Spike woke up at the usual time and got on with his chores which were ample today. Thursdays was the day Twilight held the Ponyville’s weekly book club meeting.

When Twilight first started it, it wasn’t too popular with only a few ponies regularly attending - Cheerilee, Mrs Cake and Bonbon mostly. However, once she became a Princess it was surprising how a few other ponies suddenly found an interest in books, especially the ponies that considered themselves ‘mares that munch’ such as Mrs Rich. Since Golden Oaks Library had been blown up and the meeting switched to the Friendship Castle, attendance had skyrocketed.

Twilight was originally concerned that it was going to end up like that time with the fillies and colts - ponies only coming to 'hang out' with a Princess. But unlike that incident it seemed that the adults, whatever their original intentions, actually wanted to read and expand their minds. So the book club had gone from strength to strength.

Of course this meant that there was a lot of preparing to do before the large meeting. Spike was still Twilights number one assistant, but with a large castle to clean Twilight had got some help in to do this, and Spike saw the three mares working away dusting the room as he walked towards the castle doors on his way to market.

Spike still took care of all the catering arrangements, a side effect of Twilight’s awful cooking as they grew up training him to be the one to cook by deafult. The young whelp therefore spent most of the morning shopping for snacks and drinks. It took a little longer than usual as the dragon had a distraction in the back of his mind - a white unicorn.

But unlike his usual thoughts, this unicorn did not have a purple mane, but two softer shades. As he was trying on focusing on his shopping, he was constantly thinking back to the previous afternoon.

The way she acted kindly towards the dragon.

The way she delicately nibbled on her cookie like a mare, rather than gobbling up like a filly her age.

The way her face lit up when she had asked her to the ball.

The blush when she said yes.

Sweetie Belle was her name, and being cute was clearly her game.

However, as Spike did the shopping, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was perhaps a mistake to ask her to the ball. The dragon hadn’t spent much time round the fillies and colts of Ponyville school, and didn’t really know how to act around them. Plus, he had never been on an actual date before. But it wasn't really a date.

Was it?

It was lunchtime at the Ponyville Schoolhouse, and like in the previous day Sweetie Belle was eating alone. Scootaloo and Applebloom had sat at their usual table for three, leaving enough room for their friend to sit, but the stool remained empty. She hadn’t yet forgiven them yet.

Of course, with the summer break coming up, she knew she would have a choice to either spend the summer alone, working in her sisters shop, or going out crusading with her best friends. Sweetie decided that she might try to patch things up after the ball, once she had sprung the little surprise of her turning up with Spike. But until then the pain of betrayal was too much.

Sweetie Belle also knew she had been struggling all day trying to concentrate on the schoolwork, but with only two days to go to the end of the school (actually one and a half as tomorrow was a half day) that wasn't surprising. However, unlike the other students, it wasn’t the thought of the summer school holiday that was distracting her. The reason she was struggling to concentrate was due to one word.

Pretty.

Somepony other than her parents or her sister had called her pretty. For the first time.

With the time on her hoof to think, she reflected on that. Sweetie Belle wasn’t a stupid unicorn, and she knew that some of the colts in the class found her attractive, so much so some found themselves barely able to talk to her. But none of them had ever actually compliment her before.

She was lucky enough to have natural beauty. Her coat colour and soft toned mane was considered by many to be the most desirable qualities in a unicorn, something she was lucky to share with her sister. And despite eating a little too much junk food with her parents, she had a naturally thin figure.

However, seeing her sister grow in the past few years with Twilight and her other friends, the filly knew beauty was more than skin deep. Ponies seemed to like her for more than her looks. Having had a very good role model in her sister. she knew that when she wanted to be, she could be the very model of ladylike behaviour. But also wasn't afraid of getting her hooves dirty to have some fun.

As the filly looked around the playground, she considered other aspects of herself. She was fairly intelligent, both with book-smarts and street-smarts. She had been told many times she was kind and generous and unlike some other unicorns she knew, was modest about it. The squeaks in her voice were considered cute by most ponies and apparently she had a good singing voice even if she didn’t really think so herself.

Did Spike see all of this in her? Is that why he asked her or was he only doing it out of pity?

Twilight heard Spike preparing everything in the kitchen. The book club wasn’t due for a few hours yet which gave her enough time to speak to Spike about something. She got up, opened the door of the room she was sat in a poked her head out. She bite her lip, but knew she had to do this.

“Spike, I need to talk to you!” she called out.

A few moments later she saw Spike walking down the corridor, and she beckoned him in. “Please, take a seat, we have something to discuss.”

Spike sat down and had a quick glance around the room he hadn’t frequently visited, Twilights personal reading room. Whilst they had shared all the facilities of Golden Oaks together, the extra space in the castle allowed them to have areas of their own. Of course, nothing was off limits to each other, but Twilight had a room for quiet reading and reflexion, whilst Spike had his own to store his comics and associated collectables.

Twilight settled herself back down and smiled at the dragon “Spike, I want to talk to you about the ball tomorrow.”

“Okay?” Spike replied, worried about Twilights view on the matter. Did she disapprove of him taking Sweetie Belle? Should he have asked her permission before arranging an evening out? Did she have plans and he would have to cancel?

“Do you know how to treat a filly properly at a formal ball?” Twilight asked.

Spike practically laughed in response “Of course, I’m not called a gentledrake for no reason!”

“Oh really?” Twilight smiled back at the confidence of her dragon son. She had been concerned that the little dragon would feel overwhelmed by his first date and it warmed her heart that he seemed to have some trust in himself “So, when you arrive what is the first thing you do?”

“I’ll give her the corsage.”

“You have a corsage?” Twilight replied in shock.

“Ordered one with Roseluck this morning.”

“Nice!” Twilight smiled 1-0 to Spike so far “And have you booked a carriage to take you to the town hall?”

Spikes face dropped a bit “No. I didn’t have enough bits and it’s not far from the boutique so I thought a short walk wouldn’t hurt.”

“Thats okay, I’ll get something sorted for you” 1-1

“Really? Thanks!” Spike smiled back.

“And what about when you first arrive at the ball?”

“I offer to take her coat. Well, probably a shawl given the warm weather. And I’ll get us both a drink…”

Twilight raised a hoof to stop him “Excellent, it does sound you know you what you are doing!”

“Well, I think most of the stuff I do with Rarity should pretty much suffice!” the dragon beamed back.

Twilight had a question stuck in the back of her mind, and as the reasonable care-giver to the dragon she was raising, she had to ask it. And Spike had just given her the perfect opportunity to do so. “Spike, you aren’t just doing this for Rarity are you?”

“No!” the dragon replied in shock “I would never do something like that. It’s just...it seemed like something nice to do for somepony. You know, Sweetie Belle was really down and there was something I could do to help. I thought back to all the parties and stuff you missed in Canterlot, before you made friends, and I didn’t want Sweetie Belle to miss this.”

Twilight practically leaped across the gap between them and swept him up in a hug “Oh Spike, you are a sweet thing sometimes.”

Spike pretended to push Twilight away, but secretly enjoyed the affectionate hug from her. After a few moments, she pulled away. “Well, it seems you have everything under control Spike!”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I have everything covered. And if not, I’ll just think about what you would do and follow that!”

“Me?” Twilight gasped in surprise.

Spike got a slight bashful look about him “Yeah, for all your flaws, you tend to be so graceful and elegant when you need to be.”

Twilight giggled, remembering the one clear way she was most definitely not graceful, which brought a clear question into her mind “Spike, do you know how to dance?

The dragon looked at her with one eyebrow raised “Like, dance dance, or dance?”

“Okay, lets not get confusing here. I mean both really, as in how to dance at a formal event as well as, well, slow dancing.”

Spike’s eyebrow remained “Well, it doesn’t look too difficult.”

“Maybe Spike, but it’s not something I’m very good at!”

Spike sniggered slightly and put a claw on Twilight’s leg “I’ve seen you dance...you just need to relax and put a little less effort into it!”

Twilight giggled back “So, you think you can dance?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. Standing upright gives me some moves of my own to do. But…” Spike demeanor changed slightly “...I’m not too sure about slow dancing.”

Twilight smiled, putting a reassuring hoof on top of the claw still on her leg “I thought as much. Come, let me show you, Celestia made me take lessons recently.”

Twilight stood up, lit her horn, and in front of Spike’s eyes the alicorn slowly shrunk down until she was around the same size as Sweetie Belle. A further spell was cast and a gramophone in the corner started up, playing a slow waltz.

“Come” Twilight gestured, her voice slightly higher in the smaller body.

“Twilight, I can’t dance with you!” Spike blushed “I mean, it just doesn't feel right.”

Twilight rolled her eyes “Sure you can, friends and family can dance together, it doesn’t have to mean anything!”

Spike nervously stepped forwards to what turned out to be a very interesting, and informative, dancing lesson.

As Sweetie Belle was finishing up her evening chores, Rarity knocked on the open door on her room. “How’s everything going Sweetie?”

“Fine!” the filly half moaned “I’ve nearly finished tidying my room”

“Good. Now, there is something I’ve been meaning to ask you. Do you want me to do your mane and makeup tomorrow, or would you prefer Aloe and Lotus Blossom to do it at the spa?”

“Spa?”

“Why of course darling, I’ve made a reservation at the spa for your mane and makeup to be done. Reserved it weeks ago to make sure.”

“Wait, you would do that?” Sweetie Belle replied.

“Of course, it’s your special day and I know you don’t always like your elder sister doing everything for you.” the elder unicorn smiled. As much as they cared for each other, Rarity knew that sometimes her sister felt a little suffocated by her skills.

Sweetie Belle came galloping across and gave her sister a big hug “Wow, you’re like the best sister ever, but of course I want your help me with getting ready. You are my big sister, and even if we don’t always see eye to eye, you're still the best at what you do!”

Author's Note

Apologises if you don't like this chapter but the story is so dialogue heavy I decided to try to add a lot of non dialogue here to balance.