Phoenix, the mysterious tan-grey stallion from another realm, sat comfortably in a tall, burgundy leather armchair metres away from the delightfully warm flames flickering within an iron lantern hanging midway up against a large wall of built-in bookshelves. Bubbles gently rose out of a pipe he held rather posh-like in his muzzle, staring blankly ahead.
Tranquility and silence were temporarily interrupted by the intrusion of a deep purple mare, who slowly cantered over to his position and in front of him, raising an eyebrow until the stallion's eyes awoke to meet hers.

"Sup, bright eyes?"

"Nixxy, what are you even doing...." her eyes briskly scanned over his ridiculous velvet evening coat. "with the pipe and all.... that?"

"Just chillin'."

"...."

"You haven't got anything better to do than pretend to be some wealthy Canterlot fancy-stallion?"

He shrugged.

"You know, we haven't really done much in the past...." Twilight cocked her head slightly in thought, squinting her eyes a little. "...three or four months, really."

"That's not exactly a bad thing. Besides, neither has the rest of Ponyville."

The booksmart mare huffed in reluctant agreement. "Spike's birthday is in a few days, have you got him a present yet, or are you procrastinating as usual?"

"Hey, you know my best ideas come at the last minute."

"True, but it's the formality that counts. It boosts his anticipation knowing you've got a gift hiding away somewhere, leaving him to guess its identity."

"...."

"What?"

"Oh, no no, sorry, just suddenly got sidetracked in thought."

"....You weren't thinking up weird pairings of ponies we know, were you?"

"....Guilty."

Twilight sighed. "....VinylTavia again?"

"Hey, it makes sense. Besides, I distinctly remember a friend of mine who outright hated modern music - especially dubstep, glitchstep, et cetera - and it turned out he secretly loved dubstep. Maybe Octavia is the same?"

"You remember friends secretly enjoying music they openly hate, yet you don't remember how in the hay you got here."

Phoenix shrugged. "What did the princess call it? Selective amnesia?"

She giggled softly. "Why did I ever let you in my house you crazy foal...."

He looked egotistical for a moment, but quickly slumped his head, eyes toward the floor. "Because I have nowhere else to go...."

The mare smiled affectionately and raised his chin with her hoof. "The princess offered a suite at the castle."

"I don't like the idea of living in such a huge, posh palace."

She pulled him into a warm, gentle hug. "And so now you live here with me, a glass half full of ego and half modesty."

He grinned happily as they broke the embrace. "Sitcom material?"

She rolled her eyes and shrugged. Motioning for him to follow, he quickly left the coat and pipe behind on the armchair and met her side as they walked across the room.

"I'll help you find something for Spike in the morning, alright?"

"Thanks, Twinkle. Nighty night."

Slipping beneath the comfy star-print sheets, Twilight shut her eyes, a smirk across her face. As Phoenix flopped onto his mattress on the floor beneath the raised platform on which Twilight's bed rested, he gently shut his eyes, letting out a happy sigh.
Just before she turned out the lights with her magic, the purple mare lifted her head to face the stallion.
"Oh, and I found you a job-"
The stallion's eyes opened slightly.
"-at Trixie's magic shop, that just opened up this morning."

His eyes shot open as he abruptly sat upright. "Wait wait WHAT?!"

"Goodnight, Nixxy." she said in a soft, calm voice, smiling deviously.

Phoenix sat silent and still on his mattress, eyes still wide, twitching.

"Shenanigans." mumbled Twilight.

"Humph, and you scolded me for using that phrase! Hypocrite."

She chuckled as the stallion slumped back onto the mattress.

Author's Note

Heya everypony, I'm back from that ridiculously long hiatus (unplanned, to be sure, hence none of my stuff being marked as such), and I hope you enjoy this mini chapter I wrote up while bored & irritated one night after my home internet network decided to play an aggravating little prank on me.
This is merely a junction chapter in lieu of my unmarked hiatus, and hence the prelude to Spike's Birthday, which will be up by the end of this month.