Twilight Sparkle and Rarity's Magic Book starring Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and a few special guests
by Butterscotch Sundae (buttersc0tchsundae.deviantart.com)
"Thank you so much for letting me borrow these books, darling!" Rarity indicated the tottering pile that a sweating and bent-over Spike was carrying with difficulty into the library.
"My pleasure, Rarity," replied Twilight. She was at her desk poring over a huge tome entitled An Exhaustive Encyclopaedia of the Magic Mirrors of Equestria.
Spike dumped the books on the floor with a crash that sent a cloud of dust swirling around him. He sneezed. "Why did you need so many books, Rarity?" he asked in annoyance, his eyes watering. "What were you trying to find out?"
Rarity laughed brightly. "Oh, I didn't borrow the books to READ them, Spike my dear," She shook her head. "Oh no. It's just that my step-ladder at the boutique broke – well, a certain pony who shall remain nameless broke it!" She glared through the window in the direction of Sugar Cube Corner. That was the last time she let Pinkie Pie help out at the boutique! She was such a DEAR girl, but much, MUCH too enthusiastic and a little… heavy to boot. "And wouldn't you know – all the most appropriate and simply PERFECT reams of material for my latest range of dresses were ALL in the top row of the cabinet…" Rarity suddenly noticed the time on the library's clock and she gasped. "Oh my goodness! I must be off. I'm fitting Luxury Lotus – you know, the pony who runs the spa, the one with that charming accent?" She sighed. "Oh, to have that girl's figure! It is simply one of the most EXQUISITE in Ponyville – but not the MOST exquisite, mind you!" Twilight looked up from her book to see Rarity wink at her then trot out the door, her elegant haunches wiggling as she went.
Spike, whose eyes were glued to Rarity as she left, suddenly sneezed again and Twilight laughed. "You know, Spike – if you sneeze three times in a row, it means that somepony loves you!"
Spike's eyes lit up, but then he frowned. "Aww Twilight, it's not nice to tease you know! What do I want with all that lovey-dovey stuff?" But as soon as the unicorn pony's face disappeared back behind the book he gave the pile a swift jab with his elbow and breathed in as much dust as he could. But although his nose crinkled up and twitched, it refused to sneeze.
Twilight didn't look up but said "You can't force things like that, Spike! Now put those books back for me, will you?"
"Yes Twilight," sighed the little dragon. He set about putting the books back. It didn't take long, but at the end of it Spike was left holding onto one dog-eared book.
"Uh, Twilight?" he ashed.
"What is it NOW, Spike?" She knew she had to be getting closer to the reference she needed – but if Spike kept making her lose her train of thought…!
"I'm not sure where this book goes," he replied.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "What's it called?"
Spike frowned. "Ummm…. It's called Reform School Fillies, by somepony called Rose Papillonne."
Neither the name of the book nor the author was at all familiar to Twilight. It sounded like one of those frivolous fiction books that other ponies liked to read! "I think must be a book of Rarity's that got mixed up with mine," she said. "Just put it on the table and I'll give it back to her later."
Spike shrugged and left the book on the table, but not before he shook it a few times and jammed his face in the dust that puffed out.
"Spike!" cried Twilight, "You're not still trying to make yourself sneeze, are you?"
"Aw jeeze," muttered the little dragon.
"Besides, the three sneezes have to come straight after one another," explained Twilight. "That is, if you believe that old mare's tale. Now go off and play with Applebloom and let me get back to work!"
Spike's shoulders drooped as he left the library, shutting the door behind him.
****************
Twilight sighed and closed the encyclopaedia. She hadn't found anything out about the mirror world! She'd have to travel to Canterlot to consult Celestia's library. The matter was becoming quite pressing.
As she hopped off the chair she felt her back twinge. Had she really been reading that long? She shook her head. She really should take a rest. Maybe Spike was right – maybe she was working too hard!
As she went to climb the spiral staircase she spotted the book that Spike had been talking about sitting on the coffee table where he had left it. Maybe she could take a break, but still do some more reading!
She smiled. "Oh Twilight Sparkle, you diabolical genius! Let's take a look at what the pony in the street is reading these days…" Her horn started to glow and the book took flight and floated over to her.
The cover had a picture of a class of school-fillies sitting at their desks being taught by a stern looking mare dressed in a leather halter and harness and holding a riding crop in her mouth. Twilight chuckled. It looked totally different from the school SHE had gone to! For one thing, the fillies at her school had certainly not been allowed to wear such heavy make-up – the red lipstick and mascara and eyeliner these ones were wearing made them look frightening. And their uniforms! If any of the fillies in Twilight's school had worn such inappropriate clothing, Princess Celestia would have been furious – their tartan skirts were much, much too short and drew an uncomfortable amount of attention to their rumps. And the teacher! Well, Twilight wondered how she was supposed to teach anything in that kind of tight-fitting tack.
"Reform School Fillies," she read. "Well, that explains it – it must be a school drama of some sort. Sounds ghastly." She spun the book around and read the blurb:
"There's no stricter school in all of Equestria than Principal Majesty's Reform School for Delinquent Fillies. There, drop-outs and deviates …" Twilight arched her eyebrows. "Hmm… from other schools are sent to learn the three Rs: Reformation, Ravishment and the Rod."
What a strange-sounding book! But she decided to give Rose Papillonne a chance. "I'll read a couple of pages," she thought. "And if it's as bad as it sounds, I'll just give it back to Rarity."
She chose a page from near the beginning of the book and started to read.
Glenda's claws dug deep into Firefly's foreleg, and she threw the Pegasus filly against her locker with a crash...
"Listen, Dweeb," the griffon snarled, "If I catch you kissing that little party-bitch Surprise again, I'll tear your tongue out – you're MY girl, understand!"
Firefly stood her ground and stared the furious griffon down. A thin line of blood was trickling down her hoof, but the pain just made her even more determined.
"Forget it, Glenda," she replied with a smile, "We're through. Surprise is my girl now. You're history – ANCIENT history!"
The anger in Glenda's eyes intensified, as did her grip on the tender flesh of Firefly's foreleg. But suddenly her eyes softened as the griffon looked at the spirited filly that had melted her icy heart. Tears sprang to the corners of her eyes. "Firefly… don't…. don't tell me that you love that scatter-brained ditz?!"
Firefly pulled out of Glenda's weakening grasp and nodded. "Surprise treats me right, Glenda. She knows how to love a filly – something YOU'LL never know!"
Tears poured down the griffon's face, wetting the feathers on her cheeks. "It's … it's because I'm a griffon, isn't it?" she sobbed. Then her face hardened into fury once more. "ISN'T IT?!"
Firefly shook her head. "It's because you're a bully, Glenda. I'm sick of your abuse." She started to walk away. "It's over."
Glenda suddenly thrust out her arm and stopped Firefly. She brought her face close to the Pegasus pony's and lifted up a claw she'd balled into a fist. "I should punch your lights out, you worthless nag! All those nights we spent together meant nothing to you? All those vanilla lemon drops we shared?" She brought her fist back and Firefly closed her eyes, expecting a blow – but there was a shuddering crash as the griffon punched the locker behind her instead.
"That's a freebie, dweeb. For old time's sake." She spat. "You an' me are through, you got it? If you or that little bitch come anywhere near me, I'll put you both in the infirmary, courtesy of the twins here!" She kissed each of her fists in turn and stormed away...
Twilight arched her eyebrows. Well – that was certainly not what she had been expecting. Girls fighting girls… over other girls? She'd never read anything like it!
"So it is terrible," she decided. "I'll give it back to Rarity, then – right after I find out what happens between Glenda and Firefly!"
*********************
Twilight lay on her stomach on her bed, kicking her back legs up and down as she read the book open in front of her. Things were certainly getting exciting!
Principal Majesty turned from looking out the window of her office and looked at Firefly. The Pegasus filly had a black eye and scratches all over her face and fore-feet.
"And so I am to understand –" said Majesty, pacing back and forth, "–that you tripped and fell in the cafeteria, and that's how you sustained these... injuries?"
Firefly couldn't meet the mare's eyes, but she nodded. "That's exactly what happened."
Majesty's eyes flashed and she slammed a hoof on her desk, making Firefly jump. "Yes MA'AM!" she yelled, "You are to refer to me as MA'AM!"
Firefly stared at her hooves. "Yes ma'am," she muttered. The usually spirited Pegasus pony sensed the Principal's eyes boring into her, and she felt helpless under their gaze.
"I know what's going on," said Majesty, "It's all over the school. You and your griffon... friend–" She leaned on the word friend, "–have been fighting again. And that new girl – Surprise, isn't it? – is to blame."
Firefly stepped forward. "Surprise has nothing to do with this, ma'am! It's between me and Glenda..."
The smile that appeared on Majesty's face was as sharp as the blade of a knife. "I think all three of you would benefit from sitting down and working through your differences – in detention."
Firefly's face fell. "Detention? But ma'am, Glenda's the one who..." But Majesty's expression would brook no protest and the Pegasus pony went silent.
"If detention is so hateful to you," said Majesty. "Perhaps you'd prefer to be disciplined on your own?"
"What do you mean, ma'am?" Firefly asked. She felt cold in the pit of her stomach.
Majesty took up her riding crop from where it sat on her desk and walked up behind Firefly. She leaned over the Pegasus filly and whispered in her ear. "If you would submit to some private discipline, I would leave the other two out of it. You're clearly the ringleader–"
Firefly shivered. Majesty's breath was hot on her neck and it frightened her – but it thrilled her at the same time. "What kind of discipline?"
Majesty smiled and ran a hoof along the Pegasus pony's withers. "It's my own special brand of correction, intended for use on only the most incorrigible fillies. You would have to meet me here in office every evening..."
Firefly swallowed. "And if I do, you'll leave Surprise alone?"
Majesty nodded. "I promise. And now..." She snapped the riding crop against her own back-leg and the frightened filly jumped. "...here's a little sample for you, my darling Firefly. Bend over!"
"Bend over?" Firefly blinked.
"BEND OVER!" shouted Majesty, "And lift up that short little skirt of yours! I'll teach you how Majesty corrects filthy, deviant little fillies like you!"
Firefly could hear the raw anger in the Principal's voice and she knew she had no choice. She climbed forward onto the desk and reaching back, she lifted up her skirt. Tears started at the corner of her eyes as she closed them and prepared for the first humiliating lick of that leather crop to strike her defenceless rump.
Twilight stopped suddenly and closed the book. "I think this is one of those... dirty books," she said. But it certainly wasn't boring like she'd feared. In fact, her heart was beating fast in her chest and she felt hot all over – and there was a strange tingling-tickling sensation as well.
"I'm not... sick, am I?" She laughed. "Oh, stop it Twilight! A book can't make you sick! Unless... it's a magical book." She looked at Reform School Fillies. It was dog-eared and its cover was creased all over. It certainly didn't look magical.
"I should study it further," decided Twilight. "In the interests of science. To see if it's dangerous..." Actually, the feelings the book was giving her felt... nice, even though they were similar to disease symptoms. Anyway, she had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to poor Firefly!
"Oh I do hope Majesty doesn't punish her too much!" Well, maybe a little would be interesting. Twilight looked back over at her own rump. "I wonder what it would feel like to be spanked by a teacher?" She had a sudden vision of Celestia bending her over her knee and raising a hoof high above her haunches.
"Twilight Sparkle," Celestia's tone was stern and forceful. "My incorrigible student! How many times have I told you to keep that curious little unicorn horn out of my forbidden grimoires?"
Celestia's hoof came down hard on Twilight's rump and the unicorn pony gasped with pain.
The real Twilight gasped as well. The tingling had become much stronger and was localised in one particular place now. She swallowed. The nervous tickling spread as she opened the book again.
"I have to keep reading – for science. Yes, for science!"
*******************
Rarity inhaled the delicate scent of Ylang Ylang that wafted up from the foaming bubbles in her bath. Oh, this was going to be SIMPLY divine!
The afternoon had been ABSOLUTELY exhausting. Luxury had proven to be very particular about the dress and her demands – although uttered in that TOTALLY charming accent of hers – had been exacting.
"Oh, such is the life of a fashion designer!" Rarity sighed. But then her thoughts slipped back to measuring the spa-pony's figure and she giggled. "And yet – it does have its benefits!"
She looked over her preparations. Bubble bath, check. Rejuvenating facial mask, check. Sarsaparilla martini, check. But wait – where was her book?
What had she been reading again? Primrose's Hearts and Harnesses Asunder? No, wait – she'd finished that last week. Oh, she'd been reading that lurid school-girl story, hadn't she?
"Oh Miss Rose Papillonne – I COMPLETELY understand why you write under a pen name. Such spicy descriptions of filly on filly lovemaking!" Now, where had she put the wretched thing? It had been here yesterday – she'd been reading it in the bath then as well. Then she'd gone to Twilight's to borrow those books and she'd tried to get that ream off the top of the cabinet, and – just wouldn't you know it! – the pile had been not-quite-tall enough. So she'd come up here and got Reform School Fillies and...
"OH DEAR CELESTIA!" she yelped. She couldn't have!
Rarity immediately raced out the front door of the boutique still wearing her pink bathrobe and galloped down the road in the direction of the library.
*****************
Surprise heard a knock on the door to her dorm room and she squealed in delight. "Firefly!!" The Pegasus pony leapt off her bed and threw the door open, ready to smother her friend in hot kisses. But it was Glenda who forced her way into the room. The griffon's eyes gleamed with malice as she closed the door and locked behind her.
Surprise had scrambled backwards off the bed and was cowering on the floor behind it. "Get out from there, dweeb!" snarled Glenda, grabbing the Pegasus pony by the scruff of her mane and tossing her onto the bed. Surprise stared at Glenda with terrified eyes, but she managed a scared smile.
"G-g-glenda!" She stuttered in fear. "It's sooooo.... super awesome to see you! B-b-but I thought Principal Majesty expelled you?"
Glenda jumped onto the bed on all fours and advanced on the shivering Pegasus pony. "She did expel me. But I know it was you who put the hot sauce in her facial cream!" Glenda raised a talon to Surprise's face and unsheathed a claw. The pony gasped and closed her eyes – but the griffon merely stroked the filly's cheek with it, drawing it lovingly across her tender coat.
Surprise leapt out of Glenda's grasp and tried to fly off the bed, but the griffon swiftly grabbed her back-feet and pulled her back onto it.
"Don't hurt me, Glenda. P-p-please..." begged the Pegasus pony.
"Oh, I'm not going to hurt you!" the griffon chuckled. "I'm going to ruin you. That little bitch Firefly won't be enough for you once I've shown you how a girl can love another girl. Now," She tossed Surprise onto her back. "Spread your haunches, you little slut, and get ready to party!"
******************
Twilight's heart was racing and she felt a colossal pressure tightening inside her chest. It was reaching breaking point and she couldn't stand it anymore.
She reached down under her tummy to where the tingling was worst. She was boiling hot down there and extremely wet, and she started to rub herself with her hooves. It felt good – so unbelievably good! But the pressure refused to diminish...
Twilight arched her back and ground harder against her hooves but she stopped when it started to hurt rather than feel better. She grabbed a pillow and slipped it between her legs and squeezed it with her thighs – but that didn't work either!
The pressure was terrible! Maybe she really was sick... She muttered in annoyance and tossed the pillow away. She brought her hooves to her lips and licked them – she tasted and smelled strong and it just added to her frustration, but maybe with a bit of saliva touching herself would feel nicer...
At that moment the door to her bedroom flew open and Rarity burst in. Her mane was completely dishevelled and where her bathrobe had slipped off her shoulders her coat was visibly slick with sweat.
"Twilight darling!" she cried, looking about the room. "I think I left my book here..."
Twilight screamed and, jerking her hooves from underneath her body, she leapt under the bedclothes.
"Rarity! Why didn't you KNOCK?" she cried in outrage.
"Oh, I'm so TERRIBLY sorry, my dear. It's just that..." Rarity suddenly noticed how flushed Twilight's face was and she detected the thick scent of an excited filly in the room. The older unicorn pony blushed – but at the same time a strange smile crept onto her face.
Coming over to where Twilight was hiding under the quilt, she noticed the pillow and the book lying on the floor. "What exactly HAVE you been doing, darling?" asked Rarity.
Twilight couldn't meet her gaze. "I...I was just feeling sleepy, so I came up here for an afternoon nap..." she replied, her voice trailing off as her cheeks reddened even more with shame.
Rarity's smile widened. She picked up the pillow in her mouth and slid it under the younger pony's head. The rich smell and taste that had steeped into the pillow was quite overpowering, and it made Rarity's heart flutter in excitement.
"You shouldn't fib, darling," said Rarity with a look of disapproval. "It's a most ATROCIOUS habit!" She picked up the book and put it on the bedside table. "I see you found my naughty little book –" Twilight nodded. "Did you read any of it?"
Twilight went to shake her head, but at Rarity's stern expression she thought better of lying and nodded.
Rarity smiled. "You don't have to keep any secrets from me, my dear." She climbed onto the bed and lying down next to Twilight, she put her hoof to the younger pony's forehead. "Oh my! You're burning up!" Her face was full of theatrical concern. "Does it hurt anywhere else, darling?"
Twilight blush deepened. "Uh... it doesn't hurt precisely. But, I do feel strange all over..."
Rarity's face was sympathetic. "Like a HUGE amount of pressure is building up inside you?" she asked.
Twilight nodded.
"And this pressure is strongest... down there?" Rarity tilted her head towards the lower half of Twilight's body hidden under the bedclothes.
"Uh... yes," replied Twilight, sliding deeper into the bed and pulling the quilt up to her chin.
Rarity's smiled sadly. "It feels TERRIBLE, doesn't it darling? And you tried to alleviate the pressure but nothing seemed to work... am I right?"
Twilight went to turn her face away in shame, but Rarity stopped her with a gentle touch of her hoof and brought her back face to face. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, my dear." She stroked the younger pony's cheek and ruffled her mane. "It's something every girl finds out how to do on their own. You can't learn it from a book, I'm afraid!" She laughed, but then her face turned suddenly serious."Would you like your big sister Rarity to give you some advice, perhaps...?"
Twilight was getting hotter and hotter under the gentle caressing of Rarity's soft hoof. The pressure was mounting – it was maddening!
"Well, darling?" Rarity's breathed.
Twilight said nothing, but she dropped her eyes and gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.
Rarity slid closer and kissed her on the temple. "There's no reason to be frightened, darling. I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, I'm going to make you feel better than you've ever felt in your life!" She took one of Twilight's hooves in her own and slipped them both under the bedclothes, drawing them down over the younger unicorn pony's stomach and then lower still.
"Oh my!" gasped Rarity. "You are wet down there, aren't you! That naughty book did exactly the same thing to me..." She directed Twilight's hoof gently. "This kind of thing takes finesse, my dear. It's an art rather than a science. You need to learn whether you like things soft..." Her touch was like a feather between Twilight's legs and she started to breathe heavily. "...or perhaps a little harder?" Rarity pushed Twilight's hoof firmly against that most sensitive spot above the moistness and the younger pony let out a little cry.
Rarity chuckled. "I guess you do like it a little harder, then..." She brought her face close to Twilight's and kissed her on the lips.
Twilight melted at once, her body going limp as she gave herself up to these new, strange, powerful sensations. Under the covers, Rarity's hoof was no longer guiding her own but now went wherever it liked. Her touch was so experienced, so skilful – it caressed Twilight exactly where she wanted to be caressed. But how did Rarity know where she wanted to be touched?
Rarity's kisses became suddenly more heated, and her tongue slipped up against Twilight's lips. The younger pony gasped and as her mouth opened and Rarity's tongue slid inside, Twilight was split between two epicentres of hot, pleasurable wetness.
That exquisite pressure suddenly grew more intense and Twilight felt like she was a flask held in a retort stand – the liquid inside her, fuelled by the flame below, starting to boil and seethe, threatening to foam up and explode out of the top of her head. And as Rarity's hoof lead her to the summit of pleasure, it finally did. Her mind underwent nuclear fission, shattering in a supernova of bursting suns and spiralling nebulae, and in that maelstrom of sensation she at last broke free of that terrible pressure that had imprisoned her and she cried out in ecstasy. And as ripples of pleasure broke over her body like a shock wave, she floated away through space, forgetting who and where she was, into a strange dreaming universe where Rarity had her over her knee and was spanking her while Firefly and Glenda and Surprise all watched and giggled, kissing and caressing each other everywhere...
**********************
When Twilight woke up she found Rarity sitting up in bed beside her, wearing her red glasses and reading the book. She'd almost finished.
"Oh, welcome back to the land of the living, my dear," Rarity said, looking down at the dishevelled younger pony over the rims of her glasses. "Did you have a satisfying little sleep?"
Twilight blushed under Rarity's gaze, but she managed a shy nod. She wriggled up from under the bedclothes and sat up next to Rarity so she could read alongside her.
"You haven't missed much," explained Rarity. "Poor Surprise! Well, let's see how this whole sordid little story reaches a conclusion..."
Glenda stood with Firefly, hoof in talon, as they watched the flames that were consuming the school lick higher and higher into the night sky. The Pegasus pony turned to the griffon, the look of concern on her face visible in the orange glow. "You... you don't think anything has happened to her, do you?"
Glenda pulled Firefly into her embrace and kissed her. "Of course not. That little dweeb has more lives than a cat!" And just as she let the Pegasus filly go, Surprise flew out of the darkness and landed beside them. She was carrying an empty gasoline can in her fore-hooves and her face was a mixture of joy and derangement.
"My little job is aaaaall done!" she squealed in delight. "Oh, it was sooooo much fun! First I was all 'Splash, splash, splash!" She mimed pouring gasoline with the empty can. "And then all the other girls were like 'Let's get out of here! Surprise has gone crazy!' and I was all like 'You can't go crazy if you're already crazy!' And then Principal Majesty came out and she was all 'Surprise! What in Celestia's name are you doing?' And so I poured the rest of the gasoline all over her and lit a match and I was all 'Oh gee-whizz! I wonder how long I can keep hold of this match for!' And then Principal Majesty's eyes bugged out huge, and she screamed and leapt out a window and I dropped the match in surprise and then PHWWOOOM! Everything was all on fire and stuff and I knew I had to fly out of there straight away or else I'd become an extra-crispy barbecued Pegasus pony. And then I flew here..." She finally breathed in. "IT WAS AWESOME!"
Glenda shook her head in disbelief. "It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?" She offered her other talon to Surprise, who took it, and drew her into a three way hug.
Firefly looked at her two best friends. "So do you think a three-way relationship can actually work?" she asked with a smile.
Glenda laughed. ""Who said anything about a relationship, dweeb? I'm just in it for the sex!" And then the three of them turned and flew off into the night sky and into a bright future lit by the flames of a forgotten and soon to be distant past...
Twilight blinked. "I didn't expect it to end like that!"
Rarity took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "That's Rose Papillonne for you. She never COULD write a satisfying ending – unlike darling Primrose!" She looked at Twilight. "I'll lend you some of her novels if you like. Perhaps you might prefer to read some stories about stallions and mares instead..."
Twilight smiled up at her. "Oh, I don't mind reading some more stories like Reform School Fillies," she said. "It wasn't thatbad. I mean, it was all wrapped up a bit too neatly and quickly, and there were a lot of grammatical and typographical errors that sort of made me lose the moment sometimes..." She threw a forefoot over Rarity's chest and snuggled into her. "But overall it was pretty fun."
Rarity kissed Twilight on the cheek." I'm SO glad you enjoyed it, darling," She tapped her folded glasses on her horn and looked suddenly thoughtful. "But I DO sometimes wonder about miss Rose Papillonne. I mean, one can only IMAGINE the kind of exotic life she's lead to be able to write such LURID fiction." She placed her glasses on the bedside table then turned and embraced Twilight, drawing her to her chest. "And now, darling, unless you're so very tired, perhaps you'd like to learn a few more things from big sister Rarity?"
Twilight nodded. "I would like that. But I don't like that whole 'big sister' thing." Her eyes glittered with sudden intensity. "Can I call you Princess instead?"
***********************
"Oh Sparkler!" Twilight Twinkle cried out as the pony who had always been like a big sister to her showed her things she could never have imagined it possible for a filly to do to another filly, bringing her to the screaming heights of exquisite pleasure...." No, wait – "the dizzying height of total ecstasy..." Oh, that's not right either!"
Fluttershy dropped the pencil in her mouth and pouted. "Why is it so difficult to think of the right word sometimes?" But then she picked it up again. "Come on Fluttershy! Your readers are depending on you..." Her eyes suddenly flashed in inspiration. "Oh, of course!" and the pencil resumed scribbling rapidly over the page in front of her.
"Oh Miss Papillonne... " Fluttershy chuckled to herself. "You filthy, dirty little pony! You've outdone yourself this time!"
*********************
Spike sat on the couch, drumming his claws on the coffee table. Twilight was up in her bedroom reading again! She was doing that more and more often now... and the little dragon was becoming quite lonely. He sighed.
Suddenly, his snout began to twitch. It itched and tickled, and he couldn't control it – he let out an enormous sneeze that left his body trembling all over.
But it wasn't over yet. A second, larger sneeze erupted out of him, and he flew off the couch and landed on the rug with a bump.
He sat back down. "Aw jeeze... Just two sneezes! I guess it's true – nopony loves..."
If the last two sneezes had been powerful, the final one made them pale into insignificance. It started at the tips of his claws, rippled along his body, travelled up the base of his neck, built up through his head and exploded with such force that he hiccoughed at the same time and a great jet of dragon-fire sprayed out onto the table, which immediately burst into flame.
"Oh no!" He leapt off the couch and ran around in circles in panic until her realised he should probably get some water from the kitchen. But as he ran headlong through the door with an empty bucket, a huge smile burst onto his face.
He'd sneezed three times at last. Somepony did love him!
******************
Far away, in a field of spring flowers on Sweet Apple Acres, a little filly was picking the final petal off a flower.
"He loves me... NOT?" Sweetie Belle let out a colossal sigh and as she watched the petal fall to the earth, tears from her green eyes fell alongside it.
THE END
