Hug Me Tight

Rainbow Dash woke up to the sound of three voices.

"Yay! I have a royal flush!"

"What! Twilight, you're cheating, aren't you?"

"What? I would never! Just pure luck!"

"Sure."

"Come on, Spike. I'm not cheating! Right, Fluttershy?"

"I don't think she would cheat, Spike. Just because she used her magic to shuffle the cards, doesn't mean she would cheat. It would take the fun out, right?"

"True. You're right, Fluttershy. But can you shuffle them? Just in case."

"Hey! You don't trust me?"

"It's not that, Twilight. Well, not only that. Fluttershy might be a better manual shuffler."

"Um, I guess I'll, um, try."

Rainbow Dash sat up, dizzy. She looked at the dress she was wearing. "Wow," she muttered. "This dress actually looks cool. Probably because of the mist around it."

She looked behind her at her wings. They were as good as new. She flapped them. No pain. "I gotta hand it to you, Rarity," she said. "That magic spell can come in handy."

She walked out of the tent. Fluttershy was shuffling cards, then she looked up. She put on an elated smile. "Rainbow Dash!"

Twilight and Spike looked behind them. Rainbow Dash waved at them and weakly said, "Hey, guys." She walked over to them and sat next to Spike. She laid down on Spike's lap, which made the two blush. Fluttershy looked at them wistfully.

Twilight was smiling, oblivious to the awkward situation. "Rainbow Dash. Do you want to play Hold 'Em poker with us?" she asked her.

Rainbow Dash though about it, then answered, "Ok. But I can't be on Spike's lap if I'm gonna play. I suspect that you'll cheat, Spike." She sat up, looking at him teasingly.

Spike punched her lightly and said, "Whatever, Dashie." They both smiled.

Rainbow Dash asked Fluttershy, "Hey, card dealer! Toss me two, will ya?"

To everyone's surprise, the whole deck of cars flew towards Rainbow Dash like a storm of bullets were just shot at her. Everyone looked at Fluttershy. She was seething with anger. Her heavy breathing gave it away, along with the angry look on her face and her front hooves clutched into fists. "Oh, two cards, huh?" Fluttershy asked very grumpily. "I'm sorry, Queen of Equestria! Let me get that golden statue of you in your 115-acre mansion on the roof surrounded by diamond-encrusted swimming pools! And while I'm at it, why don't I go to the moon and plant a rare rainbow-colored chrysanthemum on it with your PICTURE ON IT?"

Everyone was in a state of shock due to Fluttershy's outburst. Twilight was the first to recover. "Fluttershy! What's gotten into you?"

Rainbow Dash asked worriedly, "Are you okay? Is it something I did? Fluttershy. I just got done healing. Sorry if I did anything to you. But it would help if you told me what happened."

Spike looked at Fluttershy, wondering what got into the pony. Fluttershy noticed his worried look, then ran to her tent, crying. She shut the front tent cover.

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Spike quietly looked at each other. Spike started walking towards the tent. He said to them, "Fluttershy never turned down talking to me. I should talk to her."

Rainbow Dash and Twilight nodded in agreement.

Spike got close to the front of the tent. He quietly said, "Uh, Fluttershy. You there?"

No answer, but the crying stopped.

"Do you, um, want to talk?" Spike asked.

No answer still.

"I guess you want some, uh, alone time," Spike inferred.

He started walking back towards the campfire when he heard Fluttershy's voice. "Spike? Is that really you?"

He walked back to the tent. "Yeah. It's me, alright. Can I come in or-"

"No, no," Fluttershy quickly answered. "But... stay here for a few minutes. Outside the tent. So we can talk."

"Alright. Let me get my blanket so I can sit down," Spike said, heading towards the campfire.

He grabbed his blanket from the log he was sitting on. "What's going on?" Twilight asked. "Is Fluttershy gonna come out?"

"No," Spike answered. "But she'll only talk to me."

"Can you tell her something?" Rainbow Dash asked. Spike nodded. "Tell her that whatever I did, I'm sorry for it. Ask her why she's so... like that. Thank you, Spike."

Spike walked to next to the tent and placed his blanket on the ground. "I'm back," he announced.

"Oh, good," Fluttershy replied. "I thought for a second you left me."

"I would never do that!" Spike said.

"You really wouldn't leave, would you?" Fluttershy said. "You're the most noble dragon to have ever existed."

Spike blushed, and inside the tent, Fluttershy did as well.

"Fluttershy. What's wrong," Spike asked with worry. "This isn't like you at all. You haven't been seeing Iron Will, have you?"

"Oh, no, no," Fluttershy answered. "It wasn't the assertive me back there."

"So what happened?"

Fluttershy heaved a sigh, then replied, "I'm just a bit... stressed. I've been doing so much work, and I kinda lost it."

"Well, Rainbow Dash could use some manners. We could teach her a few, maybe," Spike said. "So did Rainbow Dash do anything to anger you?"

There was a few seconds of silence, then Fluttershy said, "I'm just really glad you're here, Spike. You helped me calm down just by talking to me. I thank you for that."

"Aw, shucks," Spike said, blushing. "Nothing a good friend can't do. So, uh, you wanna come out? Maybe you'll feel better if I make Rainbow Dash act nicer."

Spike barely heard Fluttershy muttering something about Rainbow Dash, then she walked out of the tent.