Sometimes...well, in Spike's case most of the time, sleep was a wonderful thing. He remembered when he was younger, and living with Twilight in their tree house, he used to savour all the times that he could sleep in. It wasn't easy, considering the schedule Twilight had set for him as her Number One Assistant. Still, he always enjoyed the days where he could just lie there in his basket and not be disturbed. It was even better when he had his own room at the Castle of Friendship. Not sharing a room with Twilight meant he got some well deserved privacy, along with more opportunity for uninterrupted rest.

Unfortunately for Spike, those days were long gone. He had left his home at the castle a number of weeks ago, due to a serious disagreement, and was now sleeping on a pile of gems in a small room located inside Rich Mansion. His roommates, Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody, didn't give him much opportunity for sleep. Not when they spent most of the time partying. At first, it was a blast hanging out at the mansion. Vinyl threw great parties, and Spike was eager to experience spending time with roommates that didn't spend all their time with their noses in a book. But, like everything else, too much of good thing ended up being a detriment in the long run. After a while, Spike got tired of the constant partying, loud music, and the constant stream of ponies coming and going at all hours day and night. It even got to the point where Spike thought about crawling back to Twilight to let him come back to his old home.

But Spike was stubborn, and he just couldn't bring himself to go back to his old life. Not after the way he'd left. Besides, he thought, Twilight had moved on with her life. She had all but ignored him the last time he was living with her. She also had a new coltfriend, and probably didn't want him intruding on her personal life. The biggest reason for not going back to the castle, however, was the chance he'd see Rarity. Although she didn't spend a lot of time at the castle, she was still friends with Twilight and Spike was sure he'd have difficulty handling himself around her. His emotions were still too raw when it came to the white unicorn that he had an almost incurable crush on.

All that didn't really matter right now. Not when he had music blasting in his ears. He had been asleep, but now Spike was wide awake to the sounds of electronic dance music coming from Vinyl's mobile DJ platform. Her and Octavia had managed to wheel it into his room and now had it cranked up so loud all of Ponyville could have heard it.

Spike crawled off his jewel pile to an upright position. As he did so, Octavia made a motion to Vinyl to turn the music off, which the unicorn DJ proceeded to do. The silence in his room was almost as deafening as the music had been. Part of him felt like letting go and tapping into his natural dragon instinct, which unfortunately would probably result in him eating the two ponies in front of him.

"It looks like he's awake..." Octavia remarked in her cultured accent.

"Yep...and you were right, Tavi..." Vinyl replied. "We had to bring out the heavy artillery to get him functional."

"So...before I kill the both of you..." a very irritated sounding Spike interjected. "Maybe you can give me a good reason for me not to...? The last time I went on a rampage it didn't particulary go so well for anypony."

Both ponies blinked at the dragon in front of them. Spike appeared calm, but by the tone of his voice he was decidedly miffed at his sleep being interrupted in this fashion.

"Right!" Octavia hastily spoke up. "A thousand pardons, Spike. We're very sorry for barging in like this, but it was the only way we could wake you up. You've been asleep for almost an entire day."

"Well...that tends to happen when I stay up for a couple of days straight partying..." he pointed out.

"Either way," Vinyl interrupted. "Now that you're awake we need you for something."

Spike arched his eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"We need you to come with us to Canterlot tomorrow," Vinyl continued. "It's the day of the Summer Sun Celebration and we're going to be performing at the ball that evening. We were hoping that you could help us out with set up in the ballroom."

Spike was actually surprised that it was time for the Summer Sun Celebration and Gala Ball already. Had the weeks passed by that quickly?

"You're right, Vinyl, it is time for the Summer Sun Celebration" Spike finally spoke after doing some calculations in his head. "But I don't know if it's such a good idea for me to go to Canterlot, though. If you recall, the last time I was there things didn't work out so well."

"Yeah, but this time it will be different," Vinyl assured him.

"How?" he asked pointedly. "All my friends will likely be at the ball. Considering how I left them a few weeks ago, I don't think it would be a good idea just to show up unannounced. I don't even think I'm invited to the event considering I'm probably pony non grata right now..."

"You'll be our guest, of course!" Octavia interjected. "You'll have every right to be there regardless of what anypony thinks."

"Please, Spike..." Vinyl almost pleaded. "We really need you there. We even told the princesses that you'd be there. They really want to see you again. We promise that nopony will cause any trouble for you while you're with us."

Spike sighed. He knew that this was probably a bad idea. But saying no to Vinyl and Octavia was a waste of time too, they would find a way to convince him to go. The though of seeing Celestia and Luna again was certainly appealing. As for his friends...he wasn't sure how they would react, but he knew he couldn't avoid them forever either.

"Ok, you've got a deal." he finally announced with sigh. "Where and when do you want me to show up tomorrow?"

"Pack your bags and meet us on the front steps at 6am tomorrow morning," Vinyl instructed him. "You'll want to get lots of sleep, it's going to be a long day."

Spike rolled his eyes. If that was the case they could have left him alone without barging into his room. Nevertheless, he hopped back on his gem pile as the two ponies wheeled their musical contraption out of his room, and tried his best to go back to sleep.

Perfect...everything is absolutely perfect...

Rarity admired herself in the full length mirror in her Canterlot hotel room. Everything had led up to this point. The red dress she had on was stunning, and fit perfectly. Her mane and makeup was done to the point that she looked fabulous. The jewels she had on enhanced the beauty and glamour of her look even more. In her opinion she looked like the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria. She was sure she would turns the heads of Canterlot's social elite, both mares and stallions.

This was all part of the plan. Rarity wanted this evening to be extra special. Even though she looked like she could attract any stallion she wanted, she only had eyes for one particular stallion. Black Marble. Rarity finally had the perfect stallion to accompany her to a high society event, and she wanted to make sure everypony there knew who she was with. With him by her side, this evening would be exquisite.

So why was there this nagging voice in her head telling her otherwise? Why was she having these feelings of regret and doubt? Why, in the name of Celestia, was she having thoughts about Spike at a time like this?

Spike treated you better than any pony ever did, and this is how you repay him? Really, Rarity...you're not being very generous, let alone being a lady... The voice sounded like it was coming from inside her mirror.

"I am a lady!" Rarity asserted to her reflection. "I'm certainly generous as well. Remember all the things I did for Spike in the past?"

But then...when he wanted you to return his affections you shut him out completely. Then you got together with another stallion and stepped all over his feelings as well. He went away for six months just so he could grow up. Because he knew that he had a better chance of winning you over if he did...

"Quiet!" Rarity shouted to her reflection. "Spike isn't the same cute baby dragon he was before. He isn't the same as he was before he left. He's an adult now...and he's fully responsible for his actions. He's acting like those horrible brutes we met during the Gauntlet of Fire!"

You know that's a ridiculous lie, darling. Spike isn't like those horrible dragons you met before. He's kind and noble...and he cares for you deeply. He always has.

"So how do you explain his behaviour lately then...hmm? He's been a complete cad around me. He's moody, and angry...and the things he said about Black Marble were absolutely scandalous... "

Darling...you've become completely delusional about that stallion. His stories and explanations are all too convenient. Do you even know anything about Black Marble the same way you know Spike? Have you experienced the same things with him like you did with Spike? How do you that Black Marble isn't playing you for a giant fool, darling? How do you know he's not cheating on you right now...hmmm?

"Enough!!" Rarity screamed. She tore herself away from her reflection and crawled up on the bed in her hotel room. It was all a lie...the voice in her head was telling her lies. She was trying hard not to break into tears and wreck her makeup. With all her might, Rarity pushed all the negative thoughts and emotions deep inside of her. She knew in her heart that Black Marble was the one she was supposed to be with. She knew that being with him tonight would be magical. To Tartarus with her doubts and fears...

A knock at the door brought her back to reality. "Rarity?" a voice called out. "May I enter my lady?"

A huge smile came over her face and she picked herself up off the bed. "You may enter, my fair escort."

Black Marble entered her hotel room. Upon glimpsing the beautiful unicorn, he just stopped and stared.

"You look simply marvelous tonight my dear,"

Rarity approached him and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. Making sure she didn't smudge her lipstick, she placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Thank you, Black Marble. You have no idea what those words mean to me right now."

"Anything for you, my love..." Black Marble ran a hoof along the side of her face.

Rarity shivered at his touch. She wanted him to comfort her right then and there, but knew that it would make them later than what was considered socially acceptable. Feeling a little bit disappointed, Rarity composed herself.

"Right then...let's make tonight fabulous shall we...?"

The chandeliers sparkled in the great hall of Canterlot Castle as Equestria's elite mingled. From his vantage point behind a stage curtain, Spike could see them all. All his friends were there that evening. On the dais was Twilight flanked by the Two Sisters. Cadence was off to the side along with her husband Shining Armor who was having a conversation with Flash Sentry. The other three alicorns were busy greeting guests and making small talk with various dignitaries. Off to the side of the dance floor, Spike spotted Rainbow Dash and Applejack having a conversation with Soarin and Spitfire. Spike noticed that Rainbow was standing a little closer to Soarin than she would normally for a regular friend. Of course, she would never admit to anypony that she was "interested" in her Wonderbolts colleague, let alone in a full blown relationship. But Spike knew that the two had gotten together while serving in Equestria's elite flying squad.

Over by the long food and beverage table was Fluttershy and her partner for the evening, Tree Hugger. Discord was currently in the Crystal Empire watching over Flurry Heart. Apparently, he was the only being that could keep up and take care of the young alicorn princess when her parents weren't there. Spike remembered what a handful she was when he was staying there, even more than when she was a baby. Pinkie Pie was bouncing around like usual. She couldn't resist going into overdrive whenever a party was in full swing. On the stage, Octavia and her quarter provided the waltz music that had numerous couples out on the dance floor.

Spike had no problem seeing one couple in particular. They were hard to miss. Rarity and Black Marble glided across the dance floor in their own little world. It didn't take a genius to see that they wanted everypony at the ball to notice them. Indeed, many of the guests at the party were watching the unicorn couple as they danced. Rarity wanted to be the centre of attention, and she was getting her wish so far.

Spike retreated from his hiding spot. He looked behind him as Vinyl put the finishing touches on her DJ setup. After Octavia finished up her set, she would be joining Vinyl and the two would be performing together. Celestia and Luna both personally requested that the duo perform together at an event in Canterlot, and both ponies agreed to do so for the Summer Sun Celebration.

"You need anything else there Vinyl?" Spike asked.

"I think I've got everything under control here big guy," she responded cheerfully. "If you want to take a break go ahead, you've been a big help like always."

"Ok then...I'm going to head out onto the balcony for a while. I'll come back in when it's time for you to start your show."

Spike just wanted an excuse to get out of the ballroom for a while. It was hard watching his friends having a good time, and not being able to participate. It was even harder watching Rarity as she enjoyed herself with her coltfriend. Maybe Twilight was right...maybe he needed to give up on Rarity. It was pretty apparent that she didn't need him, not with Black Marble around. It was also apparent that when he got back to Ponyville, it might be time to seriously consider relocating himself. The Crystal Empire was always an option, since he was so liked there. The Dragon Lands were another option as well. Ember would welcome him for sure as a distinguished guest. But, if he had to choose, he'd rather be around ponies. He'd been raised by ponies, and he just couldn't see himself living with any other beings in Equestria.

Spike made his way through the glass doors and onto the balcony. It was deserted, so he sat down on one of the benches near the edge. He could hear applause inside, meaning that Octavia's performance was finished. After the applause died down, he heard the voice of Princess Celestia address the crowd. She was giving a speech before Vinyl and Octavia continued the evenings entertainment. He hadn't had very much time to talk to Celestia in between their respective preparations for the evening, but he was still glad that he was able to see her and Luna even briefly. Spike hadn't mentioned all the problems he was having back in Ponyville, that would have taken far too much time. But Celestia did mention that they should get together the day after the ball to catch up on events. That would definitely be the right time to tell his adoptive mother what had been happening. He really needed to ask her for advice.

"There he is!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Spike had been so lost in thought he didn't notice that Pinkie Pie was on the balcony with him. Of course, Pinkie Pie tended to sneak up on ponies at the best of times. But she usually did it by herself. This time she was with a group of ponies. As the pink pony bounded over to Spike in excitement, and to envelope him in a hug, he noticed Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were right behind her.

"Hey, everypony," Spike acknowledged his friends as Pinkie grabbed onto him. "I thought you'd all be inside right now."

"Pinkie rounded us up and brought us all out here," Fluttershy admitted.

"I was more than happy to get out of there," Rainbow Dash stated. "Don't get me wrong, I like the Princess as much as anypony, but I'd rather not have to listen to another boring speech."

"Too bad ya left Soarin in there," Applejack pointed out with a smirk.

"He's a big boy, he can fend for himself..." the cyan Pegasus retorted. "But I haven't seen Spike for like forever...or at least since he got back!"

"How did you all know I was out here?" he inquired. "I didn't tell any of you I was going to be here tonight."

"You can't escape my Pinkie sense, silly..." Pinkie let go of him. "We're so glad you're here tonight too!"

"You are?" Spike was very surprised. "I thought you all didn't want anything to do with me after what's been going on lately..."

"Just because Rarity is acting all dumb right now doesn't mean we have to be just like her..." Rainbow Dash scoffed.

"Ah have ta be honest with ya, Spike," Applejack added. "Ah don't agree with how yer bein' treated by Rarity right now, either."

"Fluttershy told us what happened at that meeting you guys had a while back," Rainbow interjected. "I think you were treated badly by everypony involved...including Twilight." She looked over at the yellow Pegasus who was looking rather embarrassed. "Well, Fluttershy was ok..."

"I'm sorry about what happened as well," Fluttershy admitted. "I didn't expect Lemon Hearts to show up and accuse you of doing all those things. I'm sorry that I couldn't defend you either. I wasn't sure what to make of everything I heard that day."

"It's ok, Fluttershy," he assured her. "I think we were all caught off guard that day. I'm just glad that you aren't mad at me."

"None of us are, Spike," she smiled at him sincerely.

"So, if you know what's been going on, what do you all think about it?" Spike inquired to his friends.

"I really don't see the big deal about Black Marble," Rainbow Dash commented. "I mean, I guess he's good looking and all that, but it just doesn't do it for me."

"Ah really don't know what ta make of him," Applejack added. "He didn't seem like a bad apple the one time ah've met him, but ah can't say fer sure what he's really like. Especially since ah heard accounts of yer story the last time you were here, Spike."

"Plus, Rarity has such bad taste in stallions to begin with..." Rainbow interjected. "How may stallions has she been with in the past that have ended up being total jerks?"

"Now, hold on RD..." Applejack retorted. "She's only been in one serious relationship and that's with Black Marble. Ya can't call the others relationships since they never got this far in the first place."

"That's what I mean, though! Rarity just throws herself at stallions and it's ended badly every time. How do we know that it won't be the same thing this time around? Fluttershy...you agree with me, don't you?

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash then down at the ground nervously. "Well...you do sort of have a point..."

"See, Fluttershy agrees with me..." the cyan Pegasus proclaimed.

"What about you, Pinkie Pie? You've been quite this whole time." Spike asked the suddenly reserved pink party pony.

"Well...Spike," she began in a surprisingly serious tone. "Ever since you admitted your crush on Rarity, I've wanted to throw a Spike and Rarity Are Together Party...but I've never gotten the opportunity. It's too bad, because it would be the most super awesome party ever...even better than your homecoming party! I suppose, if they stay together, I could end up throwing a Rarity and Black Marble Party, but it just wouldn't be the same as if you and Rarity finally got together. I guess what I'm trying to say, Spike, is that you and Rarity would make a great pair. I just don't know why Rarity doesn't see it herself."

Everypony present stood there in shocked silence. They'd never heard Pinkie sound so serious before.

"So what are you waiting for silly...!" Pinkie broke the mood with a huge grin. "Go right up to Rarity and tell her she needs to be with you!" Tell her that when you get together Pinkie is going to throw you guys the biggest, best party ever!!" Out of nowhere Spike was showered with confetti.

"Yeah!!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "You go right up to her and tell her that Black Marble is a lying, cheating, bum, and that you two were meant to be together! You're an adult dragon for Celestia's sake!"

"Now hold on you two..." Applejack interrupted. "Ah'm all fer bein honest, but even ah think that Spike should be a little bit more discreet than what yer suggestin. Ah mean, the last time he was honest to Rarity she damn near threw everything but the kitchen sink at him!"

"Don't remind me..." Spike grumbled.

"I don't know if what you're all suggesting is such a good idea," Fluttershy spoke up. "At least not in light of what happened before."

"So what's your suggestion, then?" Rainbow Dash inquired pointedly.

"Why don't we ask Spike what he thinks?" she looked at Spike.

Spike was silent while everypony looked at him waiting for his answer.

"I appreciate that you guys have my back...I really do," he began. "I also appreciate all your advice. But I've been thinking about everything that's happened for a while now. What I've realized is that I've really screwed things up since I got back."

"C'mon, Spike. Don't be so hard on yerself..." Applejack tried to assure him.

"Thanks AJ, but Fluttershy's right. I can't just walk up to Rarity and tell her to leave Black Marble. There's no way she'd do it. In fact, it would probably make things even worse. I don't want you guys taking sides, because I think you are right now. I don't want to wreck any more friendships either."

No pony spoke so he continued. "What I'm trying to say is that I know what the best course of action for me is to leave Ponyville again, but this time I'm not coming back."

"No way, Spike!!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Don't do that!"

"Are you bucking serious?!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

"Umm...that's not exactly how I thought you'd handle the situation..." Fluttershy was very surprised at his revelation.

"But...where would ya go?" Applejack expressed her surprise.

"I don't know..." he admitted. "But right now it's what I have to do. After tonight you won't see me again. I'm sorry..."

He turned and walked over to the door to the ballroom, pulled it open, and walked inside before anypony could say anything.

As soon as he walked back into the ballroom, Spike knew something wasn't right. By now Vinyl Scratch and Octavia should have started their set for the evening's entertainment. Instead, as he entered he noticed that everypony in the room was standing around looking nervously at the centre of the room. Standing in the middle of the ballroom was Lemon Hearts, and in her magical aura she held a crossbow.

Spike hadn't seen a crossbow in years. They were made illegal for public use a long time ago and the only ponies that were authorized to use them were royal guards. Even then, they hadn't been used for many years other than in wars or to defend Equestria from powerful enemies. Lemon Hearts appeared to have her crossbow trained on the dais at the front of the room, particularly on Princess Celestia. Spike wondered exactly where the royal guards were in this instance. It seemed like none of them were in the room right now, even though there had been a number of them present when he left earlier.

His thoughts were broken by a gasp from the crowd as Lemon Hearts fired a bolt directly at Celestia. The Princess of the Sun managed to deflect the arrow that was aimed at her, however, even though it didn't hit her she still kneeled over and cried out in obvious pain. Her sister, Twilight, and Cadence rushed immediately to her side. As they tended to her, Lemon Hearts spoke.

"That was a warning shot my dear Celestia! Nopony make any sudden movements or try to stop me! Otherwise, I will show all of you that even a goddess can bleed!"

Author's Note

My sincerest apologies for taking so long with this chapter. I hope that it was worth the wait.

Things are about to get very interesting in the next chapter...

Thank you all again for your support of this story!