Exposure Therapy

"Is it...is it always this quiet, Twilight?" Spike asked as he followed her down yet another hall. They'd been walking for almost ten minutes and hadn't seen any other students or faculty. While he was glad they hadn't, it was still a little unnerving.

"Most of them are in class, lounging on the grounds, or attending one of the clubs this time of day." She replied, patting his shoulder, "With the exception of one or two who've gone back to their rooms to shower or get something. So relax, you'll be ok for now."

"A-all right, Twi. If you say so." He said, looking around uneasily.

After another turn, they came upon hall with six doors lining the sides and a door marked 'supply closet' at the end. "Welcome to my hallway!" Twilight smiled up at him, "The Headmistress said to look for the glowing doorknob. I'll take one side, you take the other."

"Ok." The duo quickly made their way along the sides, checking the doors until he called out, "Twi, I found it." He pointed at a door with a plate hanging on it reading 'TS', the handle glowing a bright blue.

"Huh...?" She looked at the door, her face twisting slightly in confusion, "But, this....this can't be right." She looked at the glow, "But the handle's glowing..."

"Twi? What's wrong?"

"Spike, this is my room..."

"Well, maybe she figured this'd help you watch my back." He said, opening the door.

"Yeah, but..." She started, except he'd already gone in.

"Oh, hey."

"WHOA! JEEZE!"

*THUMP!*

"I have a roommate." She winced when Spike threw himself back against the wall. On the other side of the room stood another Unicornblood girl; slightly taller than Twilight, with a bright amber-colored horn, shoulder length red and yellow striped hair, and similarly colored tail. "Um, Spike...this is my roommate, Sunset Shimmer...S-Sunset!" She yelped when she saw other girl was wearing nothing but a towel that barely preserved her modesty. "P-please, go put some clothes on!"

"Twilight, chill. It's just a towel...h-hold on." Sunset quickly looked at her, then Spike, "Wait a sec...!" A sneaky, catlike smile appeared on her face, "Ooohhhh, Twilight Sparkle, you sly filly-I mean girl! I never took you for the type!"

"W-wha?? What are you talking about?"

"Don't try and pretend," Sunset's smile widened as she pointed at Spike, "...the proof's standing right there. How'd you manage to sneak him in here anyway?"

Twilight blinked in confusion for a second before letting out a shocked squeak and her face turned beet red, "I-I didn't! His parents enrolled him here!"

"Pfft! Yeah, right. Pull the other one, Sparkle."

Meanwhile, Spike was looking at Sunset and realized something was off.

"I'm serious, Sunset!"

Slowly, tentatively, he took a couple steps towards her. Confusion started seeping as he began to piece together what was wrong.

"Come on, Twi! You can tell me!"

Or rather, it was what he wan't doing; the urge to run, hide, or do both...

They weren't there with this girl.

"....his phobia!" Twilight almost stomped her foot before she saw him walk straight over to Sunset, "Spike?"

He looked her straight in the eye. Even though Sunset was a little taller than Twilight, he still loomed over her somewhat, "I...I'm not scared of you..." That probably would've been taken as a challenge, except for the obvious undercurrent of 'that's not how it's supposed to go' in his tone, "Twilight, I'm not scared of her."

"You...aren't?" The bespectacled Unicornblood paused.

"Um, hey, I know I can be intimidating when I'm pissed, but..."

"No." He cut her off, "Sunset, was it? I'm gynophobic. Aside from females I'm not related to, Twilight Sparkle, for some reason, is the only girl I have never been afraid of. I should either be hiding behind her or running down that hall in a panic by now! But...I'm not. Twilight? " His voice and facial expression drifted into helpless confusion "WHY??"

"I.." Twilight just shook her head, "I don't know, Spike."

"Probably 'cause I'm just in a towel." Sunset suggested, grinning cheekily, "A cute little thing like me is sure to be harmless like this."

"This is serious, Sunset!" Twilight shot her roommate a look, "I've seen him curled up into a ball, just shaking because of his phobia!

Sunset quickly threw her hands up in a placating gesture, "Easy, Twi! Just trying to cut a little of the tension in here. No one's gonna get any answers if we're all freaking out. So it was either that," She grabbed the knot holding her towel up, "Or I drop towel."

"You are NOT dropping it!" Twilight vehemently exclaimed.

Spike, on the other hand, had quite the thoughtful expression, "Umm..."

"S-Spike!" She yelped, seeing his reaction.

"What?? Twilight, she'd be the first girl I've EVER seen in her birthday suit!" He protested, "I'm nineteen and I can't even work up the nerve to go look at a bikini magazine!"

"Wait a sec." Sunset cut in, "You've never...? Not even the tame stuff? Shorts, t-shirts?"

The look on his face told them everything.

"Oh, Spike..." It was impossible for Twilight not to feel bad for her childhood friend's situation.

Sunset frowned before suddenly working at the knot, "It's not healthy at ALL for a guy your age to be pent up like that! And if I'm anything, it's more than willing to help a new friend out."

"Absolutely not!" With a leap that surprised all three of them, Twilight tackled her, causing both girl to roll about on the floor.

"Twi...light, you're the one...who taught me to help out people when...when they need it!"

"Not by...ex..posing yourself!"

While the two pulled, shoved, and slapped at the other's hands, Spike could only watch as the towel worked itself loose and Twilight's shirt was pulled open, "Wow, so that's what they look like. Kinda cute when they bounce like that."

Hearing that, both stopped their scuffle, "Sunset!" Twilight clapped both hands over her roomie's now bare breasts, "Cover yourself!"

"Look who's talking!" She retorted, pointing to Twilight's chest. The front-clip bra she had on now popped open, exposing her own.

"Twilight?" Spike asked, getting their attention, "Is-is it normal for my crotch to be feeling funny all of a sudden?" Said girl glanced down to the growing tent in his pants, "Kinda hoping you might know, since you were the one that helped me get ready for most of our tests and stuff."

Twilight's glasses promptly fogged up as she let out a startled squeak, causing Sunset to cackle loudly before she saw as well.

"Whoa...!" She titled her head, giving him an appraising look. "You're not kidding about this? You seriously have NO idea why this is happening?"

He shook his head, "No, it's never done this before! And my pants are getting kind of uncomfortable."

An odd smile crossed her face, "Well then, if you want, I'd be more than happy to teach you all about--"

"Darn it, Sunset!" Twilight cut her off before cleaning her glasses "How many times do I have to tell you, while I understand that Equestria doesn't really have taboos regarding nudity and...." Her cheeks turned almost neon red, "And s-sexual behavior, but this isn't Equestria! Plus, while I know you mean well, this borders far too close to taking advantage of him than I'm willing to allow!"

"You know you can join in if you want, Twi." Sunset's smile widened and the glasses re-fogged, "Like they say, sharing's caring."

"T-that doesn't apply to this situation!"

"H-hold on a second. Ok, two questions." Spike spoke back up, "One, what in the world are you two talking about? And two, the heck is an 'Equestria'??"