Author's Note

Once again, nothing I could do for "Party of One" but "Secret of My Excess" has been HEAVILY AU'd for a while now. Figured I'd take on a little bit to before that of all things. But I think with the way I'm going about it, Spike and Smolder shippers are going to once again get something special. However, the next few episodes after this are Baby Cakes, Read It and Weep, It's About Time, and Hurricane Fluttershy. That's once again FOUR EPISODES IN A ROW I can do BASICALLY nothing with the main plots of. I can however do some background stuff with some of the established ships of this plot instead.

Chapter 26 - Something more (Post Party of One and Secret of My Excess AU)

It was the day following Pinkie Pie's birthday surprise, Smolder and Spike were at Twilight's place.

"So...Pinkie Pie really thought we were going to say goodbye to her?" Smolder asked.

"Please don't go chew her out." Spike said.

"I won't but...seriously? SERIOUSLY? Who doesn't know their own birthday?" Smolder asked.

"I do apparently." Pinkie Pie said, after appearing out of the nearby dresser.

"What the--at this point, it's not even worth questioning." Smolder said.

"Seriously, the girls caught me completly by surprise. Makes me wonder what to expect for next year." Pinkie Pie said before bouncing off.

"...Something tells me, she's going to have one heck of a visitor between now and then that's REALLY going to be perfect for such a thing. Call it a dragoness's instinct." Smolder said.

"Isn't that also because at this point, she's the only one we know about who doesn't have a special some pony in their life?" Spike said.

"You mean besides Applejack?" Smolder asked.

"...I don't know if Applejack can even have a special some pony. She seems more asexual to me." Spike said.

"...Good enough point." Smolder said.

Some days later, it was time for Spike's birthday, and thankfully, thanks to Smolder's help from before, his greed instincts didn't kick in.

"Guess we'll have to thank you for preventing Spike from going Spikezilla on Ponyville." Pinkie Pie said to Smolder.

"Spikezilla? Really? REALLY?!" Twilight complained.

"Twilight, you've already used that joke." Pinkie Pie said.

"...How do you know about that?" Twilight asked.

"Just a hunch~" Pinkie Pie said.

"I don't think I'll ever understand Pinkie Pie." Twilight said.

"Join the club." Smolder said.

"Too true." Rainbow Dash said.

"Even ah can't understand Pinkie Pie, and that's saying a LOT." Applejack said.

"Seems to be a running theme around here huh?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, one could most certainly say that." Smolder said. "Though I have to wonder, didn't you have some sort of heart shaped ruby looking gem once?" She asked.

"Are you talking about Spike's Fire Ruby? I--" Twilight was interrupted.

"FIRE RUBY?!" Smolder suddenly shouted.

"...And it seems my draconic sister has something on her mind." Rarity said.

"SPIKE, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW RARE A FIRE RUBY IS?!" Smolder exclaimed.

"Err, not really, but judging from how much your yelling, I'd say it's extremely rare." Spike said.

"Extremely rare doesn't even begin to describe it. How in Equestria did YOU manage to find a Fire Ruby?!" Smolder exclaimed.

"I just happened to stumble across it is all." Spike said.

"It's true. Me and Spike were just on the outskirts of Ponyville when we found it." Twilight said.

Smolder's eyes twitched. "That's just lucky as all get out." The dragoness said.

"Though as I was saying, I actually don't know where Spike hid the thing. I swear he had it yesterday and now it's just mysteriously vanished altogether." Twilight said.

"Huh." Smolder said. "Spike, a word of advice: You shouldn't eat that thing. It's way to valuable and rare to be eating. Trust me on that one." She added.

"I had a feeling considering it was heart shaped and everything. Besides, I have a better use for it then eating it." Spike said.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Smolder asked.

"That would a surprise." Spike noted.

"Ooooooo, I know what it is, but I'm not telling~" Pinkie Pie said.

"Now I REALLY want to know." Smolder said.

"As much as I like you Smolder, trust me, this will be one surprise worth waiting for." Spike said.

That was just making Smolder more determined. "I'm going to find out one way or another. Just you watch." Smolder said.

"I look forward to seeing you try." Spike said.

"Oh it is on!" Smolder said.

"...Should one of us step in?" Twilight asked.

"Nah. Spike's just being a giant tease right now. And I think I also have a fairly good idea of what the purple dragon is planning." Rarity said.

"...You don't say? Now I think I'm starting to pick up on it too. If it is what I think it is." Twilight said.

"Wait, is every pony already figuring it out ahead of me?" Smolder asked.

"Better step up your game Smolder if you want to find out before EVERY pony in town picks up on it~" Spike teased.

"OH IT IS MOST CERTAINLY ON NOW!" Smolder said before leaving.

"...I hope I didn't just offend her too much. I was trying to be cool." Spike said.

"Trust me Spike, Smolder thinks your much cool after that." Rarity said.

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Spike asked. "Speaking of teasing, seems you don't take kindly to some good old fashioned payback." He added.

"Wait, you too Spike?" Rarity asked.

"Well why not?" Spike asked.

"PLEASE DON'T!" Rarity said.

"Probably not a good idea right now." Twilight admitted.

"...Yeah your right. Besides, I've got some place to be before I go grab my cake." Spike said before leaving.

"Um...where is he going?" Applejack asked.

"Heh...I think I know. The hints are all there, and Smolder is just being that dense." Rainbow Dash said.

"Even Rainbow Dash has figured it out it seems." Twilight said.

Applejack's eye twitched. "RAINBOW HAS FIGURED IT OUT?! BUT SHE'S NOT THE BRIGHTEST BULB IN THE SHED! Err, no offense Rainbow Dash." The farm mare said.

"None taken, but seriously AJ, how can you NOT figure it out." Rainbow Dash said.

"Can ah get a hint?" Applejack asked.

"You've got enough hints already. Or has no pony ever shown you a..." Rainbow Dash whispered the next word into Applejack's ear.

"...WAIT THAT'S WHAT HE'S DOING?! OH CELESTIA, HOW DID AH MISS THAT?!" Applejack exclaimed.

"Heh, took you long enough." Rainbow Dash said.

"That's going to be one heck of a doozy when Smolder figures it out." Pinkie Pie said.

"Something tells me Smolder is so oblivious to the obvious." Twilight said.

"Agreed." Rarity said.