"Ugh...." Spike groaned as his eyes opened groggily. He stared up at the oak ceiling and felt the feeling of sleep still well within his muscles and eyes. That was the first time he felt how it was to sleep as a teen. He was now thirteen years old and was absolutely not enjoying it. Anything but the latter.

Spike tried with all the strength he could to force himself back to sleep. But it was futile, his body told him that it was time for him to wake up. He tried to defy what his body had told him. But it was still made in vain. Spike slowly rose. He slept with his shirt off, he felt more comfortable that way. He had slowly grown into his physique and knew what he was. He was actually very mature for his age, he did things that no one expected. He stretched out his arms and scratched his side. Spike sat up completely and remained at the side of his bed. He ran a hand through his hair releasing a sigh. A slow beginning to another morning filled with the emptiness of night.

The sun arrayed a spectrum of colors that shone into the glassy paned walls of pure glistening wonder. Spike had never woken up to such a beautiful sight. Birds remained perched a few feet on a branch outside the window. Spike stood up and watched the birds. It was a Blue Jay and an Equestrian Pink Swallow. The Jay gently rubbed its head against the Swallow, a friendly touch and movement. The Swallow repeated the motion and remained there for quite some time before a gentle breeze danced them away.

Spike looked down at the streets of Ponyville and saw it nearly barren. One or two people passing by every minute. Something was wrong, the air felt heavy and wrong. Spike had felt this before and it warranted more trouble than he thought it was. One of his birthdays where he became someone he did not wish to be, the day he had treated Rarity like she was nothing. It hurt his heart every time he thought about it. Spike sighed at the memory and carefully tucked it away, his emerald eyes opened up again and scanned the rustic town for anything unusual.

The sun had raised bright red, making his suspicions true. Something had went wrong, horribly wrong. He looked at Sugarcube Corner and noticed not a single soul was seen at the gingerbread looking shoppe. Spike now felt the piranhas in the water, and now he bled to find the sharks. And after a few seconds of looking he saw a small tgathering of people outside Carousel Boutique. The small throng of people did not hold any particular emotions, just wondered what was going on and Spike had to say that his curiosity was peaked. The only thing that warranted these feelings true were the two guards outside the dress shop door.

Spike called out after a yawn, "Twilight! I'm going over to Rarity's! I'll be back by lunch!"

Spike lowered his head expecting to hear a shouted answer. When nothing but silence came Spike suspected that she had gone to see what the commotion was about. Spike pulled the window down and promptly went over to his dresser. He sifted through the pile of well folded clothing and found what he would wear. He found a pair of blue jeans and a small dark purple Hemley shirt. Spike had grown accustomed to wearing this almost every day. He slipped out of his pajama pants that were made of satin, and threw them into his clothsbasket. He pulled on his jeans and pulled on his Hemley, buttoning the top three buttons of the shirt. He then proceeded to apply Old Spice Original deodorant to his pits. The smell that wafted up to his morning nostrils was very much appealing to his smell.

Spike slipped on his pair of dark purple loffers and proceeded downstairs at a steady pace. Not too brisk but not too slow. His footsteps echoed off of the oaken floors as he glided down the stairs and out the front door. Spike closed the door behind him and felt himself enter the calm and cool spring air. A gentle breeze brushing up against him, ever so slightly dancing off of him as he walked on to Carousal Boutique. Keeping his pace even and in a sense of heightened rhythm.

Spike then found himself at the back of many people, he gently pushed past them and said out loud as he made his way to the front, "Excuse me....sorry....my friend lives here....excuse me....pardon me."

He found himself at the front and proceeded to walk into the dress shop when two crossed spears stopped him frkm gaining entry. One of the guards clad in bright gold armor said in a proud and commanding voice, "No one is allowed to enter unless told by the princesses!"

Before Spike could protest he saw at the threshold a woman he had come to know and recognize. She was tall and well figured for being the total bookworm that she is. She wore tight fitting jeans with a dress shirt and a purple and pink sweater vest over top. Her features were well toned and feminine. And almost unmistakable was her long dark violet hair with a streak of pink and lilac. It was the form of Twilight Sparkle, in almost every sense of the word his older sister.

Twilight saw Spike and walked to the crossed spears and told the guards in a soft and knowledgable tone, "It's okay sir guards, he is my assistant."

The one on the left, a tall black man in the same golden plate armor proclaimed lowering his spear, "Our apologies Miss Sparkle."

Spike asked in his slightly aged teen voice, "Twilight what is going on? I go to sleep for nine hours and there is something wrong?"

There was that serious face Spike had seen all too well. Twilight answered with smile trying to lighten her already dark mood, "So it would seem."

Spike shrugged his shoulders and asked once more, "What happened? Is Rarity okay?"

Twilight bit her lip and moved her amethyst eyes away from Spike. He did not like this at all, a knot slowly formed in his throat as he feared for the worst. Twilight stepped aside and ushered Spike into the dress shop.

Spike looked around and he heard Rarity's voice proclaim heartily and happily in his mind, "Welcome to Carousal Boutique! Where everything is chic, unique, and manifique!"

His heart slightly warmed as he heard the silken voice of his crush. Probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on. The way she walked. The way she talked. How she was always willing to lend a hand. If there was a way for him to love her even more he has not found it. She was almost the definition of perfect. Twilight walked next to Spike as they entered Rarity's home part of the shop, she answered, "I...I hope so Spike."

Spike walked in the familiar foyer and looked to his left and saw in the kitchen nothing. To his left came two people who pushed past him and went up stairs. Spike then heard another familiar voice, "Spike. I am glad that you are here as well. A good morning to you."

Spike looked and saw the heavenly stride of Princess Celestia. Standing much taller than Twilight, she carried no weight upon her shoulders as she found her way down the stairs. She wore a long bright white silk dress with a thick gold necklace with an amethyst in the center, with a crown to match. Spike had always known Celestia as one that had god like features but never really paid any attention until now. Her hair slightly billowed and rippled even though there was no wind. Her skin was slightly colored and shined as she passed a window at the stairs. Celestia had a warm smile and continued to walk down the stairs as she said, "It has been such a long time since I have seen you Spike. I wish I would have stopped by and-"

Spike raised a hand interrupting the monarch and Spike replied, "Princess. I know that you are trying to hide a really dark secret from me to try and make me seem like everything is alright when in reality everything has gone to Tartarus."

Celestia breathed out a short breath and said, "It seems that Twilight has been rubbing off on you."

Spike nodded crossing his arms over his chest. The Princess finished coming down the stairs and behind her he saw Luna and Rainbow Dash come down. Celestia said coming down in front of Spike and stepped to the side of the ornate mahogany railing as she explained, "Then I will not beat around the bush, so to speak. Something terrible has happened Spike. Something that has not occured in over seven hundred years, I am afraid that a murder has happened here. A person was killed on cold blood."

A chill ran through Spike. Spike had heard of things like that, but for him to actually be in the place of murder...it hurt Spike. Spike let the fear spread slightly on his face, the knot got tighter and nearly choked him like a noose as he asked, "Wa...was Rarity?..."

Spike looked to Celestia for sympathy and recieved it, but not entirely. Celestia responded shifting weight to her other leg, "She...she is fine...which is what worries me."

Spike heaved out a troubled sigh. Spike responded with a shrug of his shoulders and a knit eyebrow, "Why worry? Rarity is okay, that is good. Right?"

"I am afraid that is not the case young assistant." Answered Princess Luna as she stepped into Spike's field of view. Luna was shorter than Celestia but seemed to hold power more on her sleeves than her sister, she projected a feeling of sovereignty and godlike power. Her features soft and her skin white as the pale moon light. Her outfit mirrored Celestia's, other than the metal being a dark midnight blue and her dress having the same color only having thin wisps of black along the fabric. The closer she came Spike noticed that the black wisps danced and seemed to be living as it moved across the fabric. Her turquoise eyes were filled with sorrow. Spike kept his gaze on Luna as she finished, "Rarity is okay as far as we know. But we believe that she left, with Pinkie Pie."

Spike felt something hit him right in the chest. He could barely breath. How could she just get up and leave? Spike would have at least expected a goodbye at least. Spike felt another hit to his chest as Rainbow Dash leaned against the railing and said in her all too familiar tomboyish voice, "You forgot to mention the part where you think that Rarity is the one that killed Bon Bon."

Horror struck Spike's face as he looked up at the rainbow haired girl. She wore a black cap on her head and a sweatshirt with a jean vest with a hood and draw strings. Spike always thought she looked like a punk rocker just extremely dummed down. Rainbow Dash was the definition of a sports maniac, and had the body for it. Spike lowered his head and said sarcastically, "That would have been helpful information to know."

Spike had his look plastered on his face. Spike looked at Luna and snapped, "How could you make accusations like that!?"

Everyone else held their breath besides Luna and Celestia as they looked t the defiant teen. Luna kept her anger supressed. She narrowed her gaze and growled, "You forget, youngling, that I am Goddess of the Night. I watch over the entirety of Equestria under my gaze. All I saw was a splash of blood and Rarity with blood stains."

Spike refused to believe what she said and looked to Twilight. Spike said, "Are you listening to this?"

Twilight remained silent and looked away from Spike. Spike held a shocked look and said, "You cannot be serious Twi....you too?"

Twilight sighed heavily and rubbed the back of her neck as she replied, "It makes sense. So far it has yet to be proven wrong."

Spike held a betrayed look as he could barely recognize the person who stood before him. Spike held a tight gaze and said, "Did those years of friendship mean nothing to you?"

"Spike I-"

"DID BEING YOUR BEST FRIEND FOR YEARS MEAN NOTHING!"

Twilight replied with a shrunken voice, "Of course they meant something it's just-"

"For someone who spent more time studying friendship," Spike snapped, "I expected you to not run off of empty assumptions."

"They are not empty you manipulative snake!" Luna yelled stepping threateningly closer to Spike. Luna finished with a growl, "I saw it with my own eyes!"

Spike stepped closer to Luna and yelled at an equal volume, "You saw a misinterpreted scene! You are jumping to-"

"ENOUGH!" Celestia shouted stepping in between the Princess of the night and Spike. Spike huffed out large breaths and calmed his angered spirit. He could not believe that Luna had the authority to make accusations like that. Celestia alternated her scolding gaze between Luna and Spike as she finished, "I will not let this event come between us. It is too early in the investigation to throw Rarity and Pinkie into the wolves. We need to keep looking if we are to find real clues."

Spike moved back away from Celestia and Luna. Spike expected Celestia to defend his case when in reality she just interrpreted Luna's differently. Spike turned away from the others for a moment and collected his thoughts. Twilight stepped over next to him and she wisely said, "Look. I know you have a crush on Rarity. But you can't let that love blind you from what might come to pass. I'm not trying to sway you just to be right. I am trying to prepare you for it just in case it might happen."

Spike still could not believe. Spike turned to Twilight and snapped as he left the Boutique, "I expected more from you Twilight. Especially you Luna."

With those final words Spike left the building and remained staring at the small throng. He looked at their faces and he lowered his head. He prayed to anything that it was not true, that they were just running off of assumptions.He hoped that Rarity was not the one with blood on their hands. He knew the woman better than anyone and held in his heart that she was just protecting herself.

Woth his head kept lowered he whispered, "May the light of Celestia guide you Rarity....wherever you are."