke the kiss and leaned their foreheads against one another as their eyes locked.

“Better late than never.” Spike replied, before moving in for another kiss. The little dragon moved his claw up Rarity’s face and across the spiral of her purple mane as their lips locked. Picking himself up off of his side, Rarity turned over on her back until Spike was lying across her belly, his claws holding the back of her head as he continued to kiss her, her hindlegs up and cradling his lower body on both sides of him. Eventually, Spike broke the kiss and laid his chin against her chest as he gazed at her.

Letting out a rather large yawn, Spike began to rub his eyes. “Wow, that took a lot out of me. Mind if I take a nap?”

“Feel free to, darling.” Rarity assured him, rubbing her hoof against his chest. Spike smiled and yawned again, letting his head turn over and lay against her chest as he closed his eyes, his head just underneath her fire ruby necklace. “I’m so glad that you enjoyed your first time.”

Spike winced as he thought about all the times that he and Twilight had shared their bodies with one another. He quickly dismissed any guilty feelings by telling himself that this was still his first time with Rarity, and that was all that mattered.

“Spike?” he heard her ask him.

“Mhm?” he uttered, too tired to open his eyes and look at her.

“I love you.”

A tender warmth spread out from Spike’s chest as he cuddled into her. “Love you too… Rar…” a deep breath emanated from his nostrils, and that was all that he said before drifting off to sleep.

A number of pegasi flew over Ponyville, arranging various clouds throughout the the orange twilit sky. The sun still hung over the horizon, not yet ready for the moon to take its place. Inside the kitchen of the Golden Oaks library, Twilight’s magic opened the oven to the way of a heavy steam billowing out. The alicorn levitated a large dish of piping hot macaroni and cheese, a thick layer of browned and toasted bread crumbs over the gooey cheese covered shells underneath. Twilight took a whiff of her creation as it floated by her and set it in the middle of their table. Following the main entree, Twilight placed upon the table two sets of silverware, a pair of plates and glasses, a bowl of fresh green beans, and a pitcher of iced tea. With the table set, the librarian took her seat at the table, a relaxed sigh leaving her mouth with her task completed. All that was missing now was a little dragon to help her devour the meal she had spent the last hour and a half preparing.

Twilight waited several minutes, tapping her hooves on the table as her eyes looked across the room and overlooked the wooden walls of her kitchen. She saw Owlicious out of the corner of her eye, his beak buried in his wing as he attended to his feathers. Her eyes eventually came back to the table, and she again surveyed all that she had prepared. Twilight found her nostrils overwhelmed by the food in front of her, and her stomach let out a very noticeable growl.

“Ugh! Spike, how much longer are you going to be at Rarity’s?” she impatiently asked out loud. “I’m hungry,” she muttered, resting her chin on the table. Another few minutes passed, and Twilight pulled herself away from the table, stepping into the main room and looking out one of the windows at the orange sky.

“It’s fine. I’m sure he’s on his way home,” she told herself with a smile, “After all, I did say he just needed to be home before dark, and technically it is still--!”

Twilight watched as the glow of the sun sunk down below the horizon and faded, followed by the shining bright glow of the moon in the distance, and an assortment of small twinkling stars illuminating the pitch black sky.

“... dark.” Twilight finished, an annoyed look over her face. She looked to the front door, hoping that Spike would walk through just in the nick of time. The door remained closed, despite her intense staring into its wooden face. She briskly trotted forward and opened the door, poking her head out and looking this way and that. She saw a number of ponies walking past her library, all making their way home for the night. But there was no young dragon running up to her doorstep, frantic to beat the sun and moon from exposing his missed curfew.

“Come on Spike, don’t make me come get you…” Twilight looked back into her home, Owlicious looking up at her and shrugging his wings. With an aggravated flare of her nostrils, Twilight stepped outside and closed the door behind her.