Light The Candles

Chapters

Chapter 2: Sharp Dressed Dragon
Chapter 3: Teatime Torture
Chapter 4: Back and Forth
Chapter 5: A Ditzy Distraction
Chapter 6: Patronizing Postage
Chapter 7: Having a Blast
Chapter 8: Fear and Loathing in Equestria
Chapter 9: Light The Candles
Epilogue: The Long Walk Home
Chapter 1:

Chapter 2: Sharp Dressed Dragon

Chapter 2 - Sharp Dressed Dragon

Spike ran to the Carousel Boutique as fast as his scaly little legs could carry him. His shining tiny tuxedo and top hat had managed to stay materialized, and he was nearly halfway there!

I hope Twilight can hold the spell on these duds until I get to Rarity's. Spike desperately wanted to impress Rarity on his birthday, especially since the mustache plan he tried last week only succeeded in making her laugh for five minutes straight. Spike smirked with confidence. Nopony can resist the tux. I hope Rarity invites me to t- WHOOSH! Whoa! That was close. Spike looked behind him at the tree branch that almost impaled his top hat. Concentrate, Spike.

Spike ran past the halfway point between the library and the boutique: Sugarcube Corner. The usually bustling bakery was strangely quite; the smell of freshly baked cupcakes (and sometimes hot sauce) was absent from the building. Twilight said that the Cakes went on a supply run. thought Spike. It's too bad they took Pinkie Pie with them. She would have thrown a great party... But Spike's daydreams of hot sauce covered cupcakes will have to wait. He had no idea how long the spell would last!

*****

Fluttershy strolled cheerfully through the center of Ponyville, her light pink mane swishing in the calm air. In her mouth she held a small basket of flowers, freshly picked from the fields. It never crossed her mind that a wildly-running baby dragon in a tuxedo would ever- CRASH! Spike collided right into Fluttershy, knocking her basket of flowers high into the air. All the shy Pegasus could mutter was a tiny "meep," but Spike quickly grabbed the basket, catching most of the flowers as they fell back down.

"Uh-oh. I'm reeeeeally sorry about that, Fluttershy." Spike lent a hand and helped pull the shocked pony back on her hooves.

"ohdatsaalwight,Zpike." was all Fluttershy could manage to say as her eyes swiveled around in a dizzying manner. Spike quickly grabbed the rest of the flowers and shoved them into the basket. "Sorry I can't stay, but I'm really in a hurry." And before Fluttershy could shake her head, Spike had zoomed out of the way. He could already see the boutique's roof up ahead!

Wow. I think I might actually make it this time! Spike's thoughts began to race as the Carousel Boutique came closer and closer into focus. He could see the roof. Now the windows were in view. Now the door!

Spike checked to see if his tux was still there. Strong and suave as ever! Look out, Rarity, here I come!

The stoop was merely steps away, and Spike's pulse was racing! As Spike reached the top of the stoop, he quickly knocked on the door. He could hear Rarity's voice from inside: "Coooming."

Any second now, and she'll see how cool I look! Spike hastily straightened his bow tie and slicked back the scales on his head. He could hear Rarity's hoofsteps getting closer. The door slowly started to creak open…and…WHOOSH! SPLAT!! A rainbow-colored streak knocked Spike off his feet, causing him to land into a huge puddle of mud.
At that exact moment, Rarity had opened the door, and was shocked to see an incredibly filthy, and disappointed, baby dragon. To say the least, Rarity was confused. "Oh, well…good day, Spike. What brings you by today?" Rarity tried to avert her eyes from the mud that was covering her beautiful front steps.

The thick layer of mud that now coated Spike had broken the spell on the tuxedo and top hat; all of that effort, and now he looked even worse! Spike tried hard not to cry, but his big green eyes began to water. "I…I…I…" Spike desperately searched for words to come out of his mouth, but all he could think about was how rotten his luck was that Rainbow Dash just HAD to practice low-flying maneuvers today! It's not FAIR!

Rarity, seeing Spike about to cry, placed her hoof on a part of his shoulder that wasn't covered in mud, and gently tapped him. "There, there. It's alright, Spike. Would it cheer you up if you had some tea with me?"

Spike's expression instantly changed at Rarity's last sentence. Not even the thick mud could hide his gleeful smile. "Would I?!" Spike began to happily stroll up the front steps of the Carousel Boutique, but was stopped by a gentle push from Rarity.

"Um, Spike," Rarity grinned. "How about you get cleaned up first?"

"Oh, sure. No problem." Spike hopped off the steps and cheerfully spun around rapidly like a tiny scaly tornado. Within a few seconds, the purple dragon was free of mud, his spines straight and shining in the afternoon sunlight. Rarity smiled as she led Spike into the boutique for a cup of tea. (and, if Pinkie Pie left any from her last visit, a few crumpets.) Spike's smile widened. Maybe this won't be such a bad birthday, after all.

*****

From atop her observatory deck, Twilight followed Spike's little marathon to Rarity's through her giant telescope, showing a grin on her face that would have easily fitted a criminal mastermind. Phase two complete.

In a showy flash, a rainbow-colored Pegasus pony made a short landing on Twilight's observatory deck. "Good job, Rainbow Dash." Twilight high-hoofed her high-flying friend as they both trotted into the main branch of the library.

"Not that I don't enjoy pranking Spike, but why did you want me to cover him in mud? It was a pretty sweet move and all, but what's your deal, Twilight?"

"Oh, we're not pranking Spike, we're stalling him." A confused look swept over Rainbow Dash's face. Twilight sighed as she patiently patted Dash on the shoulder. "I'll tell you all about it…"

Chapter 3: Teatime Torture

Chapter 3 - Teatime Torture

"Oh, I'm soooo glad you asked on how my new dress designs are coming, Spike. Well, for starters, I decided to use a 40% silk and 60% polyester blend laced with the most fabulous sequins-"

Spike never actually asked about Rarity's new dress deigns. He didn't care which blend Rarity was using, or how fabulous the sequins were. Doesn't she already know that I'm not into that girly fru-fru stuff? Spike couldn't really complain that much, though. He was spending time with Rarity, and she was nice enough to invite him in for tea. Spike simply nodded every once in a while and continued to sip his tea. Wait. I don't even like tea!

Rarity stopped mid-sentence when she noticed that her oh-so-exciting talk about dresses had lulled Spike to sleep. Hmph. I guess boys really can't stand the important news. Suddenly, an idea popped into the unicorn's head. "What's that, Spike? You said you wanted to help me sew the laces together?"

Spike snapped out of his daze. "Huh,wuzzatRarity?" But before Spike had time to focus his eyes, Rarity had already spun the baby dragon out of his chair and started rummaging through the sewing supplies. "Oh, I know I had it somewhe- aha! Perfect." Rarity pulled out an extremely frilly pink and purple dress and, much to the horror of Spike, it was just his size.

"No way am I wearing that!" Spike made a jump for the front door, but stopped in his tracks, thanks to Rarity's telekinesis. Against his will, Spike floated towards the center of the room, hands outstretched. "But what if someone sees me?!"

"Oh relax, Spike." Rarity laughed as she lowered the dress over Spike. "This dress isn't for you; I just need to borrow you as a model while I put on the finishing touches." A combination of shock and embarrassment overcame the young dragon's face as he was forced to hold still while Rarity slipped the dress on him and stitched the seams with her magic. "Besides," Rarity giggled, "that color clashes with your scales something awful. I wouldn't dream of letting you walk outside wearing that." Needless to say, this did not help Spike's attitude very much.

*****

From atop the observatory, Twilight Sparkle rolled on the floor in laughter. Much to her luck, Rarity had left the window open. Through the telescope, Twilight could see her flabbergasted assistant posing against his will in the frilliest of dresses. Poor Spike. Well, he did want to spend time with Rarity.

Silliness aside, Rarity was pulling off her job perfectly. Not much time left…

*****

"Oh, Spike. This will go much faster if you'd simply stand still." Rarity continued to stitch around Spike, despite his struggle to escape her magical grip. Spike pondered what he felt stronger about: his hate of mushy dress stuff; or his desire to impress Rarity by helping her, even if it was humiliating, and not to mention that the dress was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rarity finally finished using Spike as a living mannequin. The poor little dragon was drenched in embarrassment. At least nopony was around to see him…or so he thought.

Thankfully, that was the only dress Rarity needed assistance with. "Thank you for your help, Spike. But shouldn't you be getting back to the library to help Twilight with her studies?"

Spike shook his head. "Nope. Twilight gave me the whole day off because today's a special day." Spike looked at Rarity, waiting for her to remember to wish him a happy birthday, but saw nothing in her face but mild confusion. The young dragon's smile quickly faded into a rejected frown. Did she forget that today is my birthday? A wave of disappointment fell over Spike, his shoulders hanging low as he scuffled towards the door. Rarity didn't seem to notice this seemingly-obvious display of sadness.

"Thanks again, Spike." Rarity closed the door after Spike. A twinge of guilt caressed the beautiful unicorn's face as soon as Spike left. But feeling guilty about using him would have to wait; Rarity had one last thing to prepare, and it was one important order…

Chapter 4: Back and Forth

Chapter 4 - Back and Forth

Spike couldn't believe he was actually glad to be away from Rarity, but he simply couldn't take one more second of acting as her mannequin, especially since it was for fillies' clothing. I feel sorry for the filly who has to wear that…thing.

Today held a large share of disappointment for the little dragon's special day: a ruined chance to impress Rarity, humiliating favors, and to top it all off, not a single pony had wished him a happy birthday! I might as well go back to the library and sleep until the day's over with. Spike shuffled his disappointed little feet in the direction of the library, suddenly finding the idea of reuniting with his warm blue blanket a very tempting offer.

*****

Oh no…why's he back so soon?!

Spying from her telescope, Twilight Sparkle watched nervously as her assistant shuffled closer and closer to the library. Desperate for more time, she lit her horn and cast a spell on the room downstairs, resulting in a tumbling crash that caused half the books in the library to tumble onto the floor.

Twilight rushed downstairs to open the door for Spike, observing curiously that his face was rimmed with discouragement. The first thing Spike noticed, however, was that Twilight was standing awkwardly in the center of the room to greet him, a strangely cheerful expression on her face, complete with a toothy grin. The library itself was a mess of books piled carelessly around the floor, which made Spike scratch his head in wonder. This wasn't out of the ordinary for most weekends with the eager bookworm known as Twilight Sparkle, except that Spike distinctly remembered re-shelving all of those books the night before.

"What gives, Twilight?" questioned Spike. "I'm gone for a couple of hours, and you've already dis-shelved half the library?"

Twilight gave Spike a sheepish chuckle. "Oh, this? I just needed to…rearrange some things, that's all. You know, liven things up a bit."

Spike rolled his eyes. That's just like Twilight; thinking that moving a few books will change a whole room. Usually, he would have complained about the mess, knowing full well that he would have to do most of the work, but he was too disappointed to worry about that now. "Well, you have fun with that. I'm going to bed."

Spike turned his direction towards the stairs, making it halfway up the steps, but Twilight raced him to the top, blocking his way. "Um…excuse me?" Twilight ignored Spike and gently pushed her assistant down the stairs.

"Sorry, Spike. But I need…um…I need...celery! That's it; I need you to pick up some celery for me."

"But you gave me the day off today, remember? And besides, why can't you do it?" But before he could protest any further, Twilight telekinetically tossed two twinkling coins at Spike. (try saying that 5 times real fast.) Too tired of arguing, Spike went out the door, heading for the marketplace. But I thought Twilight hated celery…

After Spike was out of earshot, Twilight yelled "All clear!" A few seconds after she gave the signal, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy jumped out from behind the large piles of books. "Wow. That was a close call."

"Tell me about it." came the voice of Rainbow Dash as she shook a copy of The Complete Works of Emily Hitchenson from her face. "But why don't you try warning us before clobbering us with literature? These hardback poetry books pack a punch!"

"Sorry…I didn't have much time to react."

As soon as each pony cleared themselves from their respective avalanche of books, Rarity came bursting through the back entrance to the library.

"Sorry I'm late, Twilight. I stalled Spike as long as I could, but I felt absolutely horrible for putting him through that."

Twilight couldn't help but giggle. "You did fine, Rarity. Plus, I got the bonus of seeing Spike in that dress." Applejack and Rainbow Dash also joined in on the laughter. Fluttershy and Rarity smiled slightly. Soon, the laughter subsided and Twilight resumed her serious face. "Alright, let's get back to work. There's still a lot to do, and not much time!"

*****

Grudgingly, Spike made his way to the marketplace. Confound these ponies and their sad eyes; they drive me to do their bidding! It was almost impossible to say no to a sad-eyed pony.

The marketplace was busy as usual: carts were busy selling merchandise such as apples, flowers, newspapers, and anything else that might interest the average pony. Even Vinyl Scratch had set up a booth to sell her new album, Electric Trot. The customers cheerfully socialized around the market square, barely taking notice of the depressed little dragon that walked up to the vegetable stand.

"Two celery stalks please." mumbled Spike, barely even making eye contact with the vendor.

Carrot Top, the vendor of the vegetable stand, neatly stacked two celery stalks in a bag and handed it to Spike upon receiving two coins. As she noticed the unusually depressed face on her customer, Carrot Cake tried to cheer him up with a little light conversation.

"So who are you getting the celery for, Spike? I've never seen you eat your veggies, and I thought Twilight didn't like them."

"I don't know why, but Twilight asked me to get them, so here I am." From his tone of voice, Carrot Top could obviously see that he was not in a talking sort of mood. I wish I could do something to cheer him up. Before Spike could walk off, Carrot Top tossed a slice of carrot cake into his bag. She simply smiled and said, "On the house."

Spike smiled slightly at the generous pony. Even though it wasn't a juicy ruby, the slice of cake did cheer him up a bit. It's the closest thing to a birthday present I've had all day.

*****

Rainbow Dash carefully observed Spike through the telescope back at the library from across Ponyville. She could see Spike turning around, holding a small bag in his hands.

"Um, Twilight? You might wanna look at th-" WHOOSH! Twilight rushed up the stairs and peered through the telescope before Rainbow Dash could finish her sentence.

"Uh-oh. That's not good." mumbled the purple unicorn.

"What's the matter? You don't like celery?" inquired Rainbow Dash.

"Yes...I mean, no. I mean...but that's not it! I thought we'd have more time than that."

Twilight pondered for a second. "We need more time, but it's going to be risky."

"What are you talking about, Twilight?" Fluttershy and Rarity joined Twilight and Rainbow at the observatory. A serious expression came across Twilight's face. "We need to go to…Plan D."

Gasps of shock came from the other ponies as soon as Twilight mentioned "Plan D."

"Surely you don't mean-"

"Yes, I do." interjected Twilight. "We're gonna have to bring in Ditzy Doo."

Chapter 5: A Ditzy Distraction

Chapter 5 - A Ditzy Distraction

Applejack trotted away from Sweet Apple Acres as fast as she could. Her workload for the day was longer than expected, and she was almost an hour late for meeting in Twilight's library. Ah don't know why Twilight was so anxious for all of us ta meet in her library, but it sounded real important!

********

Shocked gasps echoed from the ponies' mouths across the library. Their eyes were wide with curiosity at the mention of "Plan D."

Rarity was the first to speak up. "But Twilight, we haven't fully prepared for this yet."
"Yeah," piqued Rainbow Dash. "There's no telling what might happen if you do this."

Fluttershy turned towards Twilight with a concerned look on her face. "Isn't there another way?"

"No, there isn't. We need to buy more time!" Twilight rushed over to the desk and started to write a letter using her magic. "Spike's already making his way back, and Applejack still hasn't made it h-"SLAM!!

"Somepony say mah name?" Applejack burst into the library, obviously out of breath. "Sorry…it took me so long…had to…work extra today." Applejack collapsed on a pile of books in an attempt to catch her breath. All of the ponies had finally gathered.

"Well, now that we're all here, I can tell you the rest of the plan." Twilight put down her quill and parchment and began pacing around the room. The other four ponies took their seats and listened intently. "Applejack just got here, so it's too late to send her out to take care of Spike. So our only option is Plan D."

Applejack stared at Twilight with a quizzical look on her face. Rarity leaned over and whispered to her the details of "Plan D." As soon as she finished, Applejack leapt from her seat. "Ditzy Doo? Are you nuts, Twilight?! Why, Ah don' think that wall-eyed pony could handle a-"

"Trust me on this one," interrupted Twilight. "I know you may think Ditzy isn't up to the task, but I can assure you that this is all taken care of. You may be surprised about what she can do."

The other ponies continued to give Twilight worried faces. But the time for arguing was over; Twilight had already finished her letter and with a flash of magic, it disappeared.

**********

Ditzy Doo sat in the middle of her room above the Ponyville Post Office, doing what she always did when there was nothing to do: sort the mail into neat little piles. Of course, they had already been sorted a first time, but Ditzy took it upon herself to do it the right way. With a faint pop, a bright spark filled the room, and a rolled up scroll of parchment fell neatly on top of the piles of mail. Ditzy quickly unfurled the parchment. It read:

Remember what we talked about yesterday: don't let Spike near the library! We're counting on you to stall him.
Once you have Spike distracted, head over to the library, but don't let him know where you're going!
~Twilight
PS: I know you can do it

"Comprende," saluted the Mailmare to nopony in particular.

Ditzy immediately rolled up the scroll. Indeed, she did remember about Twilight's plan. She quickly filled her mailbag and zoomed out the window, heading straight for the birthday dragon.

************

It's wasn't the work that made him mad; Spike was more than used to running errands. To a point, Spike wasn't that mad that the ponies around town forgot his birthday. What Spike was really starting to get mad about was that Twilight hasn't even once said something nice to him, not even one of her charming smiles. Had she already forgotten the promi-

WHOOSH! Spike's thoughts were interrupted by a yellow and grey flash. When he stopped to blink, there stood Ditzy Doo, right in his path, her bright yellow eyes in their usual cross-eyed position.

"Wow, Derpy. You scared me!" The resulting death glare from the mailmare made Spike cringe. Right…avoid the nickname. "So…um…" The young dragon tried to move out of her way, but Ditzy kept following him, her eyes (or at least one of them) never leaving him for a second. "…can I help you?"

Almost too enthusiastically, Ditzy's eyes widened in anticipation. "So glad you asked, Spike." Out of nowhere, she struck a heroic pose, raising her hoof into the air. Spike couldn't help but let out a giggle. Unfazed by her silliness, Ditzy continued to point to the sky as she announced dramatically, "This is a tale of a heroic grey mare who continues to fight for the freedom of the Equestrian Postal Service. A tale of overcoming impossible odds and thwarting the evils of postage procrastination! We shall leave no package unsent! No mailbox left unfilled! No stamp left unlicked!"

Spike tried to carefully tiptoe his way out of Ditzy's frequent over-the-top speeches, but he soon found himself dragged across the waist by the energetic mare's grasp.
"And I need your help, Spike! Your assistance is invaluable in averting this great crisis!"

Spike tried to free himself of Ditzy's grasp, but she held tight. "I don't think that's going to work, Ditzy. I kinda have something important I wanna talk to Twili-"

For the umpteenth time, Spike found himself stopping mid-sentence thanks to the confounded sad eyes of a pleading pony. Although he was confident that he would soon have an immunity to regular sad eyes, Spike found it impossible to resist the improbably devastating look Ditzy casted upon him. Her derpyfied sad eyes would make even the hardest of resolves melt like a chocolate bar in the middle of the Summer Sun Celebration.

"Alright, fine. But I have to get back to the library so-WOAH!" As soon as Spike responded, Ditzy flung him on her back and took to the skies, flying back to the Post Office at over 50 feet in the air. The poor acrophobic dragon clung to her neck tightly. "Ditzy…are you sure this is safe?!"

Before Spike could even finish his question, the enthusiastic mailmare gently let him down upon the front door to the Ponyville Post Office. He stared dumbfounded at the grey Pegasus.

"But…I…you…We were all the way across town just now! How'd you get here so fast?!"

Ditzy held her head proudly. "Muffin button."

Chapter 6: Patronizing Postage

Chapter 6 - Patronizing Postage

Spike sat gloomily in the corner of the Ponyville Post Office as his eager wall-eyed kidnapper stacked piles and piles of unsorted mail throughout the room. The tired young dragon sat on a lonely stool as he observed Ditzy Doo zipping around the small mail room as if she were having the time of her life. Spike couldn't match her enthusiasm for all the gemstones in Canterlot. (Depending on if they asked nicely or not.)

"Um…Ditzy? What is it you needed me for?"

"First thing's first," replied the energetic mailmare from underneath a pile of parcels.

"I need your help in sealing some envelopes and licking stamps. Won't that be fun?!"
Spike resisted the strong urge to roll his eyes.

To any other pony that would have been walking by the library at this time of day, most of them would not give it a second glance, seeing as it looked perfectly fine on the outside. The inside, however, was total chaos…and not the kind that was carefully organized.

"No no no! That is not how you hang a banner!"

"The punchbowl doesn't go there!"

"These streamers are lime green. I asked for forest green! Ugh"
The inside of the library rang with the harsh echoes of Twilight's voice as she yelled out orders and complaints to each of her friends, frantically trying to orchestrate the decorations. Streamers hung haphazardly on the floor and bookshelves, balloons refused to blow into a neat round shape, and the cake was reduced to a smoking pile of frosting and burnt stuff. Rainbow Dash fell to the ground with a muffled thump, a large banner wrapped tightly around her body. Fluttershy cowered in fear as yet another balloon popped in her face after trying to blow it up. Applejack tried unsuccessfully to corral the rogue streamers with her lasso, and Rarity had her precious mane covered in icing and smoke, causing her to fallow in self-pity.

Twilight, standing in the center of the mess with a clipboard that she feared would never be fully checked off, rubbed her temples furiously.

"Where's Pinkie Pie when we need her?!"

Lick…stamp….blow…repeat. Lick, stamp, blow, repeat. Lick stamp blow repeat. Lickstampblowrepeatlickstampblowre- "AAGH!"

Spike grunted in frustration. Not only was his tongue sore from licking stamps, and his throat hoarse from sending hundreds of scrolls, but his brain was numb from doing such a repetitive task.

"I wonder what Twilight and the others are up to," asked Spike aloud to himself as he idly twirled a scroll in his hands. "They're probably off having some adventure, fighting mythical creatures, and bursting spontaneously into elaborate musical numbers." His voice turned more sour by the second as he listed all the fun things he was missing out on. "And on my birthday!"

In a fit of frustration, Spike set the scroll in his hand on fire, letting it sizzle into ash and fall on the floor. Ditzy Doo was nowhere to be seen, and the mountain of scrolls seemed to have no end.

"They're probably out having the time of their lives, and I'm stuck here doing grunt work…on my birthday!"

Spike hopped off his workstation and began pacing around; smoke literally seeping from his nostrils in anger. "They don't respect me. They don't care about me. I'm nothing but a slave to them! Confound these ponies!"

Restocking inventory was among the most boring jobs around, and even Ponyville's Premier Party Pony couldn't find a way to pep up the task. She tried singing, but that only made things go slower. She tried making a game out of it, but there weren't any balls, bats, mits, pucks, sticks, hoops, goals, bases or referees anywhere in sight. Finally, Pinkie Pie resorted to the last thinkable option: doing her job properly, without shenanigans. The pink pony positively shuddered at the idea of taking inventory of all these boxes of raw baking materials, but something had to be done to vanquish the boredom.
Pinkie sighed as she picked up her clipboard and went to work. "210 pounds of confectioners' sugar, 150 barrels of yeast, 75 buckets of- ooh!"

'Ooh' was not an item on the inventory. What Pinkie Pie actually meant was 'Ooh, something interesting is happening that is making me forget all about this remedial task and focus on something more interesting.' That is, if he brain worked in complete sentences…which it didn't. The particular 'ooh' sensation was none other than one of her famous Pinkie Senses tingling: her nostrils started flaring uncontrollably for a few moments. After her face turned to normal (or at least as normal as it gets) Pinkie Pie started to ponder as she paced around the room.

"Hmm…that one hasn't come up in a while. Nostril flare…nostril flare…no- AHA! That means somepony is trying to throw a party without my help!"

In a burst of speed that would have made Rainbow Dash's jaw turn limp, Pinkie zoomed over to the next room where Mr. And Mrs. Cake were filling out the forms for the ingredients. Pinkie stared Mrs. Cake straight in the face, giving her her best set of sad eyes she could muster. The shop owner sighed to herself, well aware of her employees' antics.

"Was yer Pinkie sense tinglin', hon?"

A rapid number of head bobs supplied her answer. Mr. Cake nodded his head as well, whispering to his wife, "We'll probably get the work done sooner without her, Honey Bun. You know how she gets when this happens."

"Ok, dear. Go and do whatever it is you do."

Pinkie saluted Mrs. Cake and whizzed out of focus, onto the next scene.

A few milliseconds later, Pinkie Pie emerged with a helmet shaped like a rubber chicken, sunglasses and a low-riding motorcycle.

"It's 106 miles to Ponyville. I got a full tank of gas, half a pack of gum, its sundown, and I'm wearing a chicken on my head. Hit it!"

Chapter 7: Having a Blast

Chapter 7 - Having a Blast

Spike decided to take a well-deserved break from the mind-numbing task of mail sorter. What I wouldn't give for a tall glass of sarsaparilla and a double-sprinkle donut…and Sugarcube Corner just HAD to close today!

Spike left his post and walked outside the Post Office, pacing around the building in confusion. He kicked at a small pebble, chasing it down the road as he tried to blow off some steam. In his busy little head, Spike was putting together a little speech, and judging by the angry look on his face, it was not going to be pleasant.

If Twilight's party planning was like a tornado at first, it had now escalated into a full-force natural disaster. The streamers had been frustratingly ripped to pieces, the cake was nowhere to be seen, and somehow, the punchbowl had caught fire. To make things worse, Ditzy Doo's example of "helping out," meant standing in the center of the room, belting out nonsensical motivational speeches from the eye of the chaotic party tornado.

"We have nothing to fear, but giant zombie vamponies!"

Rarity brushed her mane in the corner, trying to get as far away from the flinging mess as possible while she brushed out the confetti and frosting.

"We shall decorate on the beaches! We shall party on the landing grounds! We shall never surrender, except for a routine muffin break!"

Fluttershy hid under the table that held the presents, making the tablecloth shiver.

"Kick logic out and do the impossible!"

Rainbow Dash tried to douse the flaming punchbowl to no avail.

"They can take our streamers, but they'll never take our fredommmm!"

Applejack repeatedly threw her lasso into the air, trying to corral the stubborn herd of green and purple balloons taking refuge on the ceiling.

"You can't handle the frosting!"

Twilight hunched herself into a corner, holding tightly to a book as she rocked back and forth in a fetal position. Her mane was frizzled, and her eyes darted around like a crazed lunatic as everything around her went horribly wrong.

"Let me see your party face! GRRRRR-"

"WAIT!"

Rainbow Dash silenced Ditzy by placing her hoof in the mailmare's mouth, much to the relief of the other ponies. After a sudden silence, save for the crackling of the flaming punchbowl, all of their ears perked at a few strange sounds from outside.

"Is that….a motorcycle?" pondered Twilight as everypony analyzed the outside noises.

"No, dat sounds like…a rubber chicken?"

"Um, I'm sorry, but…I think it sounds like some frantic galloping to me."

"I think you're right darling, but now I swear I'm hearing some wheels turning."

"Yeah, that sounds kinda heavy. Wait, I think I know that sound. It's-"

Rainbow's sentence was cut short by the sound of Twilight's door slamming open. What greeted them was the blank stare of a large metal tube pointing directly at them. A mix of surprise, shock, and utter surprise befell each of their faces as six pairs of eyes opened wide.

"EVERYPONY DUCK!"

BOOM!!!!!

The moment the blast zone was cleared, a loud explosion of balloons, streamers, confetti, punch, glasses, tablecloths, noisemakers and assorted baked goods flew through the air, all landing perfectly in their designated spots, leaving nothing but six shivering ponies on the floor and the faint smell of gunpowder.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Twilight dared to open her eyes. Expecting to see and even bigger mess, (which she thought was already impossible) the librarian was stunned to see that the entire first floor had been transformed from a war zone into a perfectly planned out party room!

"Bu.buu…but….but…"

"Oh don't worry," came the sound of an all-too familiar voice. "there's no need to thank me. After all, it's my duty as the Premier Pink Party Pony of Ponyville to help in a planning crisis, and boy was this one a dooz-"

Pinkie's monologue was interrupted by Twilight, who had gotten up and tackled her to the ground, enveloping Pinkie in a hugely grateful hug.

"Never…let me plan a party without you…again."

Everypony nodded their heads in unison rather frantically.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Pinkie hopped up to her feet. "Let's get this party rolling!"

Chapter 8: Fear and Loathing in Equestria

Chapter 8 - Fear and Loathing in Equestria

Dear Princess Celestia,
It is with little regret or remorse that I announce that, effective immediately, I have chosen to resign my post as the assistant to your student, Twilight Sparkle. Due to reasons of neglect, abuse, and frequent stress, all originating upon today's daily activities, I have decided that Twilight no longer needs…or deserves…to have her own assistant. I would also like to request that I could live out the rest of my life in the mountains, away from any interference from any species of equines, so I may spend the remainder of my years hoarding gems in solitude for the many millennia to come.
Your faithful student's ex-assistant,
Spike.
(PS: Wish me luck…I think I'm going to need it.)

In the dark corner of the mail sorting room, Spike rolled up an important-looking parchment he had just finished writing and prepared to take a deep breath, about to blow magic fire onto the scroll that would send it directly to Celestia. However, before the green flame could leave his mouth, Spike changed his mind at the last second and swallowed the fire.

"A letter this important should be delivered in person."

Spike placed the scroll in his back pocket and took one last look around the mail room. Even if it looked dull, he was most likely never going to see it again…or any other part of Ponyville, for that matter. Although he tried to keep a straight and serious face as he opened the door and walked out into the afternoon sun, his eyes were reddened from crying. The parchment itself was sprinkled with fat drops of dragon's tears.

Spike's adolescent mind fought over the idea of handing in his resignation to Princess Celestia. He thought long and hard over the idea of leaving. One part of his mind tried to tell him how selfish he was being, about how Twilight needed him, and not thinking about how the others would react to this stunt would be plain cruel. It also reminded him of Rarity, and the high hopes of a future together.

Do you really want to leave them behind? pleaded his subconscious.

Just look at what they did to me! replied the hotter-tempered side of his feelings.

Did what, exactly? Run you on a few errands? Newsflash, that's your job!

It's not just the jobs! You saw how they treated me like trash!

What about the others? What about Rarity? I thought you loved h-

SHUT UP!

Spike shot a frustrated jet of flame straight into the air. His mind began swirling in hormones, anger and rage overriding logic and reasoning. His vision became clouded with anger. In the young dragon's fierce tirade, everything boiled down to one pony.

"Twilight…"

*****

Back at the now-prepped library, everypony took a well-deserved break. Most sat around the buffet table, helping themselves to a glass of punch. Twilight sat at the table with Pinkie Pie, filling her in on the latest details.

"Oh no no no no no, Twilight," corrected Pinkie in her usual rapid-fire corrections. "you NEVER mix berry punch with chartreuse green streamers. No wonder you had such a disaster. And purple balloons with white tablecloths are just asking for trouble. Good thing ya had me and Old Reliable," she patted the party cannon she was sitting on, reverberating with a thick thump. "to help out. After all, party planning is a serious business. Don't try this at home without a trained professional."

Twilight simply nodded away and smiled. Although she couldn't understand a lick of Pinkie's party planning logic, she couldn't deny the results…as well as the disastrous consequences of her attempts.

"I'm just glad we got everything straightened out before Spike got back."

"Ya got that right," snapped Rainbow Dash with a face full of h'orderves. The rest of the ponies nodded in agreement.

"Say, Ditzy Doo. Can you go check on Spike and tell him to come back to the library? Tell him I have a special assignment for him," she winked at the mailmare.

"Can do." replied Ditzy with a quick salute before zipping outside towards the post office.

Twilight took another look around the library: the decorations were set up with perfect symmetry, there was still plenty of food left, the cake was untouched, the banner hung with exact tautness, and nothing had spontaneously burst into flames so far. She cracked a confident smile.

"Everything's going to be fine."

*****

If I'm going to run away, I might as well give Twilight what she deserves.
Spike marched angrily down the street, taking his time on reaching the library as he tried to collect the thoughts swimming in his head. So far, the thought of confronting Twilight and yelling at her until his faced turned red seemed like a perfectly acceptable and recommended idea for his rage-clouded mind.

Once I give her a piece of my mind, I never wanna see another pony again!

Somewhere, deep in the logical side of his mind, Spike's voice of reason tried to remind him of his friends…of his affections towards Rarity…but it all got lost in the storm of his mind. Spike pressed on, leaving a bitter trail of thin smoke from his nostrils as he marched onward towards the library.

*****

"He's gone!" came the cry of Ditzy Doo as she burst through the open window and alerted everypony. "I can't find Spike anywhere in the post office! The mail was all sorted, but he wasn't there." A few tears started to well up in the wall-eyed malemare's eyes. "And….and…."

Suddenly, Ditzy began crying, each eye acting like a water fountain as she slumped down on the ground. Fluttershy approached her, gently patting her back.

"Oh, it's ok," calmed the kind Pegasus. "I'm sure Spike will turn up soon. He probably just went for a walk for so-"

"That's not it!" squeaked Ditzy. "He…he ATE ALL MY MUFFINS!"

The sound of six ponies feverishly facehooving themselves echoed through the room.

"Wait a sec!" shouted Rainbow Dash from the balcony. "I think I see him!"

Sure enough, Rainbow Dash could see a tiny purple dot on the horizon, heading straight for the library. "Spike's coming over here."

"Quick!" commanded Twilight. "Everypony hide!"

She quickly turned off the lights, shrouding the library in darkness. As the other ponies found their hiding spots, Twilight stood in the front of the room, ready to greet Spike. The purple unicorn let out a tiny sigh of nostalgia: a little over a year ago, she and Spike stood at this very spot, in the same dark room when they entered their home for the first time. She would never forget her first surprise party that day, and she was determined to make sure Spike didn't forget this one.

Any second now, he's going to walk in that door, we'll all yell SURPRISE, and everything will be fine…

*****

Spike slammed the door open with more force than Twilight expected, causing her to flinch a bit in the dark. The young dragon slowly marched toward the center of the room. He was too mad to notice or care about the fact that the room was dark. He simply walked towards Twilight without any distractions.

"Twilight…" his voice was angry and resonated deeply through the walls.

"Oh, hi Spike," replied Twilight cheerfully, unaware of the anger in his voice. "Thank
you so much for helping out Ditzy Doo with the mail."

Spike paused for a moment, smoke escaping his nostrils as he answered slowly. "Yeah…glad I could be of service…master." he spat out the last word like it was poison.

"Master?" Twilight arched her brow in confusion. "Um…is something wrong, Spike?"

"YOU BET THERE IS!" replied Spike, his voice thundering loud, exploding with rage. He pointed a sharp claw at Twilight. "You've been treating me like garbage, tossing me around town to do your busywork without a word in edgewise!"

Twilight took a step back. She was shocked at how Spike was yelling at her. This morning, he was bright and cheerful, happy to help out in any way he could. But now…something didn't feel right with the young dragon.

"Spike, what's gotten into you?"

"Oooooh, so NOW you care about me," snapped the dragon, his reply oozing with sarcasm.
"What happened to when you were running me all over town to do chores on my birthday, of all days!"

what the? Twilight shook her head in disbelief. What happened to the sweet baby dragon that left a few hours ago?

"And how did YOU know that I was at the post office? Ditzy whisked me away before I got back here!"

"Oh, that's simple…" the unicorn began to sweat nervously. "She…uh…told me you were there so I wouldn't worry."

Deep beneath their hiding places, the other six ponies exchanged nervous glances at each other. Even in the dark, they could faintly see the evidence of a surprise party once their eyes adjusted: the silhouette of balloons and streamers, brightly-colored presents in the corner, Pinkie Pie's tail protruding from under the punchbowl table; why didn't Spike ask about these suspicious shapes, or for that matter, why the room was so dark? It seemed like all he could see was Twilight, and he was yelling pretty loud.

"Ain't we supposed ta jump out and yell 'surprise'?" whispered Applejack to Fluttershy.

"Twilight said to wait for the signal. I think she's trying to calm Spike down. He looks really upset."

Applejack turned her attention back to Twilight and Spike, becoming more and more worried with each reply.

"I can take all the jobs, Twilight. I've done whatever you said for years now without complaining. But this just isn't right!"

"What are you talking about, Spike?" Twilight felt a twinge of worry in her stomach.
"I know you don't care about me, that's what I'm talking about!" Spike's voice began to crack, both from the fatigue of his anger and the fact that he was starting to tear up.

"Spike, that's ridiculous…" Twilight tried to step closer to touch Spike, but he swatted the mare's hoof away.

"Get away from me! You…you're not my mom! You can't tell me what to do!" Spike snapped back in a frenzy of hoarse yelled and emotional outburst.

Twilight stepped back fearfully, holding back her stinging hoof. what's going on with you, Spike? She could feel tears welling in her own eyes. A dark realization struck her that she may have gone overboard and given Spike the wrong impression all day. Maybe to him, the excuses she made to keep him away while she decorated could have been misinterpreted as neglect. She instantly regretted lying to him all day.

"Oh Spike…I'm so sorr-"

"I don't want your apology!" Spike shot back. Although his anger had yet to recede, Twilight could tell that it was taking a toll on the young dragon's body: he began to shiver from the pure emotional trauma, his words becoming mixed with tears. She could only imagine what was going on in his poor little head. How much had he misunderstood? What had she done to him?

Spike reached behind him and pulled out a piece of parchment, dangling it infront of Twilight's eyes in the dim light.

"I'm resigning," he replied in a shockingly quiet voice. He had spent the last of his anger yelling at twilight. The young dragon felt emotionally drained, his words hollow and tired. "I wanted you to know that I'm leaving…for good. And you better not try to follow me."

Twilight felt as if her heart was going to break. Spike…resigning? She wanted to call out, to stop and explain the reason behind everything she was doing, but all that came out was a frightened squeak.

From the back of the room, everypony in hiding exchanged worried glances at one another. Fluttershy was on the verge of tears; Rarity was biting on her hoof to keep from jumping out and hugging Spike; Applejack looked down at the floor, confused about what to do. None of them jumped out from their hiding places, however. Some were too scared at what might happen, others were confused, but all of them silently agreed that they were going to trust Twilight to tell them what to do.

After locking his eyes on Twilight during his whole speech, Spike finally broke eye contact, staring down at the floor as he hoped that she couldn't see him crying.

"I'm not sorry…I won't be coming back."

Spike turned around to open the door and walk out the library for the last time. Twilight, frozen in place from the shock, could only holler out one word from her dry mouth:

"WAIT!"

Spike stopped, his arm inches from the doorknob, and turned around to face the mare. Even in the dark, he could see that she was on the verge of crying.

"Just let me say one thing, Spike…please. Before you leave, let me say one thing."
Spike sighed, letting out a small flame from his mouth.

"Ok…what is it?"

Twilight took a deep breath and gave the signal, raising on of her hooves in the air. The lights instantly came to life and six ponies jumped out and surrounded Spike, yelling into his ear:

"SURPSISE!"

Chapter 9: Light The Candles

Chapter 9 - Light The Candles

"I think he's out cold."

"Oh dear, did we surprise him too much?"

"He's not wakin' up…"

"Don't worry. I got this."

SPLASH!

A bucket of ice cold water splashed Spike square in the face. The last thing he remembered was a loud noise, faces everywhere, and then nothing. Now, he was laying on the library floor, covered in cold water, his spines shivering slightly.
Spike dared to open his eyes. He was immediately greeted by seven pairs of eyes (one of them derped) staring at him. All of their faces bore soft smiles of relief.

"He's awake!"

Before Spike could stand up to dry himself off, Pinkie Pie lunged in for a hug, squeezing him tightly as her mouth went a mile a second.

"Oh my gosh, I thought you'd never wake up. First it was all a disaster, then everything was all WOOSH, BAM! And then I came in with my Party Cannon, and it was all BANG! And then everything was better. And then it got dark, and you came in, and there was a lot of yelling, and you made Twilight cry, and then you were crying, and that made me so sad, I just wanted to jump out and hug you, but Rarity held me back. And then you started getting mad, and then Twilight gave the signal, and we all yelled SURPRISE, and then you-"

"Ok, Pinkie," interjected Twilight was she pushed Spike out of her grip to let him breath. "I think he gets the picture now."

Spike's eyes spun around in confusion. The first thing he noticed were the brightly-colored decorations: streamers and balloons, cups and plates, food and punch and all sorts of jewel-encrusted goodies, all in shades of purple and green.

"Wha…what is this?" he asked in a daze.

"It's your party, sugarcube." informed Applejack.

"My…party?"

Spike took another look around. Now that the frustration had left his head, everything suddenly made sense to him now: the errands, the pranks, and everything he assumed as neglect and abuse; all just a bunch of errands to keep him away from the library!

"So…" Spike looked at Twilight. "..you weren't doing this because you hated me?"

Twilight scoffed and patted the little dragon's head affectionately.

"Of course I wasn't. We just didn't want to spoil the surprise!"

"Huh…" From around the corner, Pinkie Pie nudged Applejack and whispered in her ear, "I'm getting a reeeeally weird feeling of déjà vu. Has this happened before?"

Applejack rolled her eyes and chuckled.

*****

It didn't take long for Spike's attitude to skyrocket back to its original self. All that seething frustration and anger he had towards Twilight and the others vanished once it found a way out.

The birthday dragon sat on the table, snacking on a few small rubies and wearing a bright green party hat. Party music played in the background, most of the ponies attempting to dance along. Suddenly, a lively salsa beat congaed out of the gramophone, making Spike's ear perk with intrigue. Before he could turn around, something came up behind and blinding him! Rainbow Dash had stuck a blindfold over his eye.

"What's going on?" yelled Spike as he stumbled around the library floor, seeing nothing but darkness. Giggling to themselves, Pinkie Pie held up a piñata and Ditzy handed Spike a baseball bat.

"Pinata time!"

"Ohhh," grinned Spike from underneath his blindfold. He readied the bat, but somepony spun him around in circles, messing up his sense of direction. Spike took a blind swing, barely missing Twilight's head as she ducked out of the way. Another wide swing almost caused him to topple the punchbowl, if Fluttershy hadn't moved it in the last second.

"Let me help ya," said Applejack as she nudged Spike into the right direction. One more wide sing, and BOOM! The library floor became littered with colorful gemstones and candy wrappers. Everypony lunged at the floor, but Spike was at the ready, slithering underneath to grab the stones.

"Did you know that the first piñatas weren't filled with candy, but with different types of seeds?" Twilight asked as she unwrapped a hoof-full of candy and placed it in her mouth. "They were originally decorated with symbols that represented a favorable climate for the upcoming growing season. In fact, after these traditional piñatas were broken, they often burned it and kept the ashes for good luck. They didn't start adding candy until way after the…"

At this point Spike would have hushed Twilight from rambling on, but his mouth was too full of sweets to stop her, as was everypony else's. Plus, he still felt incredibly bad about yelling at her earlier. He wanted desperately to talk to her, but it was too noisy to get her alone.

"Um, Twilight…about earlier, I-"

"CAKE TIME!"

Before Spike could attempt to apologize, Pinkie Pie rolled in from the kitchen, carrying a birthday cake. It was carefully decorated with purple frosting, and what looked like real emeralds carved on the sides, each as big as Spike's fist! The sigh of such a delicious cake sent Spike's mouth to watering.

As the cake reached the center of the room, Twilight stood next to him, leading everypony into a rousing birthday song. As they all sang around him, Spike looked at each of him friends, his face beaming with gratitude. Once they finished singing, Applejack furled her eyebrow in confusion.

"Ain't the candles supposed to be lit at this point?"

Applejack was right. Sat atop the cake were five white candles, but each of them were unlit.

"Actually, Applejack," began Twilight. "It's a dragon tradition to-" she stopped mid-sentence and looked back at her assistant. "why don't you tell us, Spike?"

Spike cleared his throat, glad to have a chance to explain his own culture. "When a dragon reaches the day of their birth, we celebrate it by lighting our own flame to signify health and a long-life. It's like a ritual to celebrate each new yea we have to grow and live. My mom said it's like taking a new step every year to becoming a man…stand back!"

Spike's eye glistened with excitement as he took in a breath. He closed his eyes and thought about everything that had happened the last year: moving to Ponyville, coping with the stress of settling into a new town, meeting new friends, and recounting all the precious moments they shared. Next he thought about the future: growing older, becoming more mature, and maybe, just maybe finding the right way to finally tell someone special to him how h really felt…

He gathered all of those thoughts into a single moment, and exhaled. A bright green jet of flame slowly escaped Spike's mouth. It moved as if slowed by time, curling and floating like smoke, softly gliding over the top of the candles. Everypony held their breath as the fire skimmed across the wicks of the candles, leaving behind a perfect teardrop of emerald-green flame in their wake, until it passed through them all.

Spike opened his eye to the sight of five brightly-lit flames and the cheer of everyone. Twilight stood by his side, gazing at him with the eyes of a proud mother as a soft smile came across her lips.

*****

After a large portion of the cake had been devoured by the guests, everypony sat down and presented Spike with presents:

Applejack had woven him a lasso from scratch. "I'll sure have fun practicing with this!"

Fluttershy presented him with a beautiful quill made from a phoenix feather. "The tip is so sharp. Looks like it'll last for a long time!"

Rainbow Dash handed him a backstage pass to the next Wonderbolts show. "How did you get this?! I heard these are super-rare!"

Pinkie Pie gave him a magic kit for beginners. "Adrakadabr- oops…well Twilight, at least now we know yellow isn't a good mane color for you…"

Ditzy made him a basket full of blueberry muffins. "Aw man, these look deliscio- ohhh, maybe I should wait for tomorrow."

Twilight placed a small jewelry box in Spike's lap. He opened it carefully, his eyes opening wide at what he saw.

"I…is that?"

Twilight nodded. "I saved it all these years. It's a piece of the egg I hatched you from."
Spike carefully held it in his arms. Its shell was the same purple hue as his scales, dotted with a few green spots.

"It's because of you that I was able to awaken my powers. Whenever I get discouraged, I take it out and look at it, and it always makes me feel better."

Spike gently placed the fragment back in its box and hugged Twilight warmly.

"Ahem.."

The soft sound of somepony coughing made him turn his head.

"There's still one more gift," chimed Rarity as she held up a large rectangular shaped box.

Spike held the box in his hands, slowly untying the intricately-wrapped ribbon. It felt heavy on his lap. The young dragon pondered over what it could be as he tore open the wrapping paper and opened the box. But as he gazed at the contents of the gift, he suddenly realized that what was really inside trumped all of his fantasies:

"It's a tuxedo! And a top hat!"

As Spike held it up for everypony to see, it was met with a few awes of approval.

"Rarity beamed proudly. "Custom made, every stitch. Go on dear, try it on!"

Spike rushed to the closest mirror, and before anyone could say "puttin' on the ritz," he secured the last button, strutting down the room with the widest smile he could make. The suit fitted him perfectly, as well as the hat. Twilight and Rarity started clapping for him.

"You look smashing!"

"Nice threads, dude!"

"Lookin' sharp!"

"Super Duper!"

Spike blushed with thankfulness.

"Best…birthday…ever!"

Epilogue: The Long Walk Home

Epilogue - The Long Walk Home

The party lasted until well after sunset. Most of the library's decorations now rested lazily on the floor, most of the balloons refusing to leave the comfort of the linoleum. Streamers were hiding in the oddest of places, but Twilight diligently hunted them down and collected them on the center of the floor.

Everypony had left except Rarity, who had offered to help. (And because she was the only one who hadn't received the full effects of the inevitable sugar crash.) Using a broom, she swept up the food crumbs and piled them up into neat little stacks.

Spike staggered around in the kitchen, putting away the leftover food. His bowtie was undone around his neck and his tophat slanted at an almost-impossible angle. He was tired, exhausted, and all-around worn out, but it was the best party of his life by far.

"Really, Rarity. You didn't need to stay and clean up. I'm sure I can handle it," Assured Twilight.

"Oh, it's no bother at all. My house is only a short walk away, after all."

From the kitchen, Spike rolled his eyes silently with a good-hearted chuckle. It felt like a few miles, running there this morning…

*****

It didn't take long to sweep up the aftermath of the party, rendering the library back to its quiet state.

All through the cleaning, Spike kept stealing glances at Twilight. There was something in his gut that told him he needed closure…something he kept forgetting. He couldn't drive the image of Twilight, whom he had come to see as a mother, crying in the darkened room.

It stung to recall that Spike even took the time to write that awful letter of resig-
The letter! shouted Spike's mind as he frantically searched his pockets for the scrap of parchment. Panic overcame him as each pocket came up empty. Spike tried to remember where he put it, but his memory was muffled by sugar.

Could she have read it?

"Um…Twilight?" Spike cautiously approached the purple mare as if she were about to explode at any moment, even though her expression revealed nothing more than tired relief.

"What is it, Spike?"

"Have you…um…" Spike nervously twiddled his thumbs. "come across any scrolls recently?"
Twilight replied by settling her eyes on a nearby wastebasket, nearly overflowing with the used decorations. In a flash, Spike dug his claws into the trash, pulling out colorful streamers and cups and plates to reveal, at the bottom, a scroll. It was ripped to shreds, but Spike could still tell it was the one he wrote.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," winked Twilight as she gave Spike a reassuring nuzzle.

Spike's anxiety fled his chest like a hoard of butterflies, lifting his spirits substantially.

"Why don't you get some fresh air, Spike?" Twilight glanced over at the last remaining party guest. "Maybe you could walk Rarity home."

The gleam in the young dragon's eyes told Twilight she wouldn't need to say it twice.

*****

It usually isn't until the last few moments of dusk that the scenery of Ponyville can be fully appreciated. The lazy violet-goldish haze cast a natural spell of serenity upon the humble town: the drone of the cicadas could be peacefully heard echoing from the Everfree Forest; fireflies danced in the thick evening air, demanding the attention of a few wide-eyed foals as their family shared an evening picnic at the park; the smell of grass soothed the senses and relaxed the mind. The soft sounds of the last few citizens of Ponyville trotting through the square trickled down the ears as they made their last errands for the day, some ready to turn in for the night, and some ready to enjoy the serene night. It was a truly magical night for a walk.

Spike, however, did not notice any of these things. His attention was focused exclusively on the fact that he was now walking hand-in-hoof with the most beautiful pony imaginable. Not only did Spike feel the familiar flutter of affection whenever he was near Rarity, but the soft and soothing feel of his scales touching her coat, their bodies closer than he could ever recall, gave an extra sensation of elation. Even the custom-made suit, custom made for him by the very lady he was now walking with, tapped into unfound feelings Spike hardly knew he had. It was strange, it was familiar, and it was even a bit scary…but he wouldn't trade this moment for anything else in Equestria.

"It's so nice for you to escort me home, Spike. What a gentleman you're turning out to be," complimented Rarity as they took a slightly-longer route through the park.

Something unexpected caused Spike's ear spines to rise in surprise. There's something different about her voice. It sounds…sweeter. How is that even possible?
And then it hit him: She's not talking to me like I'm a baby anymore. She sounds…so much closer. Like I'm an equal now!

The sudden change caused Spike to blush. But this time, instead of pinching his cheeks or talking to him in baby-talk, Rarity simply smiled and took a half-step closer to Spike, holding his arm a bit more securely.

To hide his sudden burst of shyness, Spike looked up at the night sky, trying to count the endless sea of stars above him. Rarity led him to a bench and they both sat down for a moment. She looked up as well.

"Which constellation are you looking at?"

"Umm…" Spike hadn't given it much thought, but one of them instantly popped into his
head. "Draco. The dragon."

"That's a lovely one. Even as a dot pattern, dragons still look rather handsome."

Spike sighed deeply, trying to make sense of what she was trying to say.

"Rarity…"

The white mare kindly turned her head and looked at Spike. "Yes?"

darn it! Those eyes…

Once again, Spike found himself lost in his crush's gaze. What usually followed was the inevitable meltdown where Spike's thoughts turned to mush and he made a fool of himself. This time, however, was different. Spike swallowed his fear and closed his eyes, completely ready to say what was on his heart.

"I…I…I can't stop thinking about you! I think I'm in-"

Before he could finish, however, Spike felt Rarity's warm hoof on his cheek. The next thing he knew, she planted a soft kiss on him. Not on his cheek, but neatly on his lips. The same lips that couldn't form what he had been trying to say for so long.

Spike closed his eyes and held his breath, trying to hold the moment as long as he could; but as soon as the kiss came, it left. Once he opened his eyes, Rarity was staring back at him, trying to hide the hint of a blush on her own beautiful face.

"I've known for quite a while, Spike. It's ok, really."

Spike suddenly felt a huge loss of balance, as if he'd been knocked over with a feather. He softly fell onto Rarity's lap, trying his best to hold in his tears. Rarity responded by patiently stroking his head to calm him down, giving him all the time he needed to compose himself.

Why are you crying?! pleaded Spike in his mind as he started to weep in front of Rarity. This is what you wanted. She just kissed you, for Celestia's sake! Do you want her to start treating you like a baby again?!
"Why is this happening?" whimpered Spike as he dared to lift his head and look back up at Rarity. His light green eyes were full of tears and confusion. In that one moment he went from being on top of the world to feeling small and weak again. One step forward, two steps back.

"Shhh," said Rarity as she tried her best to calm Spike down. "it's alright. I thought this might happen, so take all the time you want. There's no hurry."

Rarity's calming voice, as well as the fact that nopony was around to overhear him, made Spike feel a little bit better.

"I…I must look…*sniff*… a mess." Spike's words became broken and labored as he desperately held in his confused sobbing.

Rarity lifted his head, straightened his bow tie, and smiled calmly. Spike was so used to having Rarity smile in the empty way that meant she was treating him like a child or a toy, but this time it was sincere and full. The only other time he remembered seeing that smile was that one silent moment when, during their frightening free fall, Spike tried to blurt out his feelings to Rarity, only to have it stopped by that same teary smile. He now knew what it meant, and it didn't settle well.

The truth hit Spike's stomach as if it were painfully freezing over from the inside. He stared at Rarity, his mouth wide open in shock and disappointment. His next question took all of his strength to leave his lips:

"We can't be together…can we?"

Rarity turned her head down towards the ground, her own eyes shut tightly as if she were experiencing her own form of pain for this decision. She slowly nodded yes, but not before a few of her own tears hit the ground.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say in response.

*****

Spike sat there, huddling for warmth in Rarity's lap, for what felt like hours. The warm sensation of her coat upon his scales turned bittersweet, knowing that his worst fear, the one he kept hidden underneath all his hopes, had now come true: Rarity could not be his.

The only thing stopping Rarity from breaking down was gently stroking Spike's back as he let everything out. She felt terrible, as if she had been playing with Spike's emotions all along. For months she had been thinking on how to break the news to him, but every outcome felt like she was crushing his dream, and that made her feel like a monster.

"I know you're hurt Spike, but I truly want to help…"

It took all of Spike's willpower not to turn bitter and angry towards Rarity. The fine line keeping him from snapping and yelling at her were the moments that he had shared with Rarity, even if he could now only call it friendship.

"Rarity…I can't do it. I…I love you."

Rarity lifted Spike's head up again. She leaned in and kissed him one more time, holding it as long as it took, allowing his despair and confusion to find a way out through his lips. Carefully, she let go. A soft stream of smoke escaped Spike's lips, as if his sadness was evaporating into thin air.

"It's not my place to tell you if that's the truth or not," replied Rarity in a soothing tone. "but I can understand that you're going through changes. It's hard, it's confusing, and I know it hurts. But I'm here to help you heal…I promise."

Rarity pulled Spike up and hugged him warmly. Spike dried his tears and accepted the embrace, somehow finding solace in her touch again, even though his heart felt like it had been broken and picked up again.

"Thank you," was all the young dragon could mutter, in a tired and exhausted voice. Spike took a moment to compose himself, wiping his face clean and swallowing the last bits of sadness in his body.

She wants to help me…maybe she does care for me after all.

"Now," said Rarity as she offered Spike her hoof. "shall we head home?"

Spike nodded slowly, taking her hoof gratefully as he led her down the path towards her house.

*****

The rest of the way towards Carousel Boutique was followed in silence, but it doesn't mean there was much to say. Spike kept stealing glances back at rarity, hoping for some sort of solace in her face. Each time, it was met with a kind smile, devoid of any disrespect or impatience. So much had changed in the last few moments, and even though he had to be broken down and built back up to see it, Spike could almost see that it was the best. Perhaps, it was what he wanted all along.

A twinge in his chest caused Spike to gasp in pain. Not physically, but emotionally.

"It still feels like I'm not all back together yet."

Rarity nodded. "I know that feeling. Don't worry, it'll feel better after a while. I think what will help is if you take a nice long bath before bed."

"That…actually sounds really good," agreed Spike with a thankful nod. It felt so strange, making small talk with the pony that just crushed his hopes, but something kept him glued to her kindness and away from anger.

Spike and Rarity reached the door to Carousel Boutique together, hand-in-hoof just like when they left.

"I truly had a wonderful time at your party. Happy birthday, Spike."

Rarity kissed Spike on the cheek one more time for good measure, giving him something to hold onto for the walk back home.

"Goodnight," answered Spike with a thankful sigh. He turned away to head back to the library, but before the door shut, Rarity called him back.

"I almost forgot something."

Rarity handed Spike a delicately-sealed letter. He looked at it puzzlingly and reached out to open it, but Rarity held out her hoof to stop him.

"Wait until you get home to read it. Take a nice long soak in the tub and I promise you'll feel better, ok?"

"Oh…ok. Thanks."

Spike put the letter away in his pocket and turned towards home, but not without giving Rarity one more warm hug, which she gladly accepted.

*****

Back home, Spike undressed and drew himself a hot bath. Carefully folding the tuxedo, Spike slowly stepped into the tub, allowing the scented beads to sizzle on his scales as the hot water enveloped his skin.

"Ahhh…that does feel better."

As he relaxed, Spike took out the letter Rarity gave him and slowly opened it, careful not to get any of it wet. He could tell the letter was carefully thought out, written in a neat but nervous lavender hoofwritting. It read:

Dear Spike,

I know this may sound kind of strange, but I...you see, there's this school dance coming up next week and…I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me to the dance…as a date.
I'll be home all day tomorrow, so please let me know as soon as you can if you'd like to go or not.

Oh, and Happy Birthday.

Love,

~Sweetie Belle"

Spike had no trouble at all sleeping that night.

THE END

Chapter 1:

]Chapter 1:]

Spike the dragon hopped up and down the Ponyville Library in anticipation. "Alright, let's try this one more time!"

"But I've already tried it five times today." sighed one particularly flustered purple unicorn.

"Come on, Twilight. Pleeeease? It's my birthday, after all." Spike grabbed Twilght's legs and enlarged his eyes until they were sad and sappy; a trick he learned from watching Pinkie Pie.

Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. How could she resist those baby dragon eyes, especially on his birthday? "Oh, alright. Let's give it one more try." Spike's eyes lit up with excitement as he quickly let go of Twilight and stood, arms outstretched, in the center of the library.

Twilight closed her eyes and stepped toward Spike. The unicorn's horn glowed its familiar purple aura as she pointed it towards Spike. In two short flashes of light, a miniature tuxedo and top hat prestidigitated onto Spike. Her eager young assistant immediately moved to the mirror to examine her handwork.

Spike checked his new attire in the mirror, admiring it from every angle. "I'd say this is your best suit yet, Twilight." The purple unicorn couldn't help but lift her head from the compliment. "Now remember, Spike, you might want to-" ZOOM! Twilight's sentence was interrupted by a blur of purple scales whizzing by, with nothing but a wide-flung front door and a small trail of dust to prove where Spike was standing a second ago.
That ought to keep him busy for a bit thought Twilight as she closed the door. A sly smile crossed her face as she watched Spike in the distance, making a beeline for Rarity's boutique.

"Okay, everypony," Twilight commanded to a seemingly-empty library. "The coast is clear."