Inside the town hall, the ball had been underway for a while. Cheerilee had always run an end of year party in some form, the students loved it, but decided to go all out this year with the Hearts and Hooves theme. And not just because she had her own date for Hearts and Hooves day Sunday.

No, not at all!

Pinkie Pie had been more than helpful in the preparations both before the day and the hours beforehand, using her untold energies to decorate and help cater. Some other ponies around town were also helping out as chaperones, and generally assisting the teacher. As for the music, well, Cheerilee had managed to get DJ Pon to perform - whilst she would never normally do something as ordinary as a school ball, as she and Cheerilee went way back the DJ did it as a favour for her friend.

However, at latest announcement from Pinkie Pie, even the music from the well known DJ was all but forgotten as the room fell silent. Sweetie Belle and Spike walked in to see all eyes fall on them, making the pair a little bit self conscious. However, Spike had dealt with worse at the Equestria Games, and strode forwards with confidence allowing Sweetie Belle to feed off this and do the same.

The other ponies started whispering as the two made their way over to some chairs. Nopony had expected Sweetie Belle to turn up, and yet here she was along with a date. Not just any old date, but a national hero by her side dressed to the nines. Whilst dragons were cool, dragons in bow-ties were even cooler.

Spike led Sweetie to a chair, and offered to get the pair a drink. He walked over to where the punchbowl was, with Cheerilee standing watch. “Miss Cheerilee” Spike greeted her as he approached

“Mr Spike, or should I be calling you Spike the Great and Glorious?” the teacher smiled in response, her natural warmth putting the dragon at ease.

“No need for all that, Spike will do!”

“Then just call me Cheerilee.”

“Oh, I couldn’t be so bold” Spike responded as he carefully ladled two drinks into cups.

“But you’ve called me Cheerilee before?”

“Yeah, but you don’t let your students call you that, and given the situation I thought it was best, Miss.”

“You’re not one of my students Spike, no need to be so formal. I insist.” The teacher paused for a moment “I was never sure whether to ask you to any school events. Or to class itself for that.”

Spike smiled back as Cheerilee looked a little worried “Yeah, it’s kind of confusing for everybody how my age and maturity matches that of ponies older than me...well, most of the time. Anyway, I must go back to Sweetie Belle. Catch up with you soon?”

“Of course Spike, hope you have a wonderful evening.”

Spike walked back and gave Sweetie her drink. The unicorn took a sip, and then realised she didn't know what to do next. Should they chat? Dance? Grab a snack?” “So…?” Sweetie Belle trailed off.

However, Spike knew exactly what to say “First things first, go and make up with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.”

“What?” Sweetie squeaked.

“It’ll just be awkward for the rest of the night if you don’t, and I don't want anything to spoil this night for you...I mean us.”

Sweetie Belle smiled at Spike who had a fairly determined look on his face and she rolled her eyes in response “Fine…for you Spike”. She instinctively put a hoof on his claw, then quickly retracted it and blushed, before quickly leaving.

As Sweetie Belle went over to her two friends, Spike wandered over to the other side of the hall where a bunch of the colts were hanging out. He looked out the corner of his eye whilst he chatted with them, noticing the three crusaders seemed to quickly make up. Despite not being a mind reader, he could then tell that they started talking about their manes, dresses and all the girly stuff from the way they moved around each other and pointed.

It was probably more interesting than the conversation Spike was listening to about the latest blockbuster movies and sporting results. So, after listening for a polite amount of time, the dragon made his excuses. Spike started walking back, but paused halfway across. He noticed that the hall seemed to be split into two halves, with the fillies on one side, the colts on the other.

Spike managed to suppress a laugh as he walked over to the punchbowl again. “What gives?” he asked Cheerilee, pointing to the two sides of the room.

“I think the colts are too afraid of the fillies and vice versa!” Cheerilee laughed in response.

At this Spike facepalmed “Really? Gah, I do forget how foalish ponies this age can be sometimes.”

“Didn’t you not know what a Bachelor Party is?” Cheerilee raised an eyebrow.

“Heh, blame Twilight for that one, she kept me away from all sorts of fun things. But it’s time to get this ball rolling.”

Spike confidently strode back to the crusaders trio, and asked Sweetie if she would like to dance, something she eagerly accepted. The two walked out onto the empty dancefloor. DJ Pon-3 saw the pair reach the middle, and Spike shot her a double thumbs up. Taking her cue, the mare placed a bit of a faster track on and increased the volume a little bit.

As soon as the beat started, Spike began to dance and the dragon knew how to strut. Discord had recently given the dragon a few dancing ideas, the pair of them bonding over being bipeds in a world of quadrupeds. Sweetie Belle knew all eyes were on them, but she didn’t care...she just wanted to dance and soon she found herself lost in the moment. The two of them danced alone for a little while, before Scootaloo and Applebloom came over.

Bit by bit others joined, firstly mostly the fillies but after a whole a few of the colts started. Eventually, everypony was dancing and the teacher let out a huge breath that the ice had been broken.Seeing his job was done, Spike turned to Sweetie Belle.

“Fancy a snack?”

“Sure” the filly replied, the two of them making their way over to the snack table, putting a few cakes and crisps on their plates before finding an empty table.

“It’s good to see everypony dancing.” Sweetie Belle laughed between bites of her tart “And it’s all down to us...well...you.”

“You came with me, that was brave.” Spike replied “Not everypony can be as confident as us. I mean, we did take part in the Equestria Games.”

“I was only part of a team with my friend, you went out there alone...three times!”

Spike blushed a bit in response “Well, once you save a kingdom or two, a crowd seems less intimidating."

“And dancing with a filly is foalsplay, hey?”

Spike gulped “Actually, no, it was super nerve-wrecking.”

“It was?” Sweetie Belle squeaked in response.

Spike realised this was a conversation he didn’t want to have so steered it away “New Dress?”

“Yeah”

“Really suits you.”

Sweetie Belle blushed “Thanks, my sister designed it for me.” At the very mention of Rarity, both of them sort of tensed up a bit, but Sweetie kept the conversation moving “You look different somehow?”

“Yeah, I polished my scales with a new product. Took a while but I really shine!”

“I noticed” Sweetie replied with a coy look.

“I really like your mane up, it really brings out the tones, and your neck.”

“My neck?”

“Yeah, you have a long neck...a bit like a princess!”

Sweetie Belle blushed profusely at being called a princess, and took a big gulp of her drink. A slight awkwardness could be felt between the two of them, but at the same time they both felt oddly comfortable. The music changed to Sapphire Shores latest hit and Sweetie Belle’s ears perked up “Oh, this is my song!”

The pair therefore returned to the dancefloor, cutting a rug with the rest of the foals.

DJ-Pon3 was having an okay evening. Keeping the music going at a school disco was hardly the hardest thing she had done, but she did have to change her style from normal. Rather than just being a constant stream of bass, she had to mix popular songs together in a way that also gave the younger ponies a chance to catch their breath. It may have been a bit underneath her, but she owed Cheerilee for everything.

As the evening drew on, a slight mischievous thought entered her mind Well, it is supposed to be a Hearts and Hooves ball afterall. Over the course of a few songs DJ-Pon3 lowered the tempo until on exactly nine o’clock, she put a slow song on.

Instantly, everypony on the dance floor first froze, then separated from each other. The tension in the air was palpable and DJ-Pon3 realised that she may have made a mistake - perhaps these ponies were just a little too young.

Spike just smiled to himself Trust Twilight to get me prepared for anything and he turned to his date “May I have this dance?”

“Sh..sure” Sweetie Belle stammered. Spike took her by a hoof to the centre of the floor. He went to raise the hoof further but Sweetie seemed nervous and slightly resisted.

“Trust me” Spike smiled at the filly, before placing Sweetie’s hoof on his shoulder, causing the filly to have to stand on her rear legs and she put her other hoof on his shoulder instinctively. The unicorn was unsure at what was happening, but had faith in her date. Spike placed one claw on her shoulder, and supported the pony’s weight slightly with the other. Unspoken, and with only a smile to start, the pair began moving in time with the music.

Sweetie Belle rested her head next to Spikes as they danced, causing the dragons mind to race Good job Twilight and I practised this first With Sweetie Belle’s mane next to his face, the smell of her mane drifted into his mind and he took a deep sniff - it smelt of raspberry but was intoxicating in a unique sort of way.

Cheerilee wished she had a camera (a piece of equipment well outside her earnings) as the scene of the two of them was so cute. Sweetie Belle was being completely supported by her dancing partner, and showed a level of trust that warmed the teacher’s heart. It also seems a rather close way of dancing. Hmmmm.

Featherweight then approached his date, and the two of them started dancing, albeit it in the more traditional four hooves on the ground sort of way. The two other crusaders looked over to their dates and decided against it - Snips and Snails may have been nice colts in a dumb sort of way, but a slow dance was taking it a little too far.

After a couple of slow songs, DJ-Pon3 put a bit of a faster track back on so all the youngster could join in again and the pair separated from their close embrace. A faint blush was visible on the filly’s cheeks but this went unnoticed by the dragon. Sweetie Belle went off to the side to speak to her two crusader friends whilst Spike went off to the restroom.

Across the room, Diamond Tiara stared daggers at the crusaders, but mostly Sweetie Belle. During the whole evening, the unicorn had shown her up at every opportunity. Her dress was better despite being both being designed by Rarity, the filly had lead the way on the dancefloor and her date was attentive to Sweetie unlike Diamonds, who seemed to very quickly distance himself from her.

The earth pony went stomping across the floor to the trio, her silver furred partner in crime following her. Cheerilee noticed this and started to move subtly towards the group to make sure nothing ruined the evening.

"I'm surprised you bothered to along to the ball Sweetie Belle, you couldn’t even rustle up a date!”

“She has a date, she came with Spike!” Scootaloo replied, the first to always get riled up by Diamond Tiara.

“Couldn’t even get a date in your own species hey, you had to get one of your sisters friends to come.”

“That’s not why he came” Sweetie Belle protested, although the line hit at the insecurity that had been at the back of her mind since she had been asked.

"Yeah, trust her to come with a date that’s also a… blank flank!" Silver Spoon added, with Diamond joining in for the final two words.

"Dragons don't get Cutie Marks..." Applebloom replied with an eye roll.

Diamond Tiara saw Sweetie Belle seemed upset, so continued her attack "Doesn't matter, Spike's not exactly a mature dragon so no doubt he would be a crusader and a blank flank like you losers!"

"Would I?" the deeper voice of Spike boomed from behind the bully, the pony jumping a bit and turning towards the dragon standing right behind her.

Cheerilee had been watching all of this and edged a little closer, ready to step in should things escalate.

Diamond Tiara looked at the dragon who was staring at her, a glint of something in his eyes, something that chilled Diamond Tiara to the bone. She was unable to form any words, leaving the dragon able to go on the offensive.

"So, you got your mark in what exactly? Designing a tiara that was worn by the Princess? Finding a natural talent in metallurgy?" Seeing his prey, mental prey at least, dumbstruck the dragon continued. “It’s true I don’t have a Cutie Mark, although I suspect if I were a pony I may have gotten one by now…maybe some form of scroll symbol for acting as the official courier between Princess Celestia and her personal student? Maybe a book mark from running a library since the age of two?”

“Maybe a crystal heart from when you saved the Crystal Empire?” Applebloom added

“Yeah, or maybe a fire mark from saving thousands of ponies at the Equestria Games?”

“A fire cutie mark would be so cool!” Scootaloo gushed, trying to figure out a way of getting that one herself.

Spike started circling around Diamond Tiara, the outnumbered filly seemingly stunned into listening “I’ve done a whole bunch of stuff worthy of a cutie mark, as have the crusaders. The fact they are still to find the one unique thing, on top of everything they've done before, just shows how special they are. Compared to that meaningless mark of yours, I know who I would rather be. So why don’t you just go away and leave us in peace!”

Too shocked to do anything else, the filly head sank and she plodded slowly away from the others, Silver Spoon retreating in a similar style. Spike looked over to Cheerilee and mouthed “Too harsh?”

Cheerilee kept the frown, although her eyes told a different story and mouthed slowly back “On the record, yes. But…she started it so it’s her own fault.”

“Spike!” a squeak from Sweetie Belle focused his attention back to the group. “That was amazing, thank you” and she gave her date a hug.

Holding back a massive blush, Spike managed to stammer out a “No problem” in response.

With that unpleasantness behind them, the pair continued to enjoy the rest of the evening. But all too quickly it hit eleven o’clock and the parents started arrived to take their children home. Seeing that there time was nearly up, both of them had the same though running through their minds:

I wish this evening didn’t have to end

Author's Note

Bow Ties are cool