"Hm. No, not that one," Rarity mumbled while studying the somewhat uncomfortable friend of hers standing in front of the mirror. Spike was waiting for them in the other room, something Twilight appreciated. Him making fun of her was the last thing she wanted at the moment.

"It's too dark!" Rarity said, slightly more irritated. Twilight Sparkle knew she could get frustrated if she didn't manage to do something when it came to clothes, after all – it was her life. And the thing she had to make money of.

"You really don't have to do this, Rarity," Twilight tried to say to her friend, but she was too busy finding new colours for her. Using her own wand she managed to get all of her equipment on the table beside her. She smiled while mixing the different colours, often looking at Twilight just to get the colour right.

"Oh, but I want to, Twilight Sparkle! I've wanted another project for ages, and now I got one," she laughed, and Twilight could swear she heard a sigh from the other room. She rolled her eyes, with the urge to laugh. They had all grown, but Spike most of all. He was now a tall, young man – but at the same time the same, old Spike. Often she got shocked when he stood beside her or in front of her, since he now looked down on her. They all were lucky enough to have Rarity to make them clothes, and she was the best in town. No, she was probably the best in all of Equestria.

"You're done." Rarity looked at her, very pleased with her work. Her eyes looked at the outfit her friend was wearing, almost as Twilight didn't dare to look at herself in the mirror. She knew it was a dress, and how she could walk around in it in daylight was unthinkable. But it was a generous thing of Rarity to do. She was the Element of Generosity, after all.

"Come on, take a look!" she grinned, but even her grin was elegant. She turned the student around, and Twilight blushed by the moment she saw her own reflection in the glass. This was definitive a dress a little too pretty for someone like her to walk around in.

It was red, with an elegant, black ribbon around her waist. It reached her to her knees, and the shoes she wore was coloured in black. Rarity had even given her a black hairband, with a black rose on.

She looked so… Lady-like. Nowhere near Rarity, but still shocking.

"You look lovely!" Rarity happily declared, smiling. She seemed more than happy about her newest work, and she truly should be. It was beautiful.

"I don't know what to say, Rarity. The dress is wonderful, but… It's simply too much!" Twilight Sparkle whispered, and gave her reflection a doubting look. Was that her? Standing there?

"Too much? I've never..." The magician sighed. "Twilight Sparkle. Now, you will listen to me. I shall tell you the reason why you are getting this dress. It is because you are my friend.And you deserve it!"

Twilight Sparkle smiled, touched by her words. She could feel a lonely tear of gratefulness, and she let it fall. It meant no harm to her.

"Thank you," she managed to tell her, still with a faint smile in her face.

"No problem, my dear. My pleasure," Rarity laughed gently, before she took a closer look at her outfit. "Maybe you should wear this at the party instead? I got some comfortable clothes for you, sweaters and skirts – the kind you prefer."

Twilight Sparkle felt guilty for troubling her friend this much, and shocked her head. "You don't have to, Rarity."

"But I insist! Now, go on, sit down, and I will get you when I'm done," she almost sang. "And I'm sure Spike would like to see the dress."

Twilight Sparkle laughed lightly. "You know his feelings towards fashion and clothes. I'm sure he won't think much about it."

Spike, who had been reading Rarity's magazines while waiting for the girls to finish (it wasn't that interesting to know how to get your nails done, though), stood up at the moment he heard the door. He expected Rarity to come out, all dressed up because she couldn't resist seeing all the beautiful clothes laying around – but instead his best friend came walking in.

"Wow, Twi," was all he managed to get out of his mouth, and he had to blink several times just to make sure he didn't have any illusions. Maybe Trixie was back, played them a trick. But no, she was real, standing there in a red dress with black accessories to match. Her purple eyes didn't seem to know where to look, because they danced to left and right constantly. "You look… Amazing!"

Twilight Sparkle sure was surprised by Spikes compliment, but for once she decided to not saying anything, except: "Thank you."

It became more of a whisper than anything else, but she didn't mind at all.

Spike didn't know why, but he felt this urge to praise her for how good she looked in the dress, but knowing her, she wouldn't like it too much. So he held every thought to himself, glad that he could show it all with a smile.

Twilight Sparkle didn't say much more, but sat down in the sofa, beside Spike. He studied her in the corner of his eyes, while she seemed to read all the headlines on the magazines at the table. So she didn't notice him looking at her. Luckily for him. He didn't even know why he was thinking this way.

"Twilight!" Rarity called, and she stood up in a moment before walking into the room. She came out of the room with a marine blue skirt and a white shirt. This was more her style. At least for now.

"Thank you again, Rarity!" She gave her friend a hug, and Rarity couldn't help but smile of it all.

"Don't think about it! I will see you again soon, and I expect you to wear that dress on the party later this week, is that clear?" Her tone was everything but serious, therefore Twilight gladly replied.

"As you wish!"

Spike expected himself to look at Rarity when they were about to leave, but he ended up to his own surprise looking at Twilight with a slightly blushing face.

"See you!"

And the door was closed.
~~

"Well, that sure was strange," Twilight said, looking down at her own clothes. "Sorry that it took such a long time! But you know Rarity. She likes details."

She didn't get an answer, so she looked at Spike with a raised eyebrow. He seemed to wander of in a different world, with his eyes on the sky above them.

"Spike?"

He returned to Equestria with a quite surprised look on his face, not sure whether to believe he was awake or not. He looked at Twilight like he had just taken a long nap, and tried to focus his eyes on her.

"Sleepyhead," Twilight Sparkle mumbled, just to bother him a little. It was just what he needed, because he pushes her a little to the side while laughing.

"Problem?" he replied while raising his head high. But the grin wasn't possible to hide, as he also showed one of his fangs off.

"Not yet, luckily for you!" Twilight assured him. "Well, I'm going to look for Fluttershy. I haven't talked with her in days, and leaving the way we did wasn't that nice, either. You don't have to come with me, of course."

Spike looked at her for some seconds, pondering if he should go or leave them be. Girls could be hard to deal with, sometimes.

"I can come with you, if it's OK," he said. He was thinking about the feelings at Rarity's, and the shock that he rather gave Twi a look instead of the fashionista. Well, it couldn't be serious. She just looked pretty in the dress, anypony would've complimented her. He was sure of it!

"Of course. Why wouldn't it?" Twilight replied, and she looked happy while they went along, towards Fluttershy's home.
~~

"Hush now, everyone, you should lay down – sleep well, sleep tight, through all day until night."

Twilight Sparkle smiled by the sight of her friend singing some baby bats to sleep, holding one of them in her hand. Spike looked at them with rather curious eyes, but kept still until the student went on in.

"Hi, Fluttershy," she whispered, afraid to wake the little ones up. The pink-haired girl turned to her with a small smile, glad to see her.

"Hi, Twilight," she replied, while patting the sleeping bat with one of her fingers. It was so small. "I found them in the forest. They are so tiny they can't survive alone yet, so I took them home," Fluttershy explained her. Then she gently put the bat among the others, and it snored happily.

"Bats can snore?" Spike said with a rather confused look on his face. Fluttershy nodded, just as shy as always.

"Quite loud, actually…" She smiled, before she let out a gasp. "Oh! Sorry," she whispered. "I have some tea for you, if you'd like to have some…"

Twilight Sparkle suddenly heard her stomach growl. Blushing, she put her hand against it in hope it would keep quiet. But Fluttershy only laughed quietly.

"And of course cookies and gems," she added. The two visitors looked at each other, and both wanted to scream a yes to the shy friend of theirs, but all that came out of them was:

"That would be great…!"
~~

They sat for hours, just talking. Spike couldn't believe how girls could talk for such a long time! Didn't their throats get dry? They had to, because they talked in one sentence. Even Fluttershy, though she didn't speak as loud as the others. The loudest had to be Pinkie Pie, though. After all – she was crazy.

Even though he was thinking about all that Fluttershy had told them, about the animals and the fashion shows Rarity had taken her to lately in Canterlot – it sounded great, of course, but now that they were heading home Spike just had to let his eyes study Twilight for a second. She seemed tired again, but that wasn't exactly a surprise. It was dark. For many, that meant bedtime.

"I'm glad you got your own room now," Twilight said, yawning. "You've begun to snore really loud. Even more loud than the bats."

"What a compliment!" Spike said, narrowing his eyes a little. Just to make fun of her statement, of course.

"What?" she said, a little confused. "It wasn't a joke!"

"I know it wasn't, and it deeply hurt me!" he cried silently, but Twilight knew how his acting face looked. With a hopeless look in her face, she began to walk a little faster.

"Of course, drama-queen!" she sighed, waving to him as if she was planning to leave him forever. "Better to not have you with me next time, since you're so emotional!"

Spike understood that she was only joking (about not taking him with her, at least) when he could hear her laugh, and he quickly reached her by running in a couple of seconds. He demanded to know why he couldn't go, just so they could have a conversation. But he had to admit; Twilight hadn't been like this in a longest time. She usually stared in a book, or quoted famous magicians so she could learn their spells faster. Of course, she could say things she didn't mean because she only thought 'logic', and that could make him crazy sometimes. But right now she just enjoyed a laugh, and he could bet on that she would sit by her desk the very next day, saying she had to study. Just to catch up.

Yeah, that would be the same, old Twilight Sparkle. Not that old, but anyways.
~~

Twilight Sparkle yawned loudly as she sat down by the fireplace. She couldn't help it, she felt so cold. It wasn't spring yet, so it was probably the reason behind it. Then how could she survive earlier with only a skirt…

She could hear Spike waking up, and walking into the kitchen. She was too tired, as well focused on the book in her hands, to turn around. Not even when she could smell food, she had time to turn around to look for herself. She had to read the book, and get done with it – then she could sleep. Finally.

"Here, eat some," Spike said, full of worry, and gave hear a daisy sandwich. She looked at it, unable to take it. He sighed, and ended up putting it on her desk. "Good night, Twi. See you tomorrow."

"Good night, Spike. And thanks," she added before he disappeared up the stairs. It didn't take her long before she had to fall for the hunger, and took a bite. It was lovely, as always.

And it gave her more energy to stay up and get her studying done. With a sigh of relief she cleaned up after herself for once. She put the books back in place, and washed her own dish. She even washed the table, but not too much. Twilight could have her times when she cleaned up, but not at this time of day. She had to get some sleep.

Twilight didn't get far. In fact, she fell asleep in the chair she rested in after the cleaning. With closed eyes she began to dream, and a tired smile appeared in her face. She would lay like this for hours to come, sleeping like the princess in the old fairy tale – the one that slept in a hundred years, but got saved in the end.
~~

Spike was about to wake Twilight Sparkle up by walking into her room, but there were no one to see there. Worried, he took a look at her bathroom door, which stood open. No Twilight there either. Then he heard some low noises, and he immediately went down to take a look. The sight made him laugh, but also smile dreamingly at the girl lying in the chair. She was slightly snoring, but not loud enough to get noticed. His green eyes looked at hear with caring gleams in them, and he quietly decided for himself that he wouldn't wake her up yet. She needed to sleep. Because, well – she was hopeless.

Spike messed up his hair – by purpose of course – and washed his face in the bathroom. Twilight used an eternity in the bathroom, so he liked to be the first one to go in the morning. He only needed five seconds, ten the most. Of course, he was a boy. It was probably natural.

Humming for himself, he started to wash the clothes. Yes, clothes. He used to do that, as well. It wasn't that bad, he actually liked it. It gave him the opportunity to sing, without somepony hearing him by accident. And he wanted to wear his purple jacket today; along with the white shirt he already wore.

"You know exactly how to make me smile, how to feel that I've gone blind…"

Spike couldn't contain himself; he just had to sing a little. Twilight Sparkle was sleeping safe and soundly downstairs, so she wouldn't even notice him.

"You know how to make me dance around, singing songs from time to time…"

Spike turned around, just finished with washing the clothes.

"And you're truly worth my time!"

"Hi, Spike, I'm…"

Spike yelped, jumping nearly a meter up in the air by surprise. Twilight Sparkle was standing right in front of him, and she had probably heard him sing! He truly cared for his best friend, but gosh – that was embarrassing!

"Sorry! I just heard something, and went upstairs to just make sure everything was alright," she explained, deeply sorry about upsetting him like she did.

"It's OK, I just got… a little startled, that's all," he said, while taking a huge breathe in the middle of the sentence.

Twilight Sparkle nodded, before she looked out the window. She moaned when she once again saw the sun stand high on the sky.

"You're great a singing though, Spike. But I'm going out – I've been sleeping way to long – again!"

Twilight was already fully dressed, and therefore she hurried out the door. Spike could hear the door close, and he was left alone once again. He felt his cheek almost burn him up, and all he could think of was how stupid it must've looked. He had done things much stupider than this, but still this felt even more horrible. The only thing that cheered him up was her last comment.

She liked his singing.