Twilight woke up bright and early the next morning to the sight of Smarty Pants. It was such a familiar feeling that Twilight almost forgot she wasn't a filly anymore. The only thing that would've made it perfect would have been Pinkie by her side.
She sighed. Nopony can be with another pony every second of the day. And even if you could, no matter how smitten you were, you'd grow sick of them eventually. she thought, dismissing the part of her that wished she could always be with Pinkie. Then, she remembered why today was so important.
"Princess Celestia's going to visit! Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my... Spike! Come here, Spike! Hurry!" Twilight hopped out of bed and trotted over to his own, prepared to pull him out of it.
...It was empty.
"...Spike?" she said, a lot quieter this time. There was no way he was already up--it was still winter--so she had no idea where he could possibly be. What if he was a frozen dragon-cicle outside?!
Twilight shook her head. That was Pinkie thinking. She thought about the last time she'd seen him, and came up with a better explanation. "He's probably still at Rarity's. She wouldn't have let him walk home with the weather the way it is... Hm... I'll pick him up on the way to the market. I have to get something for when the Princess gets here!" She laughed at the thought. There probably wasn't a single thing not expired in the library. Her mentor had apparently known that Twilight would end up living in Ponyville, because she'd added a mini-kitchen in the corner before Twilight had moved in. Not that she ever really used it; that was what Spike did.
The unicorn made her way downstairs, planning out her day. Princess Celestia would arrive around noon, so she needed some lunch-type food. Sandwiches were easy. So, considering it was around eight, she could go into town, pick up Spike, get some food, check on Pinkie, and get back home in the span of two hours. If Pinkie wasn't busy, (which Twilight doubted, seeing as how Princess Celestia wanted to speak with them both) she could relax with her marefriend at the library and make some sandwiches.
That'd be fun.
So, with that, Twilight grabbed a scarf and made her way out of the library, making sure to lock the door behind her. Some ponies were out and about, doing their morning chores. It was just about routine for Twilight to see these ponies every day, but it still amazed her that they could be so cheerful this early. There was only one pony that could be even happier than these, even in the morning, and that was Twilight's marefriend. Somehow, everything in Ponyville somehow reminded her of Pinkie.
The unicorn trotted leisurely to the Carousel Boutique, wondering if Rarity would be up this early. It seemed unlikely, as that pony would probably want to get her "beauty sleep," or something silly like that.
But when Twilight got to the front door, she was surprised by the sound of a pony actually moving around and speaking. She recognized the two voices as Rarity and Spike's. The lavender pony knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, so she knocked on the door and spoke into it. "Hello, Rarity? Is Spike in there?"
A sudden "Shh!" elicited from Rarity, who was speaking extremely loud for somepony trying to be secretive, "It's Twilight!"
The unicorn frowned at that, wondering just what in Equestria they were talking about that involved her. The door inched open just enough for Rarity to show her face.
"Yes, darling? What brings you here this early?" she asked, her nervous expression a reason for suspicion. The room behind her was completely dark, so Twilight couldn't tell what was going on in there.
"Is Spike in there?" asked Twilight, opting to ignore that which was none of her business. Rarity stared for a second too long.
"Oh, well of course, darling! Spike, dear! Twilight's here to take you back to the library." the white pony directed behind her. Twilight heard the unmistakeable sound of shuffling dragon steps before he squeezed himself through the door. Rarity still hadn't opened the door more than a crack. Twilight found that odd, but decided not to say anything about it.
