Cool, frothy breath puffed out from the somber figures snout, proving the fact that it was wintertime in Equestria. The shady creature slowly trudged painfully slow through the snow, its feet being constricted from the slushy frost that blanketed the small town of Ponyville. It stumbled a bit, lurching forwards unsteadily. The head of the creature slammed onto a hard, wooden wall, marking the end of its journey.

   Finally! Was all it thought, as it searched for the entrance to the cylindrical building.  The tiered structure stood ominously in the snow-laced land, and at its peak, a thin pendant lay limp and motionless from its perch. The ghostly trees stood stout and silent, as they watched the creature pick the shiny lock open, and slide inside.

   Once inside the hollow building, the figure made a hasty effort to not trip over the bands of cloth that lay scattered in ‘organized’ chaos. The moonlight streaming from the windows provided just the right amount of light, and the body could slip around the minefield of design in ample silence. Just as the shadow approached the stairs, it turned for one final glimpse at the room it had crossed many times. The most beautiful creature dwelled in this room, and just the mere thought of it gave the figure a heavy blush.  Shaking its head clear, it clamored stealthily up the stairs, mere feet away now.

  The large canopied bed was lavish, and it felt twice as good as it looked. The creature rubbed the silken bedspread again and again, savoring the lush feel. They were also toasty compared to the frigid snow outside. The mass laying dead center of the overstuffed mattress breathed slowly, its chest rhythmically falling up and down. Short bursts of air were the only sound, as the shadow began to peel the blankets away, savoring the scent. A deep lavender perfume lingered on every sheet, growing stronger as they removed more. Finally, it unearthed the body, and he immediately drank in the sight. The ivory stomach of the unicorn bobbed lazily up and down. The shadow's eyes trailed down to her flanks, the three gemstones sat unmoved upon her gorgeous flank. The shadow blushed heavily again, and aimed the camera it had prepared for this night. Click. Click. The shutter of the camera produced a low, soft noise, masked by the equine beauties breath.  They readied a shot, and noticed her mane. Unkempt. Unruly. Held in solid by sleep thrashing. It looked so unusual, so peculiar, so sexy. The figure fumbled the camera, readying another shot. First, it brushed a few strands away from her lovely face. The silken hairs felt cool to their touch, and a chilling shiver was sent down its spine. Click.

Spike grumbled awake, his blankets still tightly enveloping him. Rubbing his scaly head, he swung his feet over the side of his basket. Trudging into the bathroom, he rubbed sleep from his eyes, and then gazed into the mirror.

“Lookin’ good, Spike!” He commented, posing himself while flexing what little arm muscle he has. Pose. Pose. He stopped at the sudden smell of pancakes as it invaded his morning ritual, "My favorite!”

He zoomed down the stairs, sailed into the kitchen, and sat himself down in his absolute favorite seat, just as Twilight set two golden brown daisy pancakes on his plate.

“Oh!” She cried, as she saw Spike was already seated, “Good morning, Spike!”

Spike could only nod, as he was stuffing his mouth full of the fluffy, sweet pastry, “Mhmm, gmn Thwi!”

He gulped his mouthful down hardily, as Twilight gave him an irritated look, “Spike, you know better than to talk with your mouth full.” She chastised him, levitating her own fork to her dish.

“OK, Mom,” He teased, rolling his eyes playfully. He grasped his dish, and strolled over to the sink, carefully placing the plate inside the belly of the metal wash bin, “I’m going out. I promise I’ll be back soon.”

“Be quick Spike. We have a new shipment of books, and we need to have them shelved for the convenience of our fellow townspeople.” Twilight gave Spike a curt nod, and gestured her hoof towards the exit.

“Oh, yeah. Books, re-shelving, today. Got it. See ya, Twilight!” He lightheartedly hopped out of the door, leaving it open long enough for a few stray snowflakes to lazily float inside of the tree house.

Twilight let out an exasperated sigh; He’d better be back soon, because she didn’t want the books to collect dust…

Spike skidded to a halt at the door of the photo shop, his eyes wide with anticipation. Withdrawing the little bits he had, and shoved the door open with effort.

“Hey, Lens Flare! I’m here to develop these photos!” Spike hollered, throwing the bits noisily onto the stout counter.

“Just leave the bits on the counter.” Lens Flare responded, a large grin erupting on the young dragons face. He needed to be alone for the upcoming procedure. Letting himself into the dark room, he donned his roll of film, and began the process of finishing his treasure.

Finally! After such a long time, he finally pulled the last photo from the basin, and laid it in the neat stack with the others. Collecting the slips of paper, he yelled a quick goodbye to Lens Flare, and raced into Celestia’s chilly morning.

He had only been outside for seconds, as he collided rather abruptly with an inhabitant of the snow laced town. He quickly shook his head, and sat up to apologize. It was Rarity with whom he had collided, and he instantly felt regret.

“Oh, Rarity! I am so sorry I bumped into you! I was just trying to get these pictures back too…” He was cut short, as she was levitating one photo in her line of sight.

“Um, Rarity?” He questioned, as she stared.

Suddenly turning her head, she angrily hovered the photo in his face. “Care to explain this spike?”

It was of her, obviously taken at night. She was lazily reclined on her bed, and her peaceful expression fuled this deduction. He dumbly stared at the photo, “But, this camera only had the photos from Pinkies party! How in Equestria did that get there?!”

Her face was softened a bit, but contorted with question, “I didn’t go to Pinkies party….” She flipped through all of the photos, and sure enough, shots from Pinkies party were scattered on the shimmery snow. She hadn’t even attended the party, staying home to catch up on her sleep.

“The only person who else could have had access to the camera was….”

Both of them knew, and exceedingly hastily Rarity had plopped Spike onto her back, and headed to their destination.