Spike looked around from his hiding spot. He'd been in the accessories basket of Rarity's work area for nearly four hours, but Rarity was nowhere to be found. Applejack needed her to help watch Applebloom and the other Crusaders, but Spike didn't think it would take this long.

"Rarity?" Twilight Sparkle called. She stepped through the door nervously. "Rarity, are you here?" she called, carefully stepping over some fallen fabric. "Ugh, I have to find Spike. I just know she'll know where she is."

"Uh oh," Spike muttered. He felt the letter coming, and there was nothing he could do to stop it."

"I'll just go then," Twilight said, turning back towards the door. She stopped as the accessories basket exploded behind her. The letter from Princess Celestia rolled to her hooves. Twilight looked around for the source.

'Please don't find me! Please don't find me!' Spike thought from his new spot under a work table.

"It must be my magic acting up again. I hope I find Spike soon," Twilight said, picking up the letter and leaving the shop.

Spike sighed with relief. He'd avoided being found by a fluke, a lucky fluke. But if Twilight Sparkle's magic was acting up...

Spike started to leave his new hiding spot, but the door opened. Rarity was back and she was not happy about her shop being in such a mess.

While she was using her magic to sort through her things, Spike found his way upstairs. He had no idea how he'd find a way out, but being among Rarity's things made him very happy. He hid in a cabinet containing her favorite beauty supplies, the smell making him even happier. He felt himself going to sleep, the sweet scents wrapping themselves into his dreams.

X-X-X

He was awakened when Rarity entered the room. Twilight was with her discussing the problem with her magic. Something was happening now that she was a princess, but even Princess Celestia had no answers. Strange things were happening, but so far there were no true leads. And with Spike missing, Twilight sounded more stressed.

"Let me get you some moisturizers for your hooves, darling. You'll feel better in moments and it'll last for hours!" Rarity exclaimed.

Before she could open the cabinet to get the moisturizer, Twilight somehow moved the entire thing. Spike nearly flew out the open door, but the falling shelves kept him hidden.

"You should go to her, Twilight! This is terrible!" Rarity gasped, using her magic to put everything back in place. Spike withheld a giggle as the magic moved him back too.

"There's nothing she can do," Twilight sighed. "I'm on my own. I just wish Spike would show up. He's never done this before, and I could really use him right now."

"Well I haven't seen him around," Rarity said, leading Twilight away from the room. "We'll go talk to Fluttershy. She has a way with creatures like Spike. She'll have answers for us."

Spike waited to hear the door open and close so he could leave. He waited a full five minutes before a new sound drifted in his direction: Fluttershy's voice.

"...and I came straight here," Fluttershy panted. "Please tell me you can do something, Twilight. Angel is counting on you."

It went quiet below for several minutes, but Spike remained stil. He was waiting on them to leave yet again, but Rainbow Dash arrived with her own problems.

Spike groaned. He was stupid to even want to spy on Rarity, and now it was backfiring. The only reason he hadn't been found so far was luck, pure luck.

"Can y'all help me with a little problem at the farm?" Applejack called.

Spike sighed with relief. He heard four sets of hooves and two sets of wings leave the shop. Now was his chance.

As he tried to tiptoe out the front, three small ponies looked up at him.

Busted.