As you hear Twilight fumble with the front door, you begin to panic. “She’s here! She’s here!”

“Calm down!” Spike shushes you calmly but firmly. “Everything is set up, you’ll do fine. Now, go!” He pushes you through the double doors leading out to the main hall.

“Oh, hello!” you hear Twilight call.

Your entire body tenses up in response, with even the hairs on your tail standing on end. Forcing a smile, you turn to greet Twilight. “Oh...h-hey, Twilight. Welcome home!”

“Thank you. What are you doing on the ground floor? Are you still working?”

“Actually,” you demure, scratching the back of your head with a hoof. “I, uh, have a bit of a surprise for you.” Stepping aside, you motion down the hall to the half-visible table in the next room. “I, uh, made you dinner with the plants we grew together.”

Twilight blinks a few times before putting a hoof to her chest. “You did?”

You nod silently.

Another moment passes before Twilight smiles at you. “That’s so sweet. Why did you do that?”

“I-I’m leaving soon, and I just wanted to do something special for you before I left. After all, you’ve done so much for me.”

Twilight remains silent and begins walking into the dining room.

You follow close behind, your heart beating quickly in anticipation of her reaction.

She stops and surveys the table for a few moments. It appears that Spike has added a few lit candles and a bottle of wine to the center of the table when you weren’t looking, and the nervous lump in your throat grows even larger.

“How did you know that I liked merlot?” she asks. “I don’t drink very often, but I think this is a special occasion!”

You let out a cathartic breath and flash a toothy grin at Twilight.

Proceed to Chapter 53.

Next Chapter: Chapter 37 Estimated time remaining: 37 Minutes