Even though they had finally gotten their cutie marks long ago, the trio of Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell, and Apple Bloom still liked to hang out at their beloved Cutie Mark Crusaders Clubhouse, though nowadays they would use it to help the occasional colt or filly that would be having the same mark trouble they did.

It was this very place Apple Bloom was running full tilt towards, mumbling, "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy..." with each step. Upon reaching the ladder, she barely missed a beat scrambling up it, stopping briefly to smack the door open and fall inside, gasping for air.

Inside, Sweetie Bell was busy polishing her hooves. The white sundress she had on fit snug against her ample bosom and generous curves. Her mane had grown some as well, draping midway down her back and held out of her face by a pair of barrettes.

Not far away, Scootaloo was plopped down in a bean bag chair with the recent Daring Do comic, dressed in a basic pair of shorts and a tank-top. Like Sweetie Bell, she had filled out noticeably as well; though she was a bit more lithe than her unicorn friend and liked to keep her mane a bit shorter

Apple Bloom was no slouch in that department, either, though. She was the more muscular of the three, given all the time she worked at her family' farm, but she was still proud of the shapely body it gave her as well if the coveralls and t-shirt she had on were any indication. And like always, she still wore her favorite old bow up in her mane.

Right now she was too busy trying to catch her breath to really care about any of that.

"Whoa! What's the emergency, Bloom?" Scootaloo exclaimed, squirming out of the chair.

Sweetie quickly pulled her out and the two rushed over to help their friend up, "Yeah, you look like you just went a lap all around Ponyville!"

PANT!" Guys...you..you won't.." PANT! "You won't believe..." GASP! "What Ah just..heard!"

-----------Back at Golden Oak-----------

"I CANNOT believe her!" Twilight snarled, inadvertently causing a few items to levitate nearby...including Pinkie, " I don't give a horseapple if she got distracted! NOW she expects Spike to come running to help her get ready for a date with THE SAME FREAKING Stallion she sidelined him for!? That's IT! i'm giving her a piece of my mind!"

"Um, Twilight?" Pinkie said in an uncharacteristically small voice, "Not that I mind the flying, but..uh..

"What!?" It took Twilight a moment to realize what was happening and a little longer to calm down enough to get her magic back under control, "Sorry, Pinkie. I'm just...Rarity's got me really aggravated right now."

"About the stallion she's going out with?" The pink mare's eyes lit up, "Ooh, so YOU wanna go out with him instead?"

"Wha..'N-no! Pinkie..." She sighed, "The whole thing started yesterday when Spike decided to finally tell Rarity how he felt." Twilight proceeded to explain what happened...

-----------Back at the Clubhouse----------

"Wait, are you SURE that's what you heard him say, Bloom?" Sweetie Bell asked, staring intently as she did.

"One Hundred and Thirty-Seven percent sure!" Apple Bloom responded, "Macintosh asked what was so different 'bout him an' Spike flat out said he ain't going after yer sister anymore, Sweetie. He didn't really give any more details 'cept that he decided that it wasn't doing him or anyone else any good."

The trio sat in contemplative silence before...

"So, this means what I think it does, right?' Scootaloo asked, a sliver of hope evident in her tone. The dawning realization crossing over Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell's faces, as well as their slowly emerging smiles, was all she needed.

-----------At the farm-----------

Big Mac had a slightly uneasy look on his face now, "Um, ya might wanna sit down fer this, Spike. Could take a lil' while." He wait until they were both comfortable before beginning, "Ok..ya know 'bout how there's so many more mares than stallions, right?"

"Yeah. Last I heard it's like 7:1 and even higher in some places."

"Well, 'cause of that, couples; ya know, one gal, one fella; well, that's the rare exception, not the norm."

"Huh? But..you and Cheerilee.."

"True, but we've only been together' a couple months an' she's wantin' to introduce me to her friends Berry Punch, Colgate, an Sparkler, to see if we hit it off." He had the decency to blush then.

"Serious!? Your marefriend is actually wanting you to go out with others!?" Spike was having trouble believing his ears.

"Remember, Spike, it's like Ah said; one-guy-one-gal is the exception. So, Ah doubt it'll be long 'afore they ask me out." He chuckled at Spike's expression when he said that, "On occasion a stallion'll ask a mare he fancies out, but it's more commonly the other way 'round. Sometimes it'll be a group that does the askin' if they all like him. An' like with Cheerilee, if it is one mare, it's usually commonplace that she go about introducin' him to her unattached marefriends to see if they'll want to be with him."

"So..if Rarity had actually hooked up with one of those guys she's chased after, she would've...?" At Mac's nod an unpleasant feeling settled in Spike's gut. For some reason, the very idea one of the other girls going out with the likes of Blueblood or one of those other snobbish upper-class stallions made him feel nauseous...and a little angry

Mac, however, noticed he began to look ill but was quick to defuse the situation, "Easy now, she'd just have to introduce them. It's mostly just a common courtesy; doesn't mean that they HAVE to go out." He gave Spike a moment to relax before continuing, "Though, there is one thing you're REALLY gonna wanna be careful about. An' by 'you', Ah do mean you specifically, Spike."

-----------Back at the library-----------

"Rarity really did that!?" Pinkie squeaked in disbelief, "That's so..so..rude!" She stuck her lower lip out for emphasis, "But, Spikey is
ok, right?"

"Thankfully." She replied, "But that still doesn't excuse forgetting him like that!'

"I know, but going over there like a big rampaging old meanie won't solve things. Plus, you still see her as a friend, right?"

"Well..." Twilight sighed as she felt her anger begin to deflate some, "Yes." All in all, Rarity WAS a decent pony; she just had that one bad habit.

"So why go over there now and risk saying or doing something you might regret? We know you care about him; the rest of us do too. But there's a more effi..efic..efifi..there's a way that'll work better."

Resisting the urge to giggle at the flub, Twilight conceded, "Ok, I'll bite. What is it?"

"Let her find out for herself." Pinkie smiled Though, this time it was kinda devious.

"Pinkie, that's....that's a pretty darn good idea!" Her smile was almost on par with Pinkie's, "She'll learn exactly what she gave up..."

"Especially after she sees the mares lining up after they find out!"

"..Especially after-wha??" Twilight did a double-take.

"Yeah!" Pinkie giggled, though this time it had a strangely...aroused..tone to it "Didn't you know? Our not-so-little dragon's gotten quite a few admirers over the last few years. Only reason we never acted was 'cause he was so focused on Rarity and never really looked at anypony else we thought he'd already made his choice."

"W-we?" Twilight's eyes widened, "Pinkie..you?"

She simply giggled again.

Author's Note

Let the games begin!!

Oh man, this chapter kinda drove me nuts trying to get it as good as it is now.

And now a bit of fun

Who do you guys think should be the first mare he goes out on a date with? (shout out to DragonPony for suggesting this.)
A: Roseluck

B: BonBon

C. One of the wiki-listed background ponies.

P.S.
For those curious about the anthro level I'm going for, there's a batch of pictures by Metalfoxxx on Deviantart I like to call the 'Wake Up' Series. (Spike be a lucky bastard)
I'd post a couple, but they might be a little too risque for the site.