Of Scales and Feathers

by RedAllex

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Adventure, Dark
Length: 29322

Spike undertakes a special quest that leads him into the Everfree Forest. He will soon find that the creatures of the forest are not the only hazards, and that help can come from very unlikely places.

Not much is known about the Everfree Forest or its denizens, and much of the information available is guesswork at best. To Twilight sparkle, this is both a tragedy and an unacceptable outcome. She has enlisted her number one assistant, Spike, to venture into the forest and gather as much information as he can about various plants, animals, and natural occurrences.

But while his scales can protect him from the extremely varying flora of the Everfree, they cannot hope to save him from the fauna. It will take the assistance of both a mysterious friend and an unlikely ally if he is going to make it out of the forest, but as the saying goes..

The best laid plans oft go astray.

*This is a Gilda and Spike shipping.*

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-12 04:02:42 UTC

Chapter 1

As far as towns go, Ponyville was one that usually drew the short end of the stick. Depending on who you asked, that meant a couple of things. For one, the small village was prone to being attacked by all manners of foes, and was frequently subjected to the most supernatural of events.

Even in a world of magic and discovery, much was still misunderstood when it came to the occurrences of Equestria. Events came and went in a blink of an eye, and many went unnoticed until it was either too late to do anything about it, or it was frequent enough to document.

But among all of the creatures, spells, and natural occurrences that seemed to shadow Ponyville, there was a phenomenon that still perplexed even the most studious and wise of beings. A thing so vast and so uncharted that the most adventurous of creatures tended to stray far away from. That thing was called the Everfree Forest.

Flora, fauna, and mystical beings lurked within the woods that, if tampered with, could wrought mayhem and chaos on a scale even Discord might be challenged by. Expeditions into the forest have many a time been lost to its strange layout, mysterious properties, and sometimes even to the denizens of the forest.

Some, like the hydra and the timberwolf, made their home in this place. The former preferred the swamp, as it was rather secluded from much of the forest and its surroundings. The latter, however, seemed to find a home in the chaos. Many scholars considered the timberwolf to be the apex predator of Everfree Forest; speed unmatched by that of most other species and a body that can withstand many forms of attack, this being is a force to be reckoned with.

That anyone might wish to go into such a forest is beyond mad; it is *insane. Even the Elements of Harmony had once ventured into the Everfree, only just escaping with their lives. The hermit Zecora has made her home in the Everfree due to her extensive knowledge upon the medicinal and spiritual properties of her surroundings. All others have been warned away - and many have heeded that warning.*

That has not, however, stopped those who wish to understand the forest from braving its depths. But as the legend goes, "The only way to understand the darkness is to let the darkness find you. And once it does, you might never come back."

Spike awoke to the sun beating down on his face, its warm and subtle embrace feeling nice upon his cold scales. He groaned as he rolled out of bed, his long tail dragging the blankets with him. With a frustrated sigh, he tugged the long appendage free with his hands and threw the large blanket back onto the bed carelessly.

He briefly wondered if he could commission Rarity to make a blanket that didn't pull itself from the bed every time he tried to stand up. Though, rumor has it that Fluttershy was quite the seamstress. Maybe he could pay her a visit and see what she could do.

His gaze then turned to the bed and he stared at it, considering whether or not to make it look nicer. With a shrug, he figured he could get to it after a nice breakfast. Moving over to his cupboard, he opened it expecting to have a wide array of choices at his disposal.

What he found, however, was that his favorite box of cereal was empty and he was pretty much out of food. With a sigh of defeat, he bowed his head and closed the cupboard, turning around to lean on the counter as he cleared his head.

He looked around the room and realized something; he needed new decorations. Badly. The stone walls of his new home were bland and kind of depressing, now that he paid attention to it. Not at all like the comforting, vibrant decorations of his old room in Golden Oaks Library.

Spike had had to move out a few months back, his size getting the better of him. He kept bumping into the low archways leading to other rooms, and the ceiling was growing increasingly lower. After a few days of waking up to a lovely headache due to the bumps on his head, he had decided it was time to move out.

A young mare by the name of Golden Quill took his place as librarian. She was a sweet person, albeit a bit clumsy. In retrospect, Spike thought she was a lot like Twilight, in some ways. She was always tripping over herself and trying out new arrangements of books.

As for Spike, Princess Celestia had pulled some strings to have a house built especially for him in one of the large, empty fields near Ponyville. The house was huge compared to Golden Oaks Library, and it was made entirely of stone. This meant that, as he grew and changed, his draconic traits wouldn't be a hazard or a hindrance to him whatsoever. He could also modify the home a lot easier, what with it being made of alterable materials.

In the time that his new home was being built, Spike stayed with Rarity in her home. What he thought was going to be a dream vacation actually turned out to be quite a humbling experience for him. They had shared many a night simply talking, and Spike came to understand the mare much better than he had before.

With new secrets in his heart and knowledge in his mind, Spike decided to let go of his "conquest". He deemed it better to leave Rarity as a good friend than try and push her to be something more. The sting in his heart was there, but he felt no regret over his decision.

Now, however, he might have to call upon the fashionista - his house was pretty dull. Maybe he'd do that later on, after he had answered his stomach's call.

Now that he had decided upon what his next course of action would be, he also made sure to make his bed before he forgot. Surprisingly enough, Spike got a good bit of company despite his house being in a field away from Ponyville. It wasn't too much of a walk, but it was still out of the way of everything.

He figured, though, that nobody would be interested in seeing his bedroom. So with a quick shake and tug, Spike straightened out the blanket atop his bed and left it for later. It was almost a shame to leave such comfortable bliss, but he had things to do and ponies to see.

Grabbing a bag and some bits, Spike walked over to and opened the door. He had to cover his eyes from the sheer brightness of the outside world. The bright green color of the grass was as intense as the sun, considering Spike was still shaking off the remnants of sleep. After a few moments, he adjusted enough to push ahead, so he took to the dirt path leading away from his home.

If he wanted to get fancy, he probably could just pave the road with bricks or carved stone. It could be a pretty interesting look for the place, after all. Though once he stepped off of the path leading to his house and onto the main road, he realized that the idea was a bit null and void when one considered the main path itself was composed of dirt.

Maybe he'd just get a welcome mat and call it even. In any case, he would still have to get some new furniture. As it stood, he only had the common household items that many ponies had, and he wasn't quite satisfied with that. He wanted his home to stand out - maybe that was his pride as a dragon speaking but still, he was never one for settling with boring surroundings.

Maybe that's why dragons have hoards, he wondered - they just get so bored of their caves that they want to fill the void with something. Or, of course, it was just a natural sense of pride and greed, and they just took stuff for their own. That was a very viable alternative.

His previous thought of the distance between his home and Ponyville proved true, as he arrived in only a few minutes; his height and length of legs didn't hurt the matter either. He stood taller than Princess Celestia at this point, and not many ponies even come close to matching her height.

Bragging aside, he had arrived in the market with his bag in hand. Admittedly is was less a bag and more a burlap sack, but it would serve its purpose well. He made his rounds of the market, browsing through and purchasing a few odds and ends of food. He briefly considered buying some decorations, but decided it might be best if he waited until he had a better idea of what he wanted.

Every so often, he and a shopkeeper might make some small-talk, but most ponies tended to keep to themselves until the very end. The most one could hope to get was a, "Thank you, and have a nice day." Anything beyond that was a bit of a luxury when it came to the busy streets of the market.

His food bought and his mental checklist checked off, Spike turned around to walk the roads back home. The trip back wouldn't take more than a few minutes, and he guessed that the whole trip would have taken about half an hour. Not at all bad, considering he had only just woke up. If the rest of the day was that productive, Spike figured he could..

"What the?" Spike mumbled to himself, his thought process interrupted by a rather unusual sight. There, in front of his house, was a royal carriage. Standing on either side of his door were two stoic-looking guard-ponies wearing their usual expressions of seriousness.

Ever since Twilight had become a princess, this is how her company was announced. It was sort of convenient, but then he realized something. "Ah, boy.. She's gonna complain about the bed," he said with a sigh and shake of his head. Preparing for his lecture, Spike nodded to the guards and moved into his house.

"So this is your new house, huh?" a voice called from his living room - or what could be considered a living room, what with the lack of furniture. Spike was right on the mark guessing who the visitor was.

"Hey, Twilight," Spike said warmly, putting the bag of food down near the entrance to the kitchen and making his way to the living room. There, waiting for him, was Spike's life-long friend and mother-figure. He bent down and gave her a tight hug, which she reciprocated with a loving hug of her own.

"Hello, Spike. I have a favor to ask of you, and it isn't really a small one," Twilight said after they pulled away from the hug. Spike considered this to be a bit unusual, as Twilight really did not like leaving debts lying around. If she needed to ask something of him, it must have been big.

Besides that, she hadn't even sent a letter. She had come, in person, to visit him. With her busy schedule, Spike could only guess that the matter was very important to her. With that in mind, he gestured for her to sit beside the table so they could talk.

"I'll go make some tea for us, but go ahead and explain," Spike said as she sat down while he moved towards the kitchen.

Maybe his day was not only going to be productive, but rather interesting as well.

Chapter 2

Spike knew that Twilight had never been the type to ask for even the smallest of favors if she could help it. Only recently had she come around to asking her closest friends for assistance in her time of need. She had always been a lone-wolf sort of type, and that kind of habit was tough to break.

It only stood to reason that if she had personally come out to greet Spike and ask him something, the favor had to be monumental. Years living with the pony had prepared him for such an ordeal, but it still never gave him proper amounts of time to take in such random requests.

He was usually the type to jump head-first into a problem in order to solve it, whereas Twilight was the one who might spend more time analyzing the problem than she needed to fix it. But even so, the request she had put forth to him now was beyond random or bizarre. It was downright insane.

"You want me to what," Spike asked incredulously. Perhaps the blank stare he was shooting at Twilight was a bit harsh, but she had made him nearly choke on the tea he made for them both.

"I know it sounds crazy, but just hear me out, Spike," Twilight reasoned, holding up her hooves as a gesture of peace. "You're the only creature in Ponyville that could do this with the minimal amount of danger," Twilight assured Spike, but any sort of danger was still dangerous to the young dragon.

"So you want me to enter the Everfree Forest for.. What was it again?" Spike asked, albeit a bit more doubtedly than he had hoped. He wasn't one to cower in the sight of adventure, but everyone who knew a speckling of anything knew the Everfree was bad news.

"I need you to go into the Everfree to map it out. Any explorers that went in before either came out running, with their studies incomplete or simply gone," Twilight explained carefully. When she caught wind of Spike's draining confidence in this mission she added, "But what you have that differs from those expeditions is a special biological makeup."

"I'm guessing you're talking about me being a dragon?" Spike asked, trying to make sense of his friend's rather cryptic speaking. She had a habit of dancing around an issue if it worried her enough, but he usually could figure out what she meant after a little bit of thinking.

"Precisely! Specifically because you're a drake," she added, levitating a book out and opening it to a page marked with a red feather. Upon the page was an etched depiction of the variant of dragon known as a "drake". The book described him as a wingless version of the common dragon, but with greater quadrupedal movement after entering the adult stage.

Spike took special notice of one section that was carefully underlined, and read it aloud, "In its early years, a drake has the most specialized of all scales among the dragonkin. Where many dragons have yet to develop the scales needed to protect them from various predators of both flora and fauna origins, the drake is able to withstand a greater deal of punishment to any number of scales before one might shed itself from the body."

After reading this, Spike believe he understood just why Twilight had come to him personally for this manner. He gave a small sigh and looked up from the book, his expression now giving way to a small grin. He had to admit - that little excerpt had certainly cleared things up for him and, if nothing else, gave him a boost to his ego.

"Now do you see why I would ask you to go in?" Twilight asked hopefully, but also with a hint of playful sarcasm laced into her voice.

"You want me to go in because I won't contract any crazy illness, right?" Spike asked and with a nod from Twilight, he got his answer. He sat still as he pondered it, leaning against his folded hands. On one side, this was an opportunity for adventure - for experience. He didn't intend to sit at home all day and wait for something to happen while the world passed him by.

On the other hand, this wasn't just "the world". This was an unknown world; it was an unexplored world that lived right beside everything, all whilst going unchecked. He wasn't a fool; Spike knew that a few bad mistakes in the Everfree meant that you weren't coming back. And if you were, it certainly wasn't going to be pretty.

But then he considered the third possibility. If he didn't go, someone else might have to. Someone less adaptable to the harshness of such an environment. It could be Twilight herself, even. And as he looked up from his hands to see his dear friend's smiling face, his heart jolted at even the smallest possibility of her getting hurt.

In reality, it couldn't be anyone but him. Spike understood that well enough now that he eventually forced himself to stop thinking and simply do what he always did. "Alright," he said with finality.

"You'll do it?" Twilight asked, her excitement evidently boiling over with the way she sat up quickly and began to smile.

"I'll do it," Spike said, the smile becoming contagious enough to spread to him. Maybe his scales couldn't stop everything after all.

"Wonderful! Oh, thank you Spike. You don't know how much this means to me!" Twilight said, trotting over to the other side of the table in order to nearly tackle Spike into a hug. He gave a laugh and did his best to return the gesture from his awkward position.

"I think I might have a clue, actually. You're welcome, Twilight," he said as the hug ended. "Now, I have to ask - anypony else gonna join me on this mission of mine?"

"I don't believe so, no. As of yet, I have only contacted you and Zecora, who will be waiting for us at the edge of the forest when I call for her assistance," Twilight answered. "But with that being said, I should bring word of your approval to Princess Luna."

Suddenly, Spike's interest went from curious to full-on intrigued. Princess Luna was a pony still shrouded in legend - even more so now that she had been transformed back from Nightmare Moon. It was a rare sight to see Princess Luna out of her tower, even at night when she was in her prime.

"Princess Luna?" he questioned, shooting Twilight a look that could only be described as shock. "Is she the one who organized all of this? I mean, I know she's into this kinda stuff but she isn't really the type to get involved."

He couldn't say he was really surprised that Princess Luna would take an interest in the Everfree, actually. From what Twilight told him about her, she had a thirst for knowledge when it came to the supernatural; that she would want to explore a place like the Everfree Forest is rather obvious.

"I was just as surprised to find that Luna wanted to lend a hoof in all of this. But don't worry," Twilight continued, mistaking Spike's shock for worry, "she won't be playing any major roles in all of this, and said that she wished to, 'Merely observe and  measure the Everfree.'"

"If anyone is a mare of mystery, it's definitely her," Spike said as he rubbed the back of his head. That was also another thing Twilight spoke of; Princess Luna loved to speak in riddles and cryptic messages.

"But she means well, I promise! This is going to be great, Spike - just you wait until the Princess hears you're up to it!" Twilight said with a giddy little dance in place. It was obvious she was hoping for nothing less than total perfection, and Spike had fallen right into place on that one.

With that, the two said their goodbyes and gave one another a hug before Twilight stepped into the carriage and was sped along her way back to Canterlot. This left Spike standing, hands on his hips, in his doorway. He was smiling, but it was more for reassurance than to express joy.

In truth, the thought of going into the Everfree was nothing less than terrifying. He wasn't so sure that his "special scales" would protect him from that place. Not only that, but he'd be going alone. It was an instinctual thing, in his opinion, that his knees were beginning to buckle at the thought of what he had just agreed to.

With a sigh, he shook his head and headed back into his house. There was no time to worry about this whole ordeal - not yet, anyway. He'd have to prepare for the journey both mentally and physically, and the first thing on his mind was to make sure he had what he needed for the journey.

As he looked at the measly bag of food he had carelessly tossed upon the counter earlier, he shook his head and mumbled, "What have I gotten myself into?"

Chapter 3

Well, it had taken him a few hours of packing, unpacking, and finally just tossing some things together, but Spike was finally confident in what he would bring into the Everfree. And that was nearly nothing.

In his bag, he had a container of water that would suffice for about a week. It was about as big as a vase, but was as sturdy as stone. Should he have to drop his bag for any reason - intentional or otherwise - he was at least comfortable that his water wouldn't spill all over the ground.

Beside that, there were a few loaves of bread and various gems to keep him satisfied until he could either forage for food safely or get back home. He only hoped that some twist of fate didn't make him lose his rations, as he only knew of a few spots to forage in the Everfree Forest. The last expedition had surprisingly come back with at least a little knowledge, and it was made available to all at the Golden Oaks library immediately.

He set out on his journey with a bit of trepidation, but understood all too well that there was no backing out now. He had made his promise to Twilight, and he couldn't let his fear get in his way now. He was, after all, a dragon. If he backed down because of some spooky trees and some flowers, who could take him seriously? Pinkie had beaten it by laughing, for goodness sake!

No, he would not back down. In fact, he now held his head up high and had a confident grin on his face. No forest was gonna hold back this dragon. He was totally and utterly ready for anythi-

"Yo, Squirt," he heard, just before a lone gryphoness came crashing down beside him with enough force to knock him off his feet with a scream. He looked up and saw a grinning, familiar figure. Gilda, the gryphon that had been forced out of town all those years ago, was standing above him now with a smile that could make even Pinkie cringe.

"What are you doing here?" Spike asked rather harshly. He was still a bit mad at Gilda for how she treated all of his friends - and him - that day. As far as he was concerned, he would have been happy to never see her face again.

"Not even a 'hello' before you go slinging anger around, huh? That's fine," Gilda said nonchalantly. To his incredible surprise, she held out a clawed hand towards Spike in an effort to raise him up. After a few moments of being stared at, she uncomfortably said, "Well? Do you want me to help you up or not?"

He snapped out of his daze and brushed the offer aside, pushing himself up and dusting himself off alone. "I'm fine. But you still haven't answered my question. Why are you here, Gilda?" he asked in a more serious, albeit more polite tone.

"I heard about an expedition going on and wanted to get in on the action. Rumor has it is that you're the one that's goin' in. So I figured I'd scout out who exactly I'll be going in with. You got taller, pipsqueak," she said, adding that last backhanded compliment with a nod of approval.

There was something very odd about Gilda's approval. It made Spike feel uneasy, as if he was becoming like Gilda in some way. Shaking the thought from his head, he chose to focus instead on what she had told him. "Wait, what? You're going in with me? No way," Spike said in disbelief. Twilight hadn't made any mention of it to him, and she wasn't one for undue surprises.

"You bet I am. Adventure, danger, and a chance at riches? What's not to love for a girl like me?" Gilda said happily, emphasizing her point by waving her forearms about, as if to paint the picture in Spike's mind. "And if that ain't enough, you oughta take a look at this, buddy."

She handed him a scroll - more of a poster, really - that stated "Expedition into the Everfree Forest starting soon. Sponsored by the Royal Council, fifty bits to any who wish to participate. Must see journey through until the end. All species welcome to apply."

"That," she said, pointing to the last sentence, "means me." The two exchanged a final look, Spike's expression being one of confusion and Gilda's being one of pride.

Eventually, the young dragon gave up and sighed, throwing his arms up in the air. "Fine," he said, quickly pointing at Gilda, "But don't try anything funny. I'm not going in for treasure, or whatever it is you think we'll find. I'm going in for my own reasons."

"I hear ya loud and clear, pal. Just don't go slowing me down in there. I know I have to keep you safe, but still," she said, shooting Spike a sideways glance as they both began walking towards the meeting spot for the Everfree Expedition. Twilight would be there, and she could see this insanity for herself.

"Keep me safe? I can totally defend myself in there, don't worry," Spike said in his defense, to which Gilda laughed. The laugh made Spike's blood boil, and he didn't know how much more of her company he could stand.

"Kid, I've been fighting off critters, creatures, and gryphons alike since you were just an egg. You're welcome to try, but leave the tough stuff to me if you get scared," Gilda said, yet again with her backhanded compliments ending her speech.

Before Spike could reply, Gilda cut him off with another compliment, this time filled with less venom. "You do look stronger, though. Maybe you can keep up."

He glanced over at Gilda, who was wearing a sly smile and looking back into his eyes. The compliment felt nicer, but it still made him feel a bit uneasy. He didn't know whether or not Gilda could be trusted to keep him safe or even keep him company in the forest. But he was willing to let her try.

They neared the forest, and there they saw Twilight, two royal guards, and a lone, hooded figure standing in wait. He heard the hooded figure and Twilight speaking, then immediately recognized the mystery-pony was Zecora, a resident of Everfree Forest.

"And here's our guide now," Spike said, referring to Zecora.

"What, the rhymer or the princess?" Gilda asked, curious as to what he meant. Spike gave a quick laugh at what she called her - a "rhymer".

"The one with the hood. Her name's Zecora, and she lives in the Everfree. If anyone knows that place, it's her," Spike explained, to which Gilda gave a shrug.

"If she lives in the forest, wouldn't she know enough for you to put in a book?" Gilda asked sarcastically. It was true that Zecora knew a lot, but she didn't know enough to sate the lust for knowledge that Twilight possessed.

"She has helped us, actually. She gives us plenty of information when she finds things out. A lot of our medicine is of her design. A lot of people have her to thank for their health," Spike said proudly. He revered Zecora very highly, and felt she deserved plenty of respect.

"Well, kudos to her. So long as she doesn't make me rhyme, I think we'll be alright," Gilda said jokingly. Again, Spike let out a laugh, but this one was more at the thought of Gilda having to rhyme her way through a conversation like Zecora does. It would be torture for the gryphoness.

Spike had to admit, Gilda was being very friendly. Unsettlingly so. He felt more than a little anxious to find out exactly why she was doing so, and hoped she didn't have something sinister under her wings.

"Oh, Spike! There you are!" Twilight said, quickly adding a short, "Hello Gilda." She didn't seem upset at all from the gryphoness' presence, and Spike got the vibe that the two had already met and discussed this before.

"What's up, Princess?" Gilda said, a mixture of casualty and propriety in her answer. "And hello.. Rhyming pony," she added awkwardly, confused as to what she should call Zecora.

"Gilda the Gryphon, your name I know. I am Zecora, a zebra. A friend, not foe," she said, pulling back her hood to confirm her rhyme-addled statement.

"Wow," Gilda said simply. "You really do rhyme everything," she said indignantly, to which Spike cringed slightly. He felt sort of awkward, the two cultures clashing beside him.

Zecora didn't seem to mind at all, however, as she simply laughed and said, "You're not the first to notice my speech, too. But don't let it bother you, I beseech you."

"No problem," Gilda said rather calmly, giving a shrug and a smile, her eyes tranquil and at peace. She had a certain aura of tranquility about her when she wasn't screaming, roaring, and rampaging her way through town. It was unsettling how different she was now.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, would you like to go over the plan?" Twilight said, levitating a map out of her bag and laying it out for everyone to see. Spike had to admit that he wasn't surprised Twilight would have a map for an uncharted forest of darkness. Anything less just wasn't her style.

They spent about half and hour going over the details of the route before finally Zecora politely interrupted Twilight by saying, "Though plans must be met, and routes must be drawn, I fear that we must wait for the hour of dawn." Adding to that, she pointed towards the sky with a hoof, indicating that night drew near.

"Ah, haystacks. I guess you'll have to set out tomorrow. For tonight, you should all get some rest. You've a big, exciting day ahead of you tomorrow!" Twilight said, her giddiness getting the better of her as she unceremoniously danced in place a bit.

" 'Tis long way to travel, the travel a large load. You are welcome to stay with me at my humble abode," Zecora offered, to which Gilda quickly accepted.

"Yeah, that sounds easier than what I had in mind. I was just gonna crash at his place tonight, but this sounds way nicer," she said, nodding her head towards Spike.

"You should go with them, Spike," Twilight suggested, or rather ordered in a very motherly tone. "It would save you time and effort, and Zecora's house is right along the starting route."

"But," Spike began, then felt a nudge from Gilda's elbow hit him in the side gently.

"Come on, Squirt! Think of it like a sleepover. Two lovely ladies and a warm house to yourself? What's not to love?" Gilda said, completely unabashed at what she was implicating. Spike could feel the heat rising to his face, but thankfully his scales didn't have the capability to change color.

Twilight blushed slightly at her suggestion, but still pushed Spike's decision. "It's just the logical choice, Spike. And I'm sure you'll behave yourself very well. Right, Spike?" She delivered the message well, her eyes piercing the dragon's. Fluttershy must have taught her a thing or two about presence, because he could feel her words hitting him.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll go. And quit trying to make me seem like a bad guy. I'm a gentledragon!" he said half-jokingly and half-seriously. They all knew he wouldn't try anything, but he still wanted to make it clear. Moreso for himself than anything.

"So it's settled, then! We'll spend the night at Zecora's place, and then head out from there. Sounds like a plan to me," Gilda announced.

"For now it is farewell, but expect not a goodbye. We shall all return safely, and I do not tell a lie," Zecora said, bidding farewell in her own way to Twilight before turning and heading down the path to her home, Gilda in tow.

"Good luck, Spike," Twilight said, raising an arm up. Spike knew the signal and he bent down to wrap her in a hug. "You be careful in there."

"I will, but I have a quick question. What's up with Gilda's attitude? She seems so nice now," Spike asked curiously, hoping she might have some answers for him.

"I think you'll find that Gilda is a very different individual than what we got a glimpse of before," Twilight said with a knowing smile before turning and going on her way. "Goodbye Spike!" she called back.

She must have been taking lessons from Celestia, too. That was about as vague as she could have been. With a sigh, he turned towards the forest and began walking at his own pace.

"You comin', slowpoke?" Gilda called back with a smirk, walking backwards as she looked at him.

He called back with a "Yeah!" and jogged his way back up to the group. Well, if nothing else, this was going to be quite the adventure. Whether he was prepared for it or not was an entirely different story.

Chapter 4

On the way to Zecora's hut, Spike noticed a few key points in the forest that jogged his memory of recent adventures with his closest friends. They made their way around a large patch of poison joke, which had turned an otherwise mundane day into one of the most hilarious running gags within Spike's arsenal of humor.

Whether it be calling Applejack by the newly-acquired nickname "Appletini" or asking Pinkie to raspberry the alphabet, it tended to end on a good note and get a smile out of someone. It surely could have turned out much worse without the mysterious zebra Zecora, however. She began as a local tale of fear and ended up being a local folk hero to numerous ponies. With her apothecary and home-remedies that she made readily available to the public, Zecora's name quickly escalated from respected to renowned.

Past the patch of flowers, Spike noticed a small, tranquil pond with various lily pads floating along the surface. Twilight had spoken of one such pond as being the place where Zecora taught her how to conquer her own thoughts of doubt and worry. To this day, she carried such lessons with her proudly and fondly. The notion brought a smile to his face, as he knew that new mindset is one of the reasons she has done so well in the recent months away from home.

Looking ahead from the pond, Spike took in the form of two dimly lit silhouettes; Gilda, the gryphoness and Zecora, the zebra. The two wielded vastly different personalities and yet here they were, talking like they were long-made friends. He felt a slight pang of guilt at this; if Zecora, who understood very well what Gilda had done, could get past it so easily and embrace her new appearance, why couldn't he?

Something just felt wrong with it all. Gilda was one step away from breaking apart friendships bonded over years. He didn't feel right just accepting a person that so easily came in and stomped on those that he cared about and cherished so closely. It felt like he was betraying his friends, in some way. Like he was simply throwing away the negativity and forgetting about her actions.

But then there was the inverse of that thought process. Could she truly be different? Was what happened due to something perhaps out of perspective and, though this is quite the stretch, maybe out of even Gilda's control? While Spike did not understand what happened, he did understand what could be done.

With a sigh, he made a resolve to ask her about it when he could. With any luck, they'd have at least a little time to converse with one another before they set out tomorrow. Even as he thought this, he saw opportunity presenting itself. The hut that Zecora resided in was fast approaching, and Spike had overheard Zecora rhyming something along the lines of he and Gilda having to bunk together due to the size of her home.

As far as he was concerned, that was alright. He was no stranger to sleeping around ladies, as odd as that may seem to others. It became pretty much commonplace after he and Twilight had gone on so many adventures with the others in their group. They usually ended up sleeping around each other either for protection or for comfort. Whatever the case, he didn't feel odd whatsoever with having to sleep beside the gryphoness.

"Ya hear that, Scales?" Gilda called back with a grin, slowing a bit to be beside Spike. "Sounds like you and I get to keep each other warm tonight. I certainly hope the rumors of you being a gentledrake are true."

Though her method of saying it was a bit suggestive, she did confirm his half-understood suspicions. "I promise not to try anything funny," he says, holding his hands up in innocence. She knew it and he knew it too, but there was no harm in playing along. "Maybe a little funny."

"Don't tempt me, now," she said with a laugh. That feeling of betrayal within Spike's heart was slowly but surely melting away, and he could see now that this was a bit more complex than he may have believed. She had a look of happiness in her eyes, along with that cold mellowness that he had noticed before. It was a strange mixture of hot and cold that made him wish he could understand better.

There was something else in those golden eyes, swirling in with all of the other emotions she was putting out. He had never been good with reading expressions, though. That was more Fluttershy's territory. He had tried to get her to teach him how once, but to no avail. He chalked it up as a loss and moved on, but now he wished he possessed even half the ability that she had. What was before a guess was now a hunch, and he got a crawling feeling that the gryphoness was hiding a bit more under her feathers than she led on.

Whether or not he could read into the gryphoness and her vague hints at hidden emotions, they were going inside. Zecora showed the two around, making sure they knew what was and was not safe to touch. One particular piece caught Spike's eye, and the zebra gave a gleeful laugh at his curiosity.

It was a cyan gem, like a light sapphire, but something was special about it. It faintly hummed in Spike's hands, and he knew this to be a sign of enchantment. A minor enchantment, mind you - Twilight had shown him the difference some time ago when he accidentally picked up what looked like an ordinary bowl. It turned out to be an artifact that could repaint itself upon touch.

"An eye for treasure, I see you hold. But look a bit closer, if you are so bold," she suggested with a wink. Spike gave her a confused glance, but then steeled his nerves and closed one eye, pressing the other a bit closer to the gem in order to get a better look into the gem.

Peering back at him was a rather tall drake, with green scales painting his underside and back fins. Pulling his eye away from the gem, he turned to the zebra with an even more confused look. "Is that me?" he asked out of surprise before giving a laugh and looking back into the gem.

"Lemme see?" Gilda asked, holding out a clawed hand. Spike grinned and placed it into her palm, watching as the gryphoness' expression changed from one of curiosity to that of amazement. "That's awesome," she said, handing the gem back to Spike.

"A look at yourself, you have found. Quite a treasure what with doubts abound," Zecora said, nodding at the two. "Come now, the night has come. Sleep well you two, for there is much to be done."

With that, Spike and his travelling companion were ushered into a quaint little room on the second floor of Zecora's hut. It wasn't cramped, but it certainly wasn't roomy like Twilight's. There would most likely be more than a few nudged arms and ruffled feathers during the night.

"Cozy," Gilda said sarcastically, under her breath. It had a joking tone to it, reassuringly, but Spike could tell not all of her old traits were entirely gone.

"Thanks Zecora," Spike said first, then adding, "It's nice of you to do this for us. We'll have make it up to you somehow." He had to admit that the zebra was unusually hospitable towards others, considering how she was treated. From what he understood, zebras haven't always had it easy when it comes to history. But it seems she harbored no grudges.

"A favor, I do not require. Just do not fall prey to the mire," Zecora said graciously and yet ominously, bowing her head and shutting the door. Spike heard her hoofsteps echoing down the hall and then down the stairs.

"Well that was a bit.." Spike began, searching for the correct words.

"Creepy?" Gilda chimed in behind him. He turned around to see her shrug and smile. "Hey, I don't plan on letting either of us fall prey to anything. Nothing takes down a gryphon without a fight," she said, rapping a closed fist upon her chest.

"Don't worry. Us dragons aren't exactly known for our timid and submissive demeanor," Spike threw onto the table. He could hold his own out in the wild, or at least he believed he could. While his breath wasn't exactly the strongest of the dragonflames, it was a force to be reckoned with.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see who turns out to be the damsel in distress, now won't we?" Gilda challenged with a smirk, as per her usual demeanor. He wasn't a mind reader, but he could tell that Gilda obviously loved to see who the dominant force was in anything she did.

Maybe that's why she and Rainbow Dash got along so very well back in the old days.

"So how are we gonna do this, then? Back-to-back? Feet-to-head? Or maybe you wanna cuddle the night away?" she finished her questions with an alluring glance that made Spike feel both intimidated and amused. He was about to answer her question with a joke, but then remembered just what it was he originally wanted to ask.

"Before we do any of that, I wanted to know something. It might be a bit personal, though, so you can back out if you'd like," Spike requested, scratching the back of his neck in anxiety. He was always bad at asking personal questions - he had no idea why.

"No, I'm not in a relationship, and yes I do like males. That about sum it up?" she asked with a slightly annoyed glare. Apparently she got asked that quite a lot in her travels. Fortunately, she completely missed her mark.

"Uh.. No, that's not quite what I had in mind. But thanks for sharing," he said jokingly. "I actually wanted to know just why it is you've changed so much. Last time I saw you, you looked like you were ready to tear down Ponyville. Now you look like you're ready to befriend everypony in it."

"It's not a bad change, mind you! I like the way you're acting now. It's just that.. I'm not really used to that side of you, y'know? Wanted to know what happened in those years since then," Spike added quickly, trying to cover any and all possible bases there could be.

There was a long hesitation and Spike thought he had struck a nerve. Or maybe several. Any moment, she could snap from repressed memories or maybe sheer anger. But when none of that came, and a sigh replaced it instead, his worries quickly melted away.

"Alright, sit down. You're in for a long story and I don't intend to stand here awkwardly while I tell it," Gilda finally said, gesturing with one hand towards a soft rug in the corner.

He followed suit and before he knew it, Gilda had begun to dive into what he considered to be her life's story. And he was going to pay attention to every small detail if it helped him figure this whole mess out.

"Gryphons, as you may know already, value pretty much one thing and one thing only: strength. You don't have that, you don't have jack. My story begins when I was just a cub," Gilda explained, using her hands to emphasize random parts in her speech. Maybe it was just part of her culture, but she sure did move a lot when telling stories.

"My father, whose name is pretty hard to pronounce, was named Ja'hrebkia. Most people just called him Jar. He was the local blacksmith in my home town, and you can guess just how lenient a blacksmith gryphon was when it came to his kids," she continued, smiling at her own joke at the end. In turn, it made Spike involuntarily smile along with her. So far, this was turning out to be rather nice.

"As I grew up, he instilled more and more lessons in my head. Lessons that made me a very, very cruel and bitter gryphoness. It's not like I couldn't change; I just didn't want to. Being nice is a bit of a weakness where I grew up, and being strong got you places," Gilda said, but then paused for a few seconds. She frowned at what she said or perhaps her next thoughts, but continued nonetheless.

"So fast forward a good while until good old father sends me to Flight Camp. 'You're going to go to this school, and you're going to be the best flyer to ever come out of it. Or you are not welcome home.' Just like that. Either I succeed, or I fail miserably," she said, checking Spike's expression before taking on a rather large smile.

"I like that. Most people have their jaws open or they look like they're gonna cry. You look angry," she pointed out, and Spike found that she was right on the money. He actually was angry. At a gryphon he had never met, and might never meet. But even so, he couldn't imagine someone being so cruel to their daughter.

"Sorry about that," he said, running a hand over his face to calm down. He was beginning to see just why it was that she turned out so angry, and had a hunch where this story was going. If she went to Flight Camp, and she had to succeed, there'd only be one major challenge for her.

Rainbow Dash.

"Don't worry about it. I like that you're into my story this much. It's a nice change," she said, her expression softening into a happier one. If he were to be so bold, Spike might have called it affectionate. It quickly changed back to one of concentration as she went on, however.

"So. Flight Camp. I won't lie, and I'm not being egotistical when I say this; I was acing it. I was one of the fastest there, and was getting faster by the day. There was just one problem; there was another one that could keep up with me - and beat me. You know the pony I'm talking about," she said, inviting Spike to speak up.

"Rainbow Dash." he stated, entirely sure of whom she was speaking of. He had seen Gilda fly before - she was incredibly fast. Especially when one considered how big gryphons could get. Though he would never tell that to Gilda - he knew better.

"You got it, pal. Rainbow Dash. I was outclassed and I knew it. But I wasn't such a sore loser that I couldn't admit it. Not at the time, anyway. I went up to her and introduced myself, told her who I was. We were friends within the hour," she boasted proudly, apparently investing a lot of confidence within that accomplishment.

"But in the end, I knew what would happen," she said, her voice lowering to something just above a whisper. "Come graduation day, Rainbow Dash was awarded with the Fastest Flyer award. She had accomplished the Sonic Rainboom, had shown up every creature that came to fly, and had won the hearts and minds of most everyone there."

"I was awarded with the Bravest Heart award, and told I was a close second to Rainbow Dash. That I should be proud. I don't know why, but that sent me over the edge. I snapped," she admitted. Her expression, needless to say, dropped to something of a depressed, angry mixture.

"I cursed the school, cursed flying itself, and almost cursed Rainbow Dash. But I didn't have the heart to do that to the only pony not afraid of me. Instead, I did the next best thing. I flew off, and went in a random direction. I wasn't heading home - I couldn't head home. My father would have reprimanded me and probably disowned me for being second best."

After that, Spike could see through the darkness that a faint wetness had overtaken Gilda's golden eyes. "Hey," he asked, leaning down to look at her face-to-face, "You alright?" He wanted to reach over and hug her, she looked so sad.

"Yeah, I'm good," she said, wiping her eyes with balled up hands. "I just hate this part of the story, is all. But anyway. On to what you were waiting for."

"After that whole mess," she began again, "I just kept travelling. Took up work wherever I could - mostly mercenary stuff like clearing out some caves or a basement. I was an adventurer for real. I even have a few souvenirs back at my home from when I worked. I'll show you one day, if you'd like."

"Then I heard from a merchant that a certain somepony had completed the legendary Sonic Rainboom, and that they were amazing. I asked him where they were, and was pointed in the direction of Ponyville. I dropped everything. My job, my house, my belongings. All of it. Went to Ponyville to meet the one friend I never let go of," she said with a tinge of mysticism in her voice. This all sounded surreal to Spike.

She had a rough childhood, grew up tough, became a mercenary, and then got reunited with her long-lost best friend. It sounded like a fairy tale. And had he not seen and met so many adventurers such as herself, he might not have believed her. But one thing was for certain; she was a rather unique gryphoness.

"So when I got into town, I felt.. Strange. Then I saw how happy she was. How happy you all were. And I don't want to sound selfish, but I just felt like.. Why don't I deserve this. You know? What makes her so special that she got it so nice instead of me?"

"When I saw all of that, and felt all of that, I just broke down. Freaked out. And so I ran again. I thought I was ready. Thought I was prepared to face my past and beat it this time. But I guess not," she said with a sad sigh, holding back a few more tears through sheer willpower.

"I didn't go straight back into work, but eventually I heard about a contract put out by the newly-crowned Princess Twilight and laughed. Fate wasn't gonna leave me alone, it seemed," she said, a smile creeping onto her face.

Spike felt horrible, however. Not just for how she was treated, but for how little he actually knew about Gilda before now. Had he only known, maybe this all could have turned out differently. Maybe she could have been happier, or at the very least a bit more fortunate.

"And now, here we are. I'm back on the job, protecting one of the people that 'stole' my friend from me. Not because I need to, but because I want to. I just hope you and yours forgive me, in time," she said, turning to Spike with that same mellow expression as before. But he could see it now.

The expression in her eyes. It was not anger, or betrayal, or even sadness; it was regret. "I do forgive you, Gilda. In fact, I apologize. Had I known then what I know now, I could have prevented a lot of trouble for you. Maybe-" he began, but jumped when he realized Gilda had made a sudden move towards him.

"Don't worry about it," she said, laying against him lazily. "Now I'm tired and kinda cold, and I hear dragons are pretty warm. So let's try and get some sleep before tomorrow, yeah?"

"Uh," he stammered, his eyes wide open as he tried to process the sudden change in atmosphere within the room. When did she become so affectionate? He hadn't heard of that part in the story. Maybe he missed it? "S-sure, Gilda. Just lemme.." he said, trying to readjust to that he was lying beside her on the soft rug below, his back pressed to hers.

When he heard a long, contented sigh come from the gryphoness, he knew he had made the right move. "Good night, Scales," she said softly, her voice a pleasant hum in the silence that filled the room. She had used the same nickname she had given him earlier, and it gave him an idea.

"Night, Feathers," he said jokingly, delighted when he heard the gryphoness let out a small, tired laugh. She could be cute when she wanted, apparently. After a few moments, he heard and felt the soft breathing of Gilda's sleeping form behind him, and felt compelled to join her.

He had learned a bit more than he had anticipated, but with that knowledge he knew he would have to mend things with the others. He couldn't leave her to be alone and sad for the rest of her life, going from place-to-place waiting for work to come. No, that's not what would go down.

This time would be different.

Chapter 5

He didn't know when it happened, but Spike woke with a start. After a restless night of nightmares involving getting lost within the forest and being abandoned within it, he was still very tired. Besides that, there was an unfamiliar touch across his chest, like a blanket but unusually smooth.

Just to his left, he heard the quiet breathing of another form in the room and after a brief moment of recollection within his mind, he remembered where he was. Zecora's hut, in the Everfree. Turning towards the window, he saw that the night was still young, the moon was still shining bright over the land, and that it had not been long since he had fallen asleep.

"Good," he mumbled to himself, his voice barely audible even amongst the silence in the room. It meant he had plenty of time to sleep, but moreso even more time to try and rest. That still did not explain the unfamiliar feeling that he had, however, so he began focusing his eyes through the dark.

As a subspecies of dragon, Spike had a natural ability of night-vision, though to an admittedly low extent. It proved to be just enough, however, as he had a clear image as to what it was he was feeling. Gilda, to his left, had unfurled a wing in her sleep and had draped it over him. While he expected the feathers would provide little warmth, they were surprisingly cozy. He could get used to sleeping like this, if it meant waking up warm and comfortable.

After a minute or so along that train of thought, he shook his head of such images. For one, he had only just met Gilda after years of absence. And secondly, he promised her he'd be a gentledrake. Such thoughts were hardly holding up to his promise. Or maybe they were, considering he'd try to do the same?

As he daydreamed, he realized that he had been smiling all the while. Perhaps he had been a bit lonelier than he actually believed himself to be. He hadn't realized just how long he had spent away from Twilight in the Golden Oaks library. And while he didn't see her as someone to woo or court, he would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate the company.

Having someone here, beside him, while he laid sleeping and vulnerable - it was something to be desired, for sure. That it just so happened to be a certain someone that he never even imagined he'd befriend was a bit unusual, but didn't draw much away from the fact that she was here. After all, she was just as vulnerable as he was in her sleep.

Shifting ever so slightly under the embrace of Gilda's wing, Spike turned to face the gryphoness face-to-sleeping-face. Where she was calm and mellow while awake, she seemed almost tranquil and peaceful in her sleep. The harsh features of a life of stress seemed to fade away when her eyes shut, the tired regret giving way to something a bit more serene.

Spike would even say beautiful, though not exactly aloud.

As his thoughts trailed back to their previous dwellings, his mind landed right back to where it was before: pairing Gilda and him together is a fantasy relationship. It was out of sheer boredom or curiosity, but Spike felt as if it was more than interesting enough to focus on.

Had dragons and gryphons ever tried to pair up together? And if so, he had to wonder how long a gryphon's lifespan was on average. Maybe he could ask Gilda in the morning while the two went scouting - of course he couldn't back that question up with context, but he could figure something out to cover him.

"You mumble when you think, you know," Gilda mumbled dreamily, causing Spike's eyes to widen and his nerves to tighten nervously.

"I'm sorry. I just can't sleep and-" Spike began, trying to explain his way out of it. Resigning to the guilt of waking the sleeping gryphoness, he settled for letting out a frustrated sigh and repeated, "Sorry."

"S'alright," was the reply, Gilda's voice still low and groggy. He could hear her shifting and felt her wing twitch ever so slightly. After a few moments, the feathers glided over his chest and the wing curled up to their rightful place at Gilda's side. "Try and get some sleep, Scales. Gonna be a long day tomorrow."

And with that, the conversation was over and she had gone back to sleep. Spike wondered if she would even remember it at all in the morning, but even moreso if he'd ever get an explanation for why she had blanketed him with her own wing. He figured he could just chalk it up to sleep-movements, but still.

As he daydreamed of possibilities and wondered about scenarios, he unwittingly succumbed to a night of sleep himself. Nothing was unusual about his dreams, aside from the obvious placement of Gilda within them. To say it was a nightmare or a fantasy would be too much, and one could only leave it at "a dream".

But then morning hit. And it felt like morning had arrived faster than Rainbow Dash on a mission.

A sharp whistle filled the air and before he knew it, Spike was thrown back into the land of the living. "Wake up, now. It's time to get rollin'!" Gilda announced happily. "Zecora's got some grub downstairs. Gonna go fill up before we head out. You comin'?"

His vision still adjusting to the sunlight trickling through the window and all of the sensory overload around him, Spike took a moment to stretch before replying with a, "Whuh? Oh, yeah.. I'm coming. Gimme a sec'."

Gilda gave a pause and then let out a short laugh before making her way out of the room and into the hallway. She called back, "Don't take too long, now. I'm gonna have to teach you a thing or two about sleeping properly."

"Yeah, yeah," Spike replied, groaning as he stood up and stretched out his arms and legs. He bent backwards and pushed against his lower spine, popping a few kinks out in the process. And as a final measure, he stretched out his long tail and waved it around lazily.

That was when the smells from Zecora's kitchen hit him. Fresh.. Meat? Did Zecora even eat meat? Confused and spurred on by the grumbling his stomach was making, he made his way downstairs to check it out and sure enough, he found a plate of cooked rabbit upon the table. It wasn't an uncommon dish, but it certainly was rare among PonyVille's residents.

"I didn't know you ate meat, Zecora," he said, moving over to the table to get a better look at it. It was grilled to perfection, he had to admit. He'd have a hard time believing this was her first time preparing such a meal.

"I do not, but you do so sit. I have prepared you a meal that gives kings a fit," the zebra said with a sly grin. Something within Spike's mind warned him to be cautious about the food, but not in an "it's poison" way. More of an "it's spiked" way.

Foregoing the warning and giving in to his hunger pangs, the dragon took his place besides Gilda who was cutting into her own meal. She gave him a look that said, "Go on, I dare you," so he had to at least try it.

Taking his first bite, Spike realized that his instincts were right on the money. It wasn't bad at all. Really, it was delicious, and he couldn't find a reaso-

Oh. Uh oh.

It seemed his instincts were correct, because suddenly his tongue felt like it had been dipped in boiling metal. He coughed up a few balls of smoke before finally shooting out a lick of flame towards a nearby coffee mug. Instantaneously, the mug had disappeared and been transported to Celestia-know's-where. Probably to the very princess herself.

After another round of coughing and a bout of laughter coming from Gilda, Spike steeled her nerves and strained out the words, "What's in this? Lava?"

"A special brew, made only for the bold! A potion of Harspud milk and Dragonsfire, it increases skills tenfold," Zecora explained with a wink.

"It's a simple drink, actually. Hard to get ingredients for but pretty common around travelers," Gilda added, a grin still on her face. She downed a piece of meat herself, and gave a short laugh at Spike's confused expression. "You didn't know gryphons ate meat, huh? Not many folks do, so don't worry."

Turning from Gilda to Zecora, the dragon gave another short cough and questioned, "What do you mean it increases skills?"

"I got this one, don't worry," Gilda said, to which Zecora nodded in agreement. "She means it'll make your body a bit more fit for a while. Anything you could do before, you'll be able to do a lot easier now. When I eat it, I fly longer and faster. When you eat it, well.. As far as I know, dragons get a kick to their breath. Looks like that rings true for you, huh Scales?"

He had to admit - where he felt tired and groggy before, he was now wide awake. He had attributed this originally to the sheer spiciness of the food, but what they said did make sense. Zecora was renowned for her brewing capabilities and if what Gilda said was true, something like that would have been child's play to the zebra.

The rest of the meal went over easy, Spike now prepared for the onslaught of heat that was to assault his mouth and belly. They discussed the route they would take once again and Zecora mentioned setting up a few lights along the way to guide them. It was then that Gilda got curious.

"So if you've lived here for so long, Zecora, why haven't you gone into the forest? Seems like you'd know it best," she asked, one eyebrow raised.

"The creatures and I, we're one and the same. I dare not touch them, and they know my name. Through that and caution, we get along well - there has not been a threat that I've had to quell," she explained, which Gilda seemed to wholeheartedly accept.

"Wait. You have an affinity with the creatures in the Everfree? How?" the dragon asked in disbelief. He knew Zecora was mysterious, but this was just strange.

"I've seen it a lot in my travels, actually. There's an old country-side saying that goes 'Live off the land and the land lives with you.' It means that if you stay in one place for a while, all the usual residents will get to know you. When you're not a threat, they don't make themselves a threat," Gilda explained easily, all whilst chewing down her food and drinking a bit of water.

"That's incredible!" Spike said, a smile finding its way to his face. Twilight had tons of books on potions, but the wonder of foreign remedies and concoctions did not elude him.

"Now finish up. We have a long way to go and we gotta get started when there's daylight. Gets darker earlier in the forest, after all," Gilda said, standing up from her plate and heading upstairs. "I'll get my gear."

"Your gear?" Spike said as he took another bite of the meal, turning around to give the gryphoness a questioning look.

"Twilight sent it over for me. You may have scales, but I have fur and feathers. Gotta keep my hide protected," Gilda responded, her voice fading as she went further up the stairs and down the hall.

Minutes later, after Spike had finished his meal and had a bit of small-talk with Zecora, he heard the clanking of what sounded like armor. Sure enough, Gilda came down the steps a bit louder, but no slower than before. "Been a while, but it all checks out," she said as she entered the room, clad in armor.

Affixed to her body was a specially designed suit of armor, much like something ponies might wear. Chainmail draped over the back and hooked to either side across the belly, with slots in the side for a gryphon's wings to fit through. Along her forelegs, the gryphoness wore ordinary leather pads on both knees and shins, with metal tips upon her claws. And for her hind legs, platemail armor adorned her to provide that extra bit of protection she might need.

"You look.." Spike said, his jaw hanging open.

"Awesome, right?" Gilda cut him off to say, a grin appearing along with her new-found confidence. She seemed quite a bit more noble in a suit of armor, and rightly so. She carried herself better than a soldier and lighter than an archer. It was no wonder gryphons were revered for their strength if they could walk so easily in something like that.

"Yeah! Where'd you even get all this?" the dragon asked, amazed at the sheer quality of the metalworking.

"A gift from a friend, you could say. When they retired, I took up their gear. It's saved me from more than a few scraps," Gilda answered, her expression teetering on the edge of cocky.

With Gilda in her gear and Spike energized, the two decided it would be best to head out. Grabbing Spike his bag from the front door, Zecora left them both with a simple warning before they head out onto the trail.

"A warning you should know before you pack up and go: trust your mind, as your eyes do not know. The forest is changing and its residents move, so your strength and your wit you may have to prove," she said, her voice clear and her expression stern. It left Spike with a sense of dread, but he nodded all the same.

"Thank you for everything, Zecora. I'll have Twilight send over a few things you might be interested in," Spike said, bending down to give the zebra a friendly hug around the neck, to which she happily returned.

"Catch you around, Zecora. You'll have to show me those hot springs you like so much when we get back," Gilda said, bowing her head formally to Zecora. The zebra seemed all-too-familiar with the gesture, as she placed her hoof over her heart instantly, as if instinctively. "Maybe we can invite Spike and see if he's up for a good time," she finished a bit less formally, nudging Spike in his ribs playfully.

The term "hot springs" brought more than a few images to Spike's mind that made his mind swirl and turn on itself, and he had to take a moment just to clear out his head before trying to focus. Gilda's flirting seriously threw him off.

"Take care, Zecora," Spike said, rolling his eyes with a smile at Gilda before the two exited the hut and took off for the trail leading further into the Everfree. Sometime down the road, he turned to Gilda and said, "You really like to flirt, you know that?"

The gryphoness gave a hearty laugh and shrugged, saying, "Guilty as charged. You just gotta play along, is all. That's how the real fun begins."

"Somehow I'm getting a few different meanings from you when you say 'fun'. Wonder why," Spike said jokingly, his tone cheery. Another laugh from the gryphoness let him know he hit his mark, and for some reason it made him feel a bit happier than usual. Something was special about making Gilda laugh, to Spike. Maybe it was due to her long history, but it just felt oddly rare.

Whatever the case, the two were finally on the road. With map in-hand and bag-over-shoulder, Spike was ready to face this daunting forest and anything it could throw at him. And with Gilda by his side, who knows?

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

Chapter 6

The Everfree, despite all of its mystery and all of the rumors surrounding it, was actually immensely beautiful. Its ever-unknown radius and inner workings served to add to its equally entrancing charm and allure. Spike could see why adventurers, scouts, and even tha casually curious creature might wander into this place.

What he also noticed was how many threats they had come across just in the beginning. On more than one occasion, the dragon found himself pressing a palm to the gryphoness only moments before she may have wandered into a deceivingly deep hole, or felt the pull of a clawed hand saving him from wandering into a nearly invisible web of thorns, their colors camouflaged into the wood itself of the surrounding trees.

"We've got to be careful," Gilda kept warning him, but maybe also telling herself that just as much as she was reminding him. He might become annoyed with her if she wasn't the only thing keeping him sane in this dark, solitary place. The two would swap small chat every now and again, with Spike exchanging his stories for hers along the way.

It was that rare moment when it all went near-silent that Spike realized something unusual. Besides the crackling of leaves, twigs, and plants left in Gilda and Spike's wake, it was as if there were no other sounds within the forest. Keeping track of time, Spike realized it couldn't have been more than a few hours since the two had left Zecora's hut, and yet this section of forest seemed almost devoid of life. There wasn't a bird, squirrel, wolf, or even spider to be found.

"You noticing what I'm noticing," Spike asked quietly, directing his words towards Gilda as his eyes darted around in a search for wildlife.

"We're alone," Gilda confirmed, but her tone sounded a bit more worried than accepting. "Keep your guard up," she added, her armor shifting ever so slightly as she stepped over a fallen branch.

He understood why he should keep his guard up, but the way she said that made Spike's anxiety level raise just a tad bit. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying not to let fear get the best of him. Twilight had once told him that fear was the mind-killer. If you lose against fear, you're setting yourself up for failure.

Walking here in a dark forest surrounded by an eerie silence and only one friend to guard him however, fear was something that was ready to be released through the young drake's mind. Fortunately, Gilda was quick to fill the silence with an explanation, though he didn't quite know if it would help in the long run.

"It could be nothing, but it could be bad," she began. "Usually when you find a forest empty, it was just hunted in. Either by ponies, gryphons, dragons, or even the local wildlife. It's only the latter if that creature was the apex predator, however. It means that something is on the prowl here, and we're not 'in-the-know' about it."

She finished the statement with a playful swat of her tail against Spike's leg, making him gasp for air and jump. The gryphoness released a bout of laughter that echoed through the trees, and Spike swore he heard the fluttering of wings off in the distance. "Hey, look at that. It's nothing to worry about, and I got a good scare out of you."

Spike tossed an annoyed glare down at the gryphon, but couldn't hold it for very long when he saw just how delighted she looked at the fact. He had to admit that it was a small victory, and that the day was filled with such victories with the two travelling beside one another.

Another thing that put his mind at-ease wasn't just how casual the gryphoness looked, but the exact opposite. She looked a little shaken up, maybe even slightly scared. If someone as experienced and well-traveled as Gilda could show a bit of fear, Spike could only rationalize that what he was feeling wasn't cowardice, but rather a natural reaction.

Something about that whole notion just made the whole forest seem a bit brighter in his eyes. Tossing another glance towards Gilda, he noticed she was looking away, over at some peculiar flowers off in the distance. Spike made a note of the flower-patch on the map he was crudely etching out, but then directed his attention back to Gilda.

There was something aesthetically pleasing about gryphons that Spike had never actually noticed. Maybe it was their naturally confident stance or the way they held themselves when speaking, but he found himself examining Gilda closer than he had before. With the armor on, she looked as if she belonged to a royal guard. Maybe she could even pass for royalty herself, had she not had such a rough past to back up her words.

But past all of her troubles and shortcomings, he saw that Gilda, in all of her brashness and misunderstandings, was actually rather kind. Even now, she had tried to reassure him of their safety by explaining away his worries. Sure she also pranked him and nearly caused his scales to jump off his skin, but he could feel that she meant well. A bit of playfulness kind of seemed as if it was in Gilda's nature, and he found himself becoming quite fond of it.

"Something on your mind, Scales?" Gilda asked as she stopped looking off into the distance, bringing the dragon back to his senses and caused him to stammer out a simple "What?" in reply. "You seem lost in thought. Feels like you're thinking pretty hard about something," she stated, tossing him a casual look of concern mixed with curiosity.

"Oh, yeah. I was just thinking, uh.. Nevermind, actually. That sounds kinda weird in my head," Spike said with a nervous laugh, backing out of her questioning as gently as he could. But with the silence all around them and the long trip ahead, there wasn't exactly a conversation-piece he could draw her attention to and she quickly pushed forward.

"Oh, now I have to hear it. Weird statements make for the best conversation," she claimed with a sly smirk, only to quickly add, "Watch yourself." Bringing his mind into focus, Spike noticed a branch was about to meet his face quite squarely, and had a kneejerk reaction to pull his head back and swing under it.

"Thanks. That's kind of exactly the thing I was getting at," he said, minding his surroundings a bit more carefully as he continued along with the conversation. "Has anyone ever told you how.. Nice you are?" He didn't know if nice was the correct word to use here, considering his past with her, but he couldn't quite find any other to describe what he was feeling about the gryphoness.

"Laying it on thick here, huh? If you wanted to flirt you just had to say something!" she responded with a wide grin and a lighter bounce in her step. "Though, I guess ya just did, huh?" she added with a shrug and a tilt of her head.

"Not like that. Or maybe a bit like that? I don't know - words tend to fail me when I try to compliment others," he said, giving in to the awkwardness that were his conversation skills. Rubbing the back of his head, he gave a pause before continuing and found himself using his hands to gesture a bit more, "I mean, Rainbow Dash probably would've let me walk head-on into that branch just for a laugh. Because she knows me and my scales could take it, and it would be a harmless prank. But you immediately recognized it and called it out. You've been doing that all day.

"Huh. I guess it's just reflexes, really," Gilda rationalized. "I've had a lot of clumsy squad mates in the past - some even clumsier than you!" she jested, her backhanded-compliment hitting Spike softly. He gave a quick laugh along with her, and she continued, "I dunno. I just want to make sure you and I get out safe, really. Oh and to answer your question: no. Not many folks call me 'nice'."

She said that last bit with a bit of a smile, and Spike could tell she meant no malice by it. But still, Spike felt like she deserved a bit more than what she got. He'd have to make a note to improve upon that, should he and Gilda remain friendly after all of this was over.

"When we get out of this, I'm gonna make sure the others know how nice you are. You deserve that much, at least," he said in a sudden moment of determination. He didn't have much in terms of wealth or experience, but he knew he could make his friends happy. Counting Gilda amongst those friends would be wonderful, in his opinion.

"You're so cheesy," she answered with a quick laugh and a last smile, shaking her head slightly. He expected some other form of argument, or maybe some flirting to accompany that, but nothing ever came. Or rather, no words came; it was very small, and Spike almost missed it, but he found Gilda walking just a little bit closer to him.

It was true that he was cheesy, and he wouldn't even try to deny it. "Guilty as charged," he said with a shrug. "But all the ladies love the cheesy types."

"Do they now? I guess you'll have to introduce me to these lady-friends of yours so I can show them a thing or two," Gilda said, joining on on the fun as quickly as she left it. Never one to leave someone hanging, it seemed.

Tilting his head back, Spike's smile slowly lessened until it was transformed into a confused frown. "Hey," he said, rubbing his eyes to clarify that he was seeing this correctly.

"Yeah?" Gilda said, her expression matching his as she looked up into the trees and stopped in her tracks, Spike soon following suit. "Wait, what?"

"You're seeing this too, right?" Spike asked, his voice now just above a mumble as he gave the treeline a good look. Darkness was settling. It wasn't even a full morning since setting out, and yet the night was settling in. Sunlight had begun to fade and the cold was already seeping through Spike's scales.

"Whatever the case, it doesn't matter. We've got to find wood for a fire - and fast. From what I hear, dragon's aren't exactly the most adaptable to the cold," Gilda commented, gripping  few twigs in a claw and scouting out a place to camp. "There," she said, pointing the clenched fist towards a slightly open patch of land. It wasn't suspiciously open, but it would suffice.

As they moved towards it, Spike realized that Gilda pointed out something rather astute about his kind. "How'd you know that?" he asked out of curiosity as he bent down to pick up a good-sized branch for fire. "Most people assume dragon's have their fire to keep themselves warm all the time."

Gilda gave another one of her shrugs and said, "I read a few books before taking up the contract. I figured I would need to know a few things about you if I was gonna keep us both alive. Looks like it came in handy."

She gave Spike a genuine smile that made his heart skip a beat when she said that last part, and it took him a second to find the right words to say.  "I guess it did. Anything I should know about gryphons?"

"Well, you already know one thing. Our feathers are extra-warm. So you and I are probably gonna have to do a repeat of last night if you're gonna stay warm out here," she said as she reached out for the branches in Spike's hand.

Watching as she masterfully went to work crafting a campfire, Spike's mind settled on one thought. So she did remember. But that just raised even more questions in his mind. There had to be some rhyme or reason as to why she did it, but it felt like now wasn't the time to question Gilda.

"So about your fire breath," Gilda began, looking from the fire up to him. "You think you could try and help me out here?"

"I could try," Spike explained, "but you might have noticed earlier with the mug. My fire breath has magical properties. Some have fire breath, some have ice breath. My breath teleports things."

"Can it teleport living things?" she asked, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "That might be pretty useful in a bind, if so."

"I don't think so. I tried it once one a bird and.. Well, let's just say that didn't work out so well," Spike said, rubbing the back of his neck and frowning at the memory. Not one of his proudest days.

"Ouch. Sounds like a bad time. Guess we'll have to keep that tucked away for later. But for now," she said as a faint spark of light appeared under the fire. She blew a soft wind under the sticks until suddenly.. "There we go."

The embers spread slowly across the wood and soon enough, flames had engulfed it entirely. "Glorious," Gilda announced proudly, clapping her clawed hands and laughing. "Quick. Go get some more wood nearby so we can keep this baby going for a while."

Doing as he was told, it gave Spike a precious few seconds to think to himself, and he used it to assess all that was happening around him. He absentmindedly picked up sticks and wondered just what this forest was up to. He felt he had a pretty good grasp on time, and this sudden twist from day to night was more than a little worrying. It was downright strange.

He got the sinking feeling that whatever was the cause of it, it was only just beginning. The silence, the time, and even the sinking feeling that the two were lost - even if they had no true destination - was beginning to feel more and more like a plan, rather than coincidence.

"Yo, Spike! You okay?" came Gilda's voice nearby. He had stayed within viewing distance, but it was nice of her to make sure he was fine. It was touching, really. It made him feel a lot better about the situation.

Because he knew that, no matter how crazy this all got, she would have his back. And he had to make sure he had hers. "Yeah, I'm coming!" he called back, carrying the small bundle of firewood cradled in his arms.

"Wow. What'd you do, cut down a forest?" Gilda said, impressed by the haul Spike had brought in.

He set it down nearby, taking a seat beside the gryphon and letting out a sigh. A sudden thought rushed back to him how he and Twilight would have campfires like this rather often, and how Twilight would lean against him and read to the fire's light. He had to wonder at what it would be like for Gilda to do the same, and smiled at the thought.

"Kinda crazy, this place," Gilda said, staring into the fire calmly. "You know I've spent so many nights by a campfire that I never thought it'd be special for me again. But sitting here in the Everfree, in unexplored territory, with a new friend by my side.. It's nice."

Spike didn't quite know how to respond, but he learned forward and poked at the fire with his hands, adjusting a log with being burned due to his scales, and smiled. "Twilight and I used to spend a lot of nights near a campfire. Every time was nice, but this feels a little.. Different. You know? It feels better."

"Yeah, you say you're bad with words. But you have a silver tongue," Gilda said, a smile creeping its way onto her beak. She stood up and moved a bit closer to Spike, laying down casually to learn her torso against his leg and cross her forelegs. "But that's alright. I know exactly what you mean."

For a while, the two simply sat like this, enjoying the company they provided to one another without the need for words. Eventually, Spike decided to break the silence and go for broke with his complimenting. What would he have to lose?

"Why don't you get some sleep, Gilda? You got up earliest, and you've been walking around in armor. Gotta be a little tired, right?" he suggested, the gryphoness turning her attention to him and smiling in earnest. Even her eyes looked tired underneath all of that determination.

She seemed to squirm a little bit, but eventually asked, "Are you sure?"

Three words was all it took, and Spike's heart gave out a pang of mixed feelings. Her voice stirred up a mixture of sadness, happiness, and determination that pushed his voice to the back of his throat and when he spoke, all that would come out was a whisper. "Definitely," was his response, a pure smile taking its place upon his expression.

Gilda gave a soft, tired laugh before adjusting her posture so that she was leaning against Spike with her head resting upon her forelegs. Her final words before drifting off to sleep were a mumbled "Thanks, Spike." that made the young dragon let out a breathy hiss of a laugh, careful not to wake her so soon.

"No problem, Gilda. Good night," he replied, getting ready for what felt like a long wait of silence by the fire. The fact that she used his actual name, rather than his nickname, seemed like a rather good indication that the gryphoness actually had gotten tired after the confusingly short-but-at-the-same-time-long day that the two had had.

He gave one final look down at his sleeping companion and realized one simple truth about her. She was a lot better than she gave herself credit for. All of that stress and all of that sadness bearing down onto her, and she still found herself trying time and time again. To Spike, she was incredible.

And he had to show her. Either for himself or for her, but he just knew he had to. It felt beyond right in his mind, and even in his heart. He had only known her this way for two days and he knew that. Somehow, someway, he would show her.

"I promise," he said out loud, turning his attention back to the fire and settling in until she woke.

Chapter 7

The blankets over Spike's body felt impossibly comfortable. It felt like weeks since he had last slept in his soft, warm bed and the cushion of the comfortable material that lay over him was nothing short of blissful. Listening closely, he heard the gentle in-and-out patterns of a sleeping body beside him and turned to find a resting gryphoness by his side in the bed, curled up against him with her back turned.

He couldn't help but smile at the sight - he had seen it dozens of times over and still it made him happy to know his newly acquired friend could rest so easily thanks to his company. For just a few moments, he lay there in silent contemplation, looking back on the recent events. Everything had passed by so quickly and so easily that it hadn't even seemed that bad whilst they were in the Everfree. He and Gilda had bonded over the few days they were there, he had kept on gathering data on the various landmarks around the mysterious forest, and then they went back to Zecora's hut to report their findings.

In retrospect, it was all a bit too easy. It was as if the trip had never happened at all. He gave a laugh at the thought, which apparently was just enough to awaken the sleeping gryphoness at his side. "Hey," she said softly, rolling over to look him in the face. Her expression, however, worried Spike. It was nothing short of terror, and aside from her tone it seemed as if she was truly afraid.

"What's wrong?" he asked sincerely, rolling over to face her entirely. She responded with silence. "Gilda?" he asked quietly, tapping her shoulder. Upon doing this, she reacted so quickly that Spike jumped at her response.

"Wake up," she said with the same horrified expression. All of a sudden, the warmth and comfort of his home began to give way to the cold and unforgivably uncomfortable feeling of dread and confusion. The air felt as if winter had overtaken Ponyville in a matter of seconds and Spike wondered whether or not some insane occurrence was overtaking his hometown once again.

"Spike, come on. You have to wake up," Gilda said sternly, shaking the young dragon a bit more vigorously. When his eyes shot open and he gave a start, Gilda gave an expression composed of both relief and worry. "Oh, thank goodness. C'mon."

"What's happening?" he asked groggily, trying to take in his surroundings all at once. It was like he had been dropped into some foreign country - everything looked different from before. And not just because they were in the Everfree Forest, if he recalled correctly; everything looked different. "Where are we?"

"I don't know, but we have to get you moving," she said as she stood and forcibly moved Spike onto his feet. The air felt like it was composed of invisible ice, and he suddenly realized that the fire was completely gone.

"The fire?" Spike asked shortly as a chill took over his body, causing him to shiver slightly in a futile effort to warm himself up. He could faintly make out Gilda's expression - it looked just like the face in his dream, and for some reason that only served to send another chill down his spine.

"Gone. I have no idea how this happened, but-" she began, taking notice of Spike's condition through bumping into him in the darkness. "We have to get a new fire going. Now," she said, her tone far beyond the casual demeanor Spike had become accustomed to. This was her mercenary-side speaking. Survival-mode had kicked in.

"Hold on," Spike said through his trembling, words shaking along with his body. He focused for a moment, then felt his body raising a strong heat through his body. He bellowed out a controlled, moderate flame and kept it blowing, much to his approval, and it gave him a moment to survey his surroundings. The warmth felt incredibly good and it gave the two a chance to reacquaint themselves with the area.

"Oh, you're too useful," Gilda said with a quick laugh. Through his steady blowing, Spike smiled slightly and tried not to laugh. He would tell her not to joke around if it weren't for him keeping them both safe from the elements.

He was right. Nothing was the same. The little stockpile Gilda had made just before allowing Spike to sleep after her had disappeared, and the fire pit Spike had dug out and constructed was also missing. Not only that, but there seemed to be.. something in the distance, just beyond the treeline.

"Spike," Gilda said very softly. Another chill down Spike's spine. Her tone had shifted from approving back to fearful in only a second. Then he saw it. She was staring at something rather close.

And it was staring back.

"RUN!" came the command, and then it was as if Tartarus itself had been unleashed upon the Everfree. Spike immediately obeyed, having been spun around by Gilda and following her as she bolted the opposite direction. Howling, scratching, cracking of branches and leaves. They were being hunted, Spike quickly realized.

Only one thing tended to howl like that when it came to the Everfree: Timberwolves. And from the sound of it, several of them were hot on their trail. In the darkness, it was all Spike could do to keep up with Gilda and not trip over his feet at the same time. He had taken to dropping onto all fours in order to keep up with her, using all of his brute strength to match her years of experience. Every so often, he would belt out a large flame to reorient both of them with the area.

"There! Keep running!" Gilda said, taking a sharp turn towards what looked like a clearing in the treeline. With any luck, the moonlight would give them a bit of a fighting chance against what now sounded like dozens of predators following them.

Suddenly, Spike realized something horrifying - they could truly be overrun here. Maybe not Gilda, considering she had only to bolt into the air as soon as they found an opening in the trees, but Spike had nothing to use in that regard. He was strong - all dragons were, really - but not quite strong enough to take on a pack of bloodthirsty predators dead-set on their next meal.

He could only hope that Gilda would not abandon him at the first chance. Wait, what was he thinking? Gilda had already proved she wouldn't leave his side - he woke up under her wing because she thought he was cold. If that didn't prove she was concerned for him at least as a teammate, what would? He had to trust that Gilda would pull through.

"Spike," she called back, to which he gave a quick reply. "How much do you trust me?" she said through her sprint. As they approached the opening, Spike saw the moonlight flooding into the arena-like circle of trees.

"Enough. What're you thinking?" he asked, jumping over an upturned root and then ducking just in time not to be hit by a low-lying branch. It would be fun if it weren't for the pack of timberwolves close behind. He could still hear them clawing and bashing their way through obstacles - whatever it took to catch their meal, they would do it.

There came no reply. All of a sudden, Gilda was gone. He felt the wind hit him with brute force and had to look away lest he want a face-full of leaves and dust. He looked up to see her rise out of the clearing and circle out of view. Suddenly, he felt nothing but fear. An overwhelming sense of isolation and abandonment overcame him in an instant, and if not for his impending doom he might stop to stare in disbelief.

Instead, he just kept running. He made it to the clearing. He made it into the light, and he wasn't sure if it really was much of an improvement. His eyes darted to the sky once again, but nothing could be found against the backdrop of stars and darkness. He whipped himself around just in time to dodge out of the way of a pouncing timberwolf - he had come that close to becoming prey, and he hadn't even known it.

One misstep and that was all over. He gave a breathy, disheartened laugh at the sheer insanity of it all. Spike backed away as he saw the timberwolf tumble across the ground before reorienting itself and coming in for another strike. But just as he though to dodge once again, a sickening crack made itself known as well as a brown blur slamming down into view.

"I don't think so, you overgrown twig," Gilda said angrily, panting as she got to her feet and backed up towards Spike. "Sorry about that - I had to get to the air as quick as possible."

Then Spike remembered. Gryphons didn't fight as well on the ground. They preferred to have air-superiority, and tended to dive-bomb their enemy into submission; Twilight had once explained it to him during one of her particularly enjoyable history lessons. Had he been given a moment to, he may have felt guilty at believing Gilda had abandoned him at the first opportunity. Unfortunately, he was afforded no such luxury.

"Alright, Scales. Sink or swim!" she shouted, taking to the skies but this time opting to stay within range of Spike's vision. More timberwolves poured out of the forest and, without the element of surprise, Spike was ready for them. He was a dragon. No bundle of sticks was going to beat him here - not now, not ever. If the incident on Applejack's farm was any indication, these things went down easily enough.

Off to his side, Gilda was sweeping in and tossing aside the wolves brave or foolish enough to engage her directly. Ahead of him, his first contender was making its way towards him - and fast. He let instinct take over and ducked low before pushing forward as it leapt toward him. He hit his mark, slamming into its underbelly and tossing it aside with ease.

"These things are light as a feather!" he shouted towards Gilda with a bit of joy in his tone. Finally, some good news. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. The wolf he tossed aside like a ragdoll got up angrier, however, and it didn't look like it would fall for the same trick twice. It came in low, and Spike did the only thing he could think to do on a moment's notice.

Bringing down his weight onto one open-handed strike, Spike's claws caught his would-be assailant across the head squarely. It had the desired effect, too, as the creature burst into green smoke and a pile of sticks that scattered in the direction of Spike's swipe. Brute force was definitely the way to go, then. Keeping that in mind, he took down another two wolves easily enough, suffering only a scratch or two from stumbling over roots or hitting in the wrong way. Nothing even minor for a dragon's scales, and Spike considered his thick skin a blessing.

Gilda, however, was not nearly as lucky. Spike turned his head to see Gilda swooping in towards one wolf, only for another to finally get wise enough to ambush her and tackle her out of the air from the side. She let out a yell of panic and Spike came bolting as fast as his legs might carry him.

She rolled onto her back and thrust her hind legs outwards, sending one wolf flying into the other and allowing her enough time to get onto her feet. She let out a frustrated, pained yell as she did so, however, and Spike immediately realized what had happened. With her wing extended, her flight so low, and being taken by surprise, it was the perfect storm to create the worst injury. Gilda had landed on her left wing - and hard. She stumbled towards the injury, only to be caught by Spike and propped onto her feet.

"It's alri-" she began, wincing in pain as she did. "I'm alright. Keep going. We have to." Her breathing was sharp, like she was trying not to pass out from what Spike could only imagine was indescribable pain. This complicated things, and all Spike could think to do was hold off whatever came their way. Whether that be two timberwolves or two-hundred. This was it.

Letting loose another bout of fire, he pointed it at whatever target he could in an attempt to scare off the wolves. It worked, to a degree. A few glowing eyes in the trees bolted away and did not return to their brethren. Only natural that something made of wood should be afraid of fire, he supposed.

But then it dawned on him - if he hit one of these things, and it got teleported, would he be sending a vicious predator straight into the Canterlot Castle throne room? Or would these things, made of magic themselves, simply get burned?

He was given no time to ponder, and no time to decide, of course. In the next second, everything slowed to a crawl in Spike's eyes. Adrenalin, mixed with a protective instinct over a wounded friend, took over Spike's thought process. As the two previously disabled timberwolves shook the impact that Gilda had thrown at them off, they bolted simultaneously towards Spike in a last-ditch effort.

A bright-green inferno was all that encompassed Spike's field of vision, and from behind him a shocked Gilda forced her eyes shut and turned away from the intensity of the flame. Whatever chill the Everfree air brought with it was quite literally burned away as Spike's flame spewed forth uncontrollably, incinerating the grass at their feet and utterly destroying the unfortunate timberwolves that had attacked them.

When the flames stopped coming forth and Spike came to his senses, he could do nothing but kneel from exhaustion. On his hands and knees, he coughed up what felt like shards of glass as dark green smoke came pouring forth from deep within his body. He felt the gentle, albeit shaky touch of Gilda's clawed hand upon his back, and could make out a muffled voice - he assumed it was hers. Hoped it was hers.

Rubbing away the stinging sensation in his eyes, he opened them only to blink forcefully a few times in order to clear the blurriness and tears that had set upon him in the aftermath of such a devastating attack. It seemed to have done the trick, even if Spike couldn't see it himself - no timberwolves came forth to attack them again, and now the young dragon could focus on what really mattered to him.

"Gilda," he called out, his eyes still shut and his face contorted in both frustration and pain. "Gilda, are you alright?" He reached out, waving one arm to feel for the gryphoness. Then, his claws slid across something solid and a moment later he felt two slender arms wrap around him tightly. Letting out a quick, exhausted laugh, he returned the hug happily. Perhaps more willfully than he had ever hugged someone before.

"It's okay," Gilda replied, her voice sounding just as tired as Spike felt. For a few minutes, the two sat in silence, simply enjoying that they were alive. Holding one another, sharing warmth and comfort. If only for a few seconds, they were well and truly alright. But then it all fell apart when Spike remembered Gilda's wing.

"Gilda, you're wing. What can we do?" he asked quickly, being sure to adjust his posture to support the gryphoness more generously. She shifted against him, being sure to place most of her weight to the right side of her body. As his vision cleared, Spike silently cringed at the sight. A broken wing was nothing new to him, but this seemed a tad.. extreme.

"We have to get it," she said, her voice dropping off for a moment before picking up in a shocked manner, as if she was being tugged out of a deep sleep, "Into a splint. Then we need a fire." She smiled at that, and laid her head against Spike for a moment. "You did good, Scales. Saved our hides."

Tired as he was, Spike could only tilt his head to give Gilda a pseudo-nuzzle atop her head, returning the gesture with a smile of his own. "You know, for a second I thought you were gonna fly off and leave me here."

"Yeah right," she responded in a shaky voice. "and leave you with all those cuddly puppies? Not on your life." With fortune and luxury so thin between the two of them, it was nice to know the gryphoness could muster up an honest laugh between the two of them.

"Alright," Spike said with a bit of sadness. He had to get moving, had to heal Gilda as best he could, he just had to do something. "You stay here - I won't go far. I just need to get us some firewood to keep us both warm." The chill was beginning to seep through his scales once again, and he had to be sure that he was in peak condition to take care of Gilda's wing. And whatever other injuries she might have.

"Okay. But be careful. I won't be pulling any stunts over here," she replied whilst adjusting herself to a laying position. Her wing was stiffly held out away from her, the injury on full display as she tried to keep it comfortable. Giving it one last look before turning away, he got a sense of urgency that pushed him to find something useful within the unforgiving territory around them.

But if there was one thing that there was a lot of around here, it was wood. And wood was exactly what Spike needed. "Gotta take the little victories," he told himself proudly as he gathered a bundle of fallen sticks and small logs into his arms before carrying it back towards Gilda. Not a growl or a howl was heard whilst skirting the edge of the forest, but he wanted to make sure he didn't push his limits. Get in, get out - that was how he chose to handle it.

It paid off, too, because Gilda was more than a little grateful to have the firewood as the chilling temperature seeped through her ruffled feathers. As best he could - and with a few points here and there from Gilda - Spike managed to get a decent fire going out of the materials he gathered.

"That's two times within the past hour you've saved both of us. You keep this up and I'll have to find some way to thank you," Gilda said with what Spike could only assume was a playfully seductive expression. Behind tired eyes and ruffled feathers, however, it only served to make Spike laugh hard enough to cause a surge of pain shoot through his body.

"Easy there, Scales. You and I both need some rest. Why don't you catch some shut-eye while I take care of this?" she said, nodding her head towards her broken wing. In reply, Spike boldly scooted closer to Gilda and raised his hands up to the fire.

"We're in this together, Feathers. You and me. I'll sleep after I know you're okay." His reply was honest, as was his expression as he locked eyes with her. She sat completely still for a moment before replying with a satisfying smile and a small sigh.

"Alright, but don't go pushing it. You worry me enough already," she said as she turned away, choosing to look into the fire instead. Being worried over never felt so pleasant, he found. He'd take it as a compliment.

So with a long night ahead of him, Spike settled in and prepared himself for the physical and mental strain. But after sneaking a few glances over at Gilda and finding she was doing the same, he couldn't help but let loose a smile meant only for himself. They had shared an experience that would never be forgotten by either of them, and now they shared an unspoken bond towards one another that could match those of his closest friends.

Let the Everfree throw what it might their way. Spike now had one, single, essential goal and he would see it through totally. He was going to get out of this forest, and he was going to have Gilda by his side when he did.

That was a promise.

Chapter 8

"This stinks. We stink," Gilda said weakly, a mixture of pain and fatigue washing over her body as she lay beside Spike at the campfire. He had gathered a few stray vines and her wing now lay in a pseudo-splint; while it helped with the pain to a substantial degree, it did nothing for her comfort levels. It felt stiff now, and she could tell that her armor was doing nothing to help the matter.

"Speak for yourself," Spike said with a smile, reaching in and shifting a log with his hand. "I smell like a bed of roses!"

"If roses smelt like garbage day in the slums, sure," she retorted with a half-hearted smile. She didn't have much energy left for joking but couldn't bring herself to sleep. It hadn't helped matters before and it sure wouldn't do anything for her now with a broken wing. With her luck, she'd be unconscious for some big disaster and have to be dragged away.

"You want me to help you out of your armor?" he said nonchalantly before backpedaling into a stammering, nervous tone. "I mean, not like in a romantic way. You just seem like your.. Y'know, fidgeting a lot. Sorry."

If she wasn't so tired, she might have laughed and gave a flirtatious retort. Unfortunately, Gilda only felt about three things: pain, fatigue, and sticky. "Yeah," came the quiet reply, her weight shifting off of Spike and rolling her onto her feet. She twitched subtly as her feet struggled to support the combined weight of her body and all of its accessories.

"Alright," Spike said shakily, still mentally slapping himself for not paying attention to his speech. He got to his feet and reached out, his hands hovering over her torso hesitantly until he realized something rather important. "I have no idea what I'm doing here, Gilda."

"There's a buckle on the underside. Had to stand up. Sit back down, unbuckle the buckle. Oughta come off," she said, speaking in short bursts as her energy slowly seeped from her bones the longer she stood up peering into the forest. Any moment now, she expected something to come to them. To finish them off. To start something else.

But as she heard the clinking and clacking of buckles being undone, felt the weight of her armor being gently - she'd have to thank Spike for that - lifted off of her back, she couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. She opened her mouth to thank Spike, but all that came out was "Tha-" before she dropped like a stone, face-first towards the fire.

Her vision swirled as she felt herself being pulled away, a muffled "Woah!" coming from her side before all went silent. The moon was the final sight before darkness rightfully claimed her thoughts, sleep overtaking her. This left a rather confused and uncomfortable dragon in a bit of a predicament, however.

Spike now had what seemed to be a living, breathing boulder lying atop his chest. While this wouldn't be a problem normally, as he could just roll the perpetrator over and off of him, he didn't believe such a thing might be too good of an idea, given Gilda's condition. He had been silently wishing for her to sleep for what seemed like hours now, and she had finally collapsed - quite literally - from exhaustion.

On the other hand, she was also pressing down onto his chest with dead weight. With a sudden pang of fear, he held extremely still - he needed to know if Gilda's dead weight didn't mean a dead gryphon. After hearing shallow breaths and feeling her ribs press into him gently repeatedly, he let out his held breath in relief and happiness.

"Okay," Spike said determinedly. With just over a crawl of a speed, Spike wrapped his arms around Gilda and slowly shifted to sit upwards. He could feel heat rushing to his face as the thought of just how close he was bringing her, but it didn't slowly him down. Cradling her head to him and holding her body still, namely her wing, he shifted her posture until she laid across his lap and he could safely set her down.

Then he worked on maneuvering his legs and scooting over until her head was supported by his thigh, with her torso only partially leaning onto him. It took some effort and he was now panting due to the precision and strength it required to make it all work, but she seemed genuinely comfortable as she slept atop him. Behind him he felt something brush against his tail and he whipped his head around instinctively to check for danger.

Greeting him was an unusual sight, but nothing to be afraid of. Gilda's tail, with its bushy tip and furry length, was twitch slightly as it bumped into the scaly obstacle that was Spike's tail. His expression softened and he let out a half-relieved and half-amused chuckle. On a whim, he moved his tail to worm its way under Gilda's and twined around it carefully; to his surprise, her tail ceased its twitching and he heard a soft murmur come from the sleeping gryphoness.

When he looked down to check on her, thinking she had either woken up or become uncomfortable, he found only that she had the faintest hint of a smile on her beak, its corners raised ever-so-slightly. Taking another glance at their entwined tails, Spike gave another short laugh, tilting his head at the oddity.

"Wonder what's up with that," he asked the empty air around him. Nothing could be heard, save the soft breathing of the gryphoness below him, a crackling fire, and a very faint breeze brushing through the trees. Oddly enough, he felt at peace here. Despite the insanity that had overcome both he and his companion, Spike felt rather comfortable just sitting here by the fire with Gilda.

He also noticed how often he looked back on a day's events when he was left with nothing to do. Maybe it was something Twilight had taught him, or perhaps it was just something he taught himself how to do when the hours grew longer and the times grew calmer. In any case, it wasn't anything short of entertaining for the young dragon, so he couldn't rightly complain.

He went on this way for any number of hours - it had felt like two to Spike, but as he saw the beginnings of light peering over the dark horizon of trees, he realized he may have misjudged. Then he remembered just how quickly the day had passed before. Giving a glance towards Gilda and then back towards the light of day, he gave a quick groan before making a split-second decision.

"Gilda. Hey," he said softly, nudging her shoulder with minimal force. He didn't want to wake her, truly - he wished he could leave her there in her blissful rest for as long as she needed. But they needed to use the daylight to their advantage. The timberwolves wouldn't stay away forever, and who knows what else would be out in the forest lying in wait for them.

"Hey," he said, leaning a bit closer. As she began to stir, he smiled in greeting her. "Hey there," he whispered. Her eyes slowly opened and he could see the gears beginning to turn within her eyes. Suddenly she gave a gasp and jerked her body, pain obviously shooting throughout her body.

"Woah, woah, chill out. It's okay," he said as he laid a hand across her chest and slowly laid her back down onto his lap. Ignoring the heat rising back to his face, he gave priority to the gryphoness' safety over his own comfort. "You've been asleep for a few hours now. The sun is rising, though. We should get moving."

Gilda's breathing slowly returned back to normal, reverting back from the pained panting that she had brought on by moving her body in just the wrong way, bending her wing. Her eyes opened again, focusing beyond the adrenalin brought on by pain. "I'm good," she repeated a few times, raising her head and rolling off of Spike's lap carefully. If she had a comment upon Spike's choice of a pillow, she didn't let it be known.

Spike watched as Gilda regained her bearings, blinking her eyes shut tightly a few times as she adjusted to the change in brightness. "Yeah, you're.. Right," she said, her voice dropping suddenly as she took on an expression resembling an animal caught in the path of a train.

Following her gaze, Spike's eyes rested upon his tail wrapped around her own. "Oh! Sorry about that," he said casually, moving his tail to slither off of her's. Immediately the bushy tip of Gilda's tail disappeared from view as she pulled it back around her, out of sight. She seemed to be looking everywhere but at Spike and he could only think to ask what was wrong.

"The, uh.. The tail thing," she stammered, her voice uncharacteristically shaky. "That, for gryphons, is uh.. Well, you know how we have beaks?" He nodded. "And you know how you need lips to.. Well, to uh, to kiss?" He nodded, this time a bit more slowly as he clenched some grass underneath him. She knew he knew and could partially feel the heat radiating off of his body from being so close.

"I am so.. So, sorry," he said sincerely, his voice dropping to something of a mixture between mumbling and whispering. It was evident he understood the gravity of the situation, but Gilda figured that it wouldn't exactly be fair to torture the dragon - he hadn't known, after all.

"It's okay," she blurted out perhaps a bit more quickly than she meant to. "I mean, you didn't know, right?"

His reply was instantaneous, nervous, and utterly confusing. "I promise I didn't, Gilda. If I had, I wouldn't have - I mean, I'm not saying that I wouldn't.. Do that, but I didn't mean to. And I, uh.. I'm just gonna be quiet and find us something to.. Yeah."

Spike turned away and visibly shook at the hands and knees as he walked towards the woods to try and do.. Whatever it is he intended to do. She had to admit that his flustered speech was kinda cute - in its own confused way. Like someone who.. Inadvertently kissed her without realizing what he was doing. Yeah, there weren't many things that could top that in her mind.

In any case, she did have to get moving before she got too comfortable sitting here in wait. Struggling to her feet, she slowly and carefully stretched her limbs until she heard various poppings, felt the comfortable pulling of muscles, and gave a slight groan as she woke herself up. With a subtle limp, she followed after the dragon and called, "Wait up! I can't move nearly that fast."

He spun around mid-step, nearly tripping over himself as he rushed back towards her. He began to apologize but caught himself before he could, settling instead on, "You shouldn't be up yet."

"You just said we should get moving. And it's true," Gilda said truthfully, catching him in his own logic. She caught his glance and shrugged, "Forget the armor. I can always get another set. We won't be able to buy more daylight, and who knows how long this day will last."

"But-" he began, but saw her expression. It was something he hadn't ever seen on her face before - something he truly never did expect to see. Her eyes matched her expression, and she was pleading with him. He caught his complaint in his throat, stammered a bit, but dropped his shoulders and sighed.

"You know I'm right," she stated obviously. Then, seeing his expression of concern, she reached over and nuzzled him affectionately - appearances be damned. It was all she needed to do to let him know it was okay, and it seemed to do the trick. He perked up quickly and exhaled quickly as he became more determined.

"First thing's first, then. We need some water," he said with finality, reaching his full height and full attention. Gilda realized how simple his emotions could be sometimes, but also realized that that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Maybe - just maybe - she could get used to this kind of thing.

Only time would tell.

Chapter 9

Hours of searching. Or what seemed like hours. With their throats dry and their limbs tired, Spike figured they would only last a few more minutes before either one of them collapsed from one thing or another. "What I wouldn't do for just one drink. I'd take a hay shake at this point," he vocalized his desperation, hearing a dry and tired groan from behind him. He assumed it was Gilda trying to laugh, but found no merriment in her tone. She sounded as if she were near-death. If a miracle was to happen, it needed to happen soon.

He stopped walking for a moment and heard Gilda do the same behind him. "You alright?" she asked worriedly, but weakly.

"Look at that," he said, pointing out a particularly live tree. Leaves, vines, brush; all signs that pointed to a nearby water source. "There's got to be some kind of water nearby. And if that tree isn't oozing purple slime I say it's worth a shot. Come on," he said, his voice more energized. But despite his growing excitement, he could see the gryphoness was at her limits. Now he had a choice.

He could leave her to rest here whilst he went and searched for food and water, or he could try and help her along. His mind flashed back to the clearing, back to the fighting, and back to their "moment" beside the campfire. The latter choice won by a landslide. "Come on," he said softly as he moved back towards her. Gilda's expression hardly changed but he could see the apparent confusion on her face as he shifted up to her side and got low enough for his belly to touch the ground.

"What are you doing?" she asked, oblivious to his apparent plan to help her. All she saw was the dragon laying on the ground next to her. Did he plan on taking a nap? Not that she was opposed to a little sleep, but still - this was hardly the place or time.

"Lay your forelegs across my neck. You'll only have to use your hind legs to walk so it'll save you enough energy until we find the stream, or pond, or whatever is up ahead," he said confidently, looking up at her with determination in his eyes. What he saw staring back was a bit less positive however. Indignation. Wounded pride. Maybe even anger.

"I'm not letting you carry me, Spike," she said with a bit more wind in her sails. "I'm not a damsel in distre-" she began, but stumbled as her head went light and her vision began spinning. Using up whatever energy she had left, she muttered her distaste but made no further comment as she found herself draped over Spike's shoulders. His frills dug into her chest but not in a painful way; the pain was coming from her pride, not her flesh.

"No, you're not. You're pretty much our best bet of getting out of here alive, actually," he retorted, trying to repair her blatantly wounded dignity. Gryphons were infamous for their boastful attitudes and highly prideful nature - it was no surprise that Gilda would hold a bit of that trait within her. His mind wandered back to the night in Zecora's hut as he remembered the promise he had made to her, to make her life a bit happier by any means necessary.

"Besides," he groaned as he stood onto all fours and lifted his weight along with hers, "I already promised myself I'd help get us both out of here. It's my turn to get a little dirty for a change!"

"We're both dirty. Need a bath," Gilda shot back. Well if her joking nature was gone before, it was thankfully temporary. Spike could hear the playful undertone of her voice behind the low volume and grips of fatigue upon her throat. "Maybe preening," she let slip, to which Spike kind of recoiled.

"I thought that was sort of a.. Private matter? Rainbow Dash treats it like a forbidden ritual," he panted as she dragged himself slowly over the crunching leaves and twigs underfoot. The leaves served only to give him confidence, though - he was close.

"Too tired to care," Gilda responded with an airy, dry laugh. "Cover your eyes if it bothers ya," she said with a weak shrug, which he felt across his own shoulders. It was liked she had been sapped of any and all life in her bones and was barely holding on. He wondered if she would fall asleep on his back and was about to ask if she needed a break when he heard it.

Trickling, like a whisper of life running over a bed of rocks. A stream. He had found a stream! Of water!

"Gilda! Gilda, do you hear that?" he asked, but only got a mumble in reply. He couldn't tell if she was agreeing or not but that didn't matter. Soon, he could provide her with enough water that she would be up and about, good as new.

Using any and all of his senses that might help him, Spike tracked down the source of the water until he came upon the smallest of puddles. That was all he needed. It was hardly bigger than his hand, but it would suffice to test it. Dipping a claw into the pool, he was overjoyed to find that when he pulled it back out, a claw was indeed still there. So he knew it wasn't harmful to him or his scales. It was another matter, of course, if it might harm his tongue or Gilda's hide.

Pressing on in search of a larger source, Spike found bigger, grander puddles. Every so often he would test another, only to find the same effect - nothing bad happened. It all seemed like normal water. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted fog - no, mist. He spotted steam.

Gilda let out a soft groan of displeasure as Spike twisted suddenly and nearly bolted for the source of the water, but he hardly had time to apologize. He had realized quite a while ago the severity of the situation and was too focused on helping Gilda to pay attention to Gilda.

It slowed him down only momentarily when he thought of how crazy that sounded.

He bent down towards the water, hearing Gilda gasp as she nearly dove face-first into the pool of hot water. "Wait!" he said a bit too loudly, his voice echoing around them through the trees as she reached out and held her back. Her beak was wide open and her eyes were filled with both confusion and anger at having been denied her desire.

"I need to check if it's okay to drink, first. We don't know if the water is safe, and my stomach is a bit stronger than yours," he explained carefully, realizing how selfish he sounded. Slowly her beak closed, but the look never left her eyes. He would have to be quick about this, he realized. Leaning in towards the water, he cupped his hands together like a bowl and scooped up a bit of water, dipping his more fragile tongue into the small pool that he created. After a few moments, he took a sip of the life-giving substance and concluded that he had indeed found a miracle.

"Perfect. You can't just dive into the pool, though. Take it easy and drink your fill, but slow.. And you can't hear me," he sighed as he watched Gilda shove her face under the water in an attempt to gulp down as much as she could handle. After just a few seconds she came up coughing, but with a smile on her face.

"Oh, shut up," a bout of sputtering coughs, "you know you're thirsty too. Let's drink." She went at it more slowly this time and Spike realized he actually was thirsty. He hadn't realized just how thirsty he was until he tried to swallow and it felt like he had drank needles out of a broken glass.

Preferring a bit of a slower method, however, he made another bowl with his hands and brought it up to his face to sip at the water carefully. Soon he found Gilda doing the same, and shared with her another moment of joy. They had found water, at last, and it was safe. They were safe - if only for the moment. Food would have to come soon, but that would be a lot easier than finding a source of water. He would have to guard this location dearly.

After the two had had their fill, Spike thought back to Gilda's previous statement. The pool was rather large. They could bathe in one side and drink from another; it wouldn't keep out any contamination, but at least the filth would sink from their bodies and down to one side of the pool.

So, with barely contained excitement, Spike asked, "So. Who's got dibs on the first bath?" It was a rhetorical question of course - he was going to insist that she take the first bath anyway. He was content just to sit on his haunches and relax for a bit. The rays of sunshine coming through the trees and warmth from the sauna-like pool filled him with a radiant comfort that made him just want to sleep - something which he remembered that he had not done in over a day.

"About that," Gilda said quietly, wiping a bit of water away from her beak with a forearm. "I'm gonna kinda.. Need some help. I was hoping you and I could.. Y'know. Share a bath?" She looked back at him with trepidation in her eyes. It was clear she wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea, but that she meant it.

It made total sense to Spike, but that didn't make it any less awkward. He hadn't known about the gesture with their tails, and he still didn't quite know what preening meant to gryphons, but he did know that sharing a bath with another creature was a bit of a step up from "casual friends". You were either family or you were intimate at that point.

This understanding did little in the way of comfort for him, and he made that rather clear through his muttering speech. HE stumbled over his words and thoughts alike before finally settling on a shaky, "Alright."

"Relax, lover-boy. We're not exactly having a makeout session. I just need you to reach places I can't. Way too tired and way too sore to get to my back or my uh.. My wings," she explained, looking away and rubbing the side of her neck. If she could blush, Spike might have noticed that she felt as if she had been lit on fire. Thankfully, feathers did wonders at hiding such things.

Spike explained his earlier thoughts and, having agreed to it, Gilda and the young dragon half-limped their way over to the other side of the pool. Spike was the first to ease himself in. When no tentacles, monsters or otherwise terrifying creatures came grabbing at him, he deemed it safe enough to lower himself in further. The warm water easing between his tired scales did wonders for his relaxation, and he couldn't help but let out a satisfied groan of relief as the tension eased its way through his muscles. It was a good, tired pain that signified he was finally resting.

He caught Gilda's expression, her eyebrows arched and her beak curled up as she stifled a laugh at his relaxed nature. "Don't knock it 'till you try it," he said with a hand held out, ready to take hers and ease her into the pool beside him. She took it after a moment, still not looking him in the face as she gingerly stepped her way into the pool, wincing slightly as the warm water found its way beyond her feathers and to her more sensitive hide.

After laying herself down with just her head above the water, however, relaxation found its way to her just as easily. She let out a mixture of a tired laugh and a grateful moan as the pain that had made its home within her exhausted body made its way outwards. Even her wing's pain had slightly subside now that it was being supported by the calm waters of the pool.

"Gotta hand it to you, Scales. You know how to treat a lady," she joked with half-lidded eyes, the comforts of the water making its way through her body. "But now comes the fun part. Imma need you to help wash my back first, 'cause there's not a chance that I could reach it."

"Not a problem," he boasted confidently, even with his hands slightly trembling at the thought of it. When he rationalized it, however, he figured it would be just like any other back massage that he had given. Just with a bit of water. And extremely close proximity. And a bit of some unsolved mysteries swirling through his head.

When he laid his hands onto Gilda's back, he felt her muscles twitch beneath his touch immediately. She looked away and closed her eyes, trying to relax as best she could for the oncoming awkwardness that was invading her feelings. He worked as he usually did; back and forth, back and forth, in a rhythm that was designed to soothe aching muscles - something that Gilda had plenty of.

"I'm a gryphon, Scales, not a show-pony. Dig in with those claws if you want to make some headway," Gilda suggested over her shoulder softly. It was true, she was enjoying the treatment, but her hide was a bit too tough to just be pressed on until it got better. She required a bit of a stronger touch.

Then, as per her orders, Spike dug his claws in a little bit. He had to move them just right so as to not slice into her hide, but he had done this at least a dozen times before. He wasn't exactly a pro, but he was surely no novice. And judging from the soft sighs coming from the gryphon under his touch, she would be likely to agree with him. He worked the water into and over her hide, washing away grime and filth that had accumulated upon her after the perilous journey through the forest.

"Where'd you learn this?" mumbled a content Gilda, barely keeping her head bobbing above the water as the pain was kneaded from her bones by the dragon's touch. "Seems like something that might make someone popular," she added with a smirk, happy to return to her old jokes.

"I taught myself, actually. Twilight tends to get tense when she stresses out, and that tends to be almost all the time," he explained with a smile and a shrug. "I figured I could help her out a bit if I took up the practice and it just kinda stuck. And yeah, it hasn't exactly made me any enemies."

"With friends like you, who needs enemies?" she replied, looking back at Spike, his expression changing to that of a wide grin with his hands still working their magic. Soon enough, he moved to different areas along her back. She noticed he was polite in his workings, though; he never spent much time on a spot he thought to be "forbidden". Her flanks, the base of her tail, the base of her wings. If he thought it to be too intimate, he made it obvious.

"Alright, champ. Now comes the fun part. I need you to help me preen the feathers on my wings," she said, motioning for his hands to pull back as she shifted her weight and sat up. With a wince of pain she extended both wings - including the injured one, with a bit of trouble - and demonstrated how many feathers she had. "Now since you're entirely new to this, I won't have you adjusting any of them or anything of that sort. We're just gonna be doing a touch-up."

Spike silently nodded and audibly confirmed he was listening when asked if he understood as she explained the different methods of how grooming worked with a gryphon's wings. From what he understood, he'd be picking through each feather for dust, dirt, and general gunk that had accumulated. What he didn't know was why this was so sacred an activity; fortunately, this was the next step that Gilda explained.

"Every foreign touch onto my feathers and wings sends a tingling down my spine. It's like tickling, sorta. But a bit more.. Well, you know. Better," she rationalized, her voice dropping off at the end. He understood well enough to know that this was going to be quite the interesting experience, at least.

Mentally steeling himself against whatever awkwardness this might bring, Spike settled in for the job. At least the water was warm enough that his blushing didn't make much difference in the temperature. There was always a bright side.

Chapter 10

"Alright. So how does this work?" Spike asked nervously, not sure where to place his hands while idle. He settled upon leaving them at the base of either one of Gilda's wings, with his fingers lightly rapping against them every few seconds. Having been alerted to just how unusual and intimate this experience was about to be, he couldn't help but fidget a little as he sat in the warm waters.

"There's no telling how much dust and dirt is trapped in my feathers, what with me slamming right into the ground with one of them." Gilda explained as she tried to stall the awkward experience as long as possible. Maybe, by some miracle, her wings might magically clean themselves or a rescue party would emerge. When no such thing came, she continued, "I just need you to use your claws to sift the filth out of 'em."

"I'm guessing that doesn't mean I just run my hands down your wing," Spike half-heartedly joked. There was no masking the audible shaking in his voice, and the nervousness he felt was palpable. It left a sour taste in his mouth and he might laugh if he wasn't inexplicably afraid. "I'll admit that I'm a little worried about hurting your wing further."

"As long as you don't go tugging on it or my feathers I should be pretty fine. At least in the pain department," she reassured him, a heat rushing to her face as she recalled the mixture of emotions that preening might bring about. It'd take a good bit of self-control just to stay calm, she knew that much. "But that's about what it comes down to. Lean in close and look at my feathers, then run a claw through it to pick out junk. Simple stuff."

And by simple, she meant painstakingly complex and intricate. The slightest error could possibly lead to a major error and that could lead to major pain. And the slightest twitch at the wrong (or right, depending on who you ask) time can lead to certain emotions that Gilda dared not think in great detail, lest she let loose a thought that could make things rather troublesome. "Just be careful and we won't have any issues. I trust in you," she tried to reassure him, though she wasn't sure if her own shaking breath dissuaded him of that notion.

"I planned on it, don't worry. And thank you," Spike said earnestly, grateful for the duty he was assigned. He could only assume that this was something vital to any creature with feathers from the way Rainbow Dash had described it aloud one day at a picnic between she and Twilight.

With the conversation bled dry and an awkward silence hanging between the two, the young dragon set to work. Doing as Gilda instructed, Spike leaned in to get a better look at the feathers he'd be tending to. He started with her uninjured wing, favoring the healthiness as a way to get a feel for how things should be before he moved onto the more difficult wing. When she said this would be simple, he realized she was being very modest.

Every feather had a unique look to it upon closer inspection, and he could see Gilda shifting them with the faint breeze that enveloped them within the steaming pool beneath them. Each moved with its own purpose, but they all flowed with a single goal or objective which was set by the gryphoness herself. He had never studied wings before, at least not on such a personal level, and found himself grinning as he stared at one particular feather.

"Everything okay back there?" Gilda called over her shoulder, peering curiously at Spike as he leaned over her back and watched her wing intently. She peered away from the sight after a brief moment, her mind already swarming with images set upon from the close proximity of her traveling companion.

"Oh! Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry. Was just trying to get a feel for what I'm dealing with here," he explained with a soft laugh before picking his hands up off of her back and shifting himself to get into a better position. "Hey, uh, Gilda? You mind sitting up so I can reach your wing better? As it stands I'd have to sorta lay on your back and that might get a little uncomfortable for us both."

Complying without a word, the gryphoness sat up with no more than a very faint grunt of exertion that came with moving from a comfortable position. It wasn't long at all before she took a proud stance, water glistening off of her coat and feathers, and Spike watched as her eyes stared ever-vigilantly forward towards the trees. She had an unreadable expression, but she didn't look upset in the slightest. "Better?" she asked without looking back.

"Yeah. Thanks," he replied quickly, reaching up for the feather he had been examining earlier. He had his claws in position, his breath held, and his eyes sharp for any irregularities. As he searched, feather by feather, he wondered if she had cleaned herself somehow on the way here. Her feathers looked pristine to him, and he wondered if he was perhaps missing something. But then he saw it. A feather that was a light shade of brown, covered in dust and grime, just as she had said.

Carefully, he brought a claw up to it and lightly sifted through the feather as slowly and as gently as he could manage. A sharp, quick sound hit the air and Spike's head twitched up in a knee-jerk response, scanning the area around them for some unseen predator. When he heard the muffled, soft sound of wind escaping nostrils, he realized what had happened. Testing it out, he paused before going to work on another one of Gilda's feathers and sure enough, the same sound rang out.

With each feather he worked, Gilda made a small, nearly inaudible gasp through her nose. Over time, with more and more feathers preened by his hand, she relaxed and even leaned back towards Spike a bit. Her eyes were shut and her fur was standing up slightly, and he would have suspected her of getting upset had it not been for the calm, shallow breaths she was letting out through her nostrils.

Unbeknownst to him, Spike had also leaned a bit closer. He felt strangely comfortable doing so, and didn't feel like pulling back even when he realized what he had done. Over the course of an hour which felt like mere minutes, Spike had finished working with one wing. He had learned the ins and outs of the activity and felt rather confident in his ability. It was just like giving a massage - albeit, this was to a gryphoness who was seeming very pleased with his work.

He took a moment to lean back and observe his work, which gave Gilda just enough time to let out the breath she had been holding for the past minute or so. Her claws had dug into the soil beneath the water and she felt her skin crawling with a need to move or at least be touched upon. She resisted a very strong urge to forego the preening and just lean back into Spike completely, but only barely. It was getting harder and harder with each feather, and he had an entire wing's worth of feathers to go. And these would undoubtedly be filthy, so it would require a much more personal touch.

Spike, however, was not so eager to get started on her other wing. He wanted to take in the sight before him; the contrast between Gilda's broken wing and her pristine one was astounding. The middle ground between the two wings was Gilda herself, and Spike was surprised to find how pleasant she looked as the water sparkled against her hide. Her calm expression and proud stance had slumped only slightly as she became more and more comfortable, and he found himself thinking about how attractive she was in the moment. He wanted to reach out and hold her, an urge that hadn't come to him for quite some time, but knew that might not be a very welcome idea to the reserved gryphoness.

Eventually though, both parties calmed down - Spike moreso than Gilda, who was busy running scenarios through her head - and the young dragon went back to his work. Leaning back in towards the gryphoness before him, he took note of the state of her broken limb. It was a little sickening to look at, and required a bit more urgent a care than he could provide her, but his splint seemed to have help a little bit. She at least didn't wince back from pain when he laid his hand gently upon it. All that sounded from her was a startled gasp at the sudden touch, but no more came from it.

He smiled at the rate at which she was recovering and wondered if he should attribute that to her natural regenerative genetics that all gryphons held or if it was more a product of her trade; he imagined that mercenary work could prove useful to strengthen the body under great stress and pain.

He made a mental note to ask her after this was over as he took a closer look at the first feather. His assumption was correct; it was covered in a thick layer of dust and dirt. How so much gunk could get trapped in one wing was beyond him, but that didn't stop him from going about his task. What slowed him down, however, was the reaction he got from Gilda.

Her eyes shot open and she nearly bashed her head into Spike's as she sat up in attention, taking in a sharp breath through her beak. She sat incredibly still as she knew without a doubt that Spike would be concerned, but fortunately no question came. She could feel his eyes boring through the back of her head but made no motion to reassure him or even look at him - she wouldn't be able to speak properly anyway. Instead, she clamped her beak down and held her tongue as she steeled her nerves.

Soon enough, another feather was cleaned. And then another. And another. Just like before, each cleaning brought with it a mixture of relief and a buzzing pleasure that rang up through the gryphoness' spine. She was clutching at the ground now and had she been on land she might have had a substantial hole dug beneath her. Fortunately for her, the water moved mud back into the craters she was making just as quickly as she could make them. She held her footing and withstood the assault of emotions washing over her.

If he said he wasn't enjoying the reactions he got out of Gilda, Spike would be lying. He was barely suppressing a grin from breaking out across his face with each twitch and shift that he caused with his careful tending to her feathers. It was taking more control than he expected to move back to a normal massage, as his instincts provided him with the urge to.

A subtle pressure was felt to his left and when he peered down into the water Spike realized that something had been muddying up the waters. While he didn't know how it had happened, he still felt a little wary of the slithering feeling against his leg. He began to panic slightly, but curiosity took over when he saw the tip of a furry tail poking out of the water. He let out a soft chuckle and watched as it moved its way about, as if searching for something. His grin faded into a contemplative expression as he pursed his lips and watched her tail move about as if of its own volition.

He realized what she was doing and made an attempt to rationalize it as he looked on, but realized he had turned from his task at hand and tried to ignore the potentially awkward situation. Sure enough, as he went back to his job of preening feathers and cleaning wings, he felt a gentle tapping at the base of his tail. He didn't intend to, but he let out a sharp gasp out of slight shock from the gesture. The gryphoness made no attempt to move if she was shocked, but Spike did notice she was leaning her head back ever so slightly.

Doing the only thing he could think to do and let instinct take over as his tail relaxed and followed the same pattern he had taken before. At a crawling speed, their tails intertwined against one another and formed a spiraling hold against each other. With the knowledge of what this actually meant, the notion that this was well-beyond intimate was not lost upon the dragon. He felt his body heat up and his hands begin to tremble, but made no motion to stop. If this is how Gilda intended to do things, he wasn't going to be one to judge.

He also couldn't deny that knowing exactly what the whole "tail-hugging" thing meant made the gesture seem rather.. Sacred. Like he was being allowed to do something that few would ever come to know in their lives. Sure, many creatures may have met a gryphon in such a way, but nobody - or at least few others - could lay claim to having done so with the gryphoness named Gilda.

His hands had gone idle and his mind had gone blank, but it didn't quite matter at the moment to either party. All that mattered was the rising sensation that this was important and the joy that Spike was beginning to feel. Some piece of the puzzle known as life was falling into place; he could feel it like he felt the fire in his chest. No, the preening could wait. This meant more.

As if she had read his thoughts and agreed, Gilda opened her eyes once more and let out an airy laugh that caught Spike off-guard. It was a mixture between a sweet sound and a playful melody, and it drove him into a bout of his own laughter. All he could do was get closer, and this is what he chose to do. Wrapping his arms around Gilda, she pressed back into him with equal force and nuzzled the back of his neck. Their tails were playing some sort of tug-of-war behind them, wrestling for dominance in a useless struggle that had no victor or loser, as if moving with a mind of their own.

Smiles and glances were exchanged between the gryphoness and her newly-acquired friend - or could he be considered a mate at this point? - before a final gesture brought out a finality to the whole situation. Spike's long, prehensile tongue lolled out and licked at the base of Gilda's neck and -

CRACK.

That was when fear took over. Spike's tongue shot back into his mouth, the fresh taste of sweat and feathers still upon his tongue like a bitter candy. He and Gilda shared the expression, untangling their tails in unison and pushing off from one another. The gesture was too quick and it caused Gilda to wince in pain as she stood in the water. A fight now, here? It'd be suicide. She had to get out of the water, where she might have a better advantage.

To her back rose the dragon, in full-force, his eyes already alert and searching for some unknown enemy ready to try and pick a fight that he had no intention of losing. They had come too far and done too much to fail now. If they wanted a fight, they'd have to-

"What is this I see? Two homesick lovebirds, fallen from their tree?" came a familiar voice with a familiar speech pattern. What had begun as fear slowly melted into relief and joy as Spike realized just who it was that had interrupted what might have been a very pleasant experience. He pushed the thought aside and turned to Gilda to confirm she heard what he had.

The fact that she was running, or rather struggling, her way through the waters towards the voice gave him all the confirmation he needed. He sloshed his way through the waters and laughed as he called out, "Never before has a rhyme been more welcome."

He shook his head and smiled as a hooded figure emerged from behind a nearby tree. About how long had she been there, he wondered? No matter; she was here. Everything was okay. It'd all be alright soon. Soon he could sleep, and get something to eat, and Gilda could get some medical attention, and maybe..

Maybe they'd talk about what just happened. Maybe things would be better than alright. Had he been this tired all along? When was the last time that he slept? Maybe he could get Twilight to get the girls together and-

He yawned, rubbed at his eyes, and felt a faint falling sensation as he rushed face-first towards the dirt below. He reached out to catch himself in panic, but felt something soft reach his hands first. "Not this time," came a whisper from Gilda. "Your turn to get carried."

Her face was visibly contorted from the pain of having moved her wing underneath Spike, but she didn't budge in the slightest. Shakingly he stood to his feet and stubbornly stepped over to Gilda's good side before collapsing to lean against her once again. "Not a chance. We're both.. We're gonna walk into Ponyville together. You and me. And Zecora. Just need to get home," he mumbled through his exhaustion. All of his adrenalin was fading fast and he realized just how far he had pushed himself. He wondered if he looked as bad as he felt, but didn't care. A smile came to his face when he realized what had happened.

"I'd settle for a hut in the woods right about now," Gilda half-joked. "Zecora, are we far from your house? I have no clue how far or in what direction we traveled from the start. Something weird happened."

" 'Tis not a long journey, just follow me. Shelter and comfort await you, just wait and see," she said with a nod before turning away and moving towards the direction she had emerged from. This was the final stretch of their journey, Spike could tell. Through his sleep-deprived mind he could be certain of only two things: he and Gilda had a very personal moment, and that he could rest easy now. Beyond that, his only desire was for sleep.

But he wouldn't mind sharing a room once more. As the crunching of leaves and twigs filled the air around him, he began to make out faint landmarks that he had seen in his previous travels through here with Twilight. But if these were the same landmarks, how did they not find them on their way into the forest? And how did Zecora find them?

Nothing made sense to him right now but he didn't care. Leave the questions for later. "Hey, Gilda," he said softly, glancing over to her. She returned his glance with joyful eyes and he found himself thinking back to the first time he had seen the emotion in her eyes. The expression had changed from sorrow to something.. More. Something better.

He flicked his tongue out, licking her beak very briefly in an unspoken gesture of affection that he understood was a bond between them, sealed in only a matter of days or nights - it had felt like weeks. She looked forward for a moment before breaking into a wide grin and saying, "Right back at'cha, Scales."

With that, Spike broke into a silent grin and focused on the journey home. Soon he could make good on his promise to Gilda and to himself.

And soon he could rest.

Chapter 11

"A week?" Spike exclaimed, nearly choking on the herbal concoction Zecora had given him. "How were we gone for a week? The sun only set like, twice! I think," he added, his mind struggling to comprehend the anomaly that had apparently occurred whilst he and Gilda were within the Everfree.

"We did wake up in a totally different place though, remember?" Gilda commented, casting an uneasy glance towards the young dragon. "Maybe that is what she's talking about; some spooky-magic-thing that the Everfree does."

"Actually, that's not too far off," came the reply to the notion. Twilight walked into the room with a smile on her face and a book levitating by her side. It had no title, no decoration, and looked as if it were torn from the dark ages.

"Twilight!" Spike exclaimed as he rushed from his seat to meet her, arms outstretched. She eagerly met the gesture with equal affection, nuzzling against his neck ever so gently. This earned a bit of an uncomfortable twitch from Gilda, but she held her tongue and it went unnoticed by all but herself.

"You had me worried sick," Twilight said as she pulled away from the hug and turned towards the gryphoness sitting at the kitchen table. "Both of you," she added with a concerned frown. The gesture blindsided Gilda, who had considered herself invisible in this whole exchange.

"Who, me?" she asked as cocked an eyebrow in confusion. It hadn't even occurred to her that she was important to the job - most employers saw her as something of an expendable resource when it came to mercenary work. The fact that someone - a princess no less - would consider her valuable was something she wasn't mentally prepare for.

"Of course, you!" the unicorn replied, laughing as she did. "You went in with Spike when nobody else would - and you got injured to boot. If anything, I should be apologizing!" Her voice fluctuated between something of worry and admiration. She then moved towards the shocked gryphoness, her eyes dead-set upon the offending wing. It was now wrapped in a proper bandage, with medication seeping its way through the cuts and bruises and soothing the pain.

"How is it, by the way?" Spike asked, giving voice to Twilight's silent concerns. "Still giving you trouble?"

"It's.. Well, it's not nearly as bad as it could be. It itches a little bit, but besides that I reckon I'll be A-okay," Gilda answered with her eyes focused upon the broken and beaten limb that had caused such a large problem in the first place. She tried not to think of what a burden she might have been had Zecora not come along, instead remembering how kindly she was treated by her newest friend.

The entire situation still perplexed the gryphoness, actually. Here she was in a stranger's house with people she had offended, insulted, and utterly mistreated. And here they were, doting over her wing like she was a long-time ally and companion that had saved their lives countless times. Were she in the same position, Gilda wasn't entirely sure she could even muster up enough tolerance to speak with someone like herself let alone care about them.

"I'm amazed the you did so well out there on your own, actually," Twilight commented, turning around to face Spike with a sly grin. "I told you that those books on medical techniques would be useful one day."

"Yeah, yeah! I'll be sure to make it up to you later," the young dragon replied with feigned-annoyance, rolling his eyes. His expression changed back to a smile and he placed his hands upon his hips as he let out a tired sigh. "Right after I make sure Gilda's set up and comfortable at my place," he added, his smile turning into a wide grin as he noticed the shocked expression upon both Twilight's and Gilda's faces. Zecora, however, only smiled.

"Wait, what?" Gilda said, cutting off Twilight's question and inserting her own. "No, no, it's fine. I'll just stay here at Zeco-"

"No way. I for one know that you have a bit of trouble sleeping, and my house is the closest thing you'll find to a gryphon's house. Besides! I promised you a meal didn't I?" he said through a quickly-brightening smile, his mind racing with the knowledge that he held the upper-hand here.

"You didn't promise me anything like that," Gilda shot back, her expression softening as she came to the realization that he did. She remembered their little moment at the lake and understood all-too-well that this wasn't just for her benefit - maybe he needed a bit of company just as much as she did.

"I didn't? Well I promise to make you a nice, home-cooked meal tonight. At my house," Spike said with finality, letting loose the laugh he had been holding in throughout the conversation. It wasn't an uproarious, belted-out laughter but it was enough to get Twilight smiling and shaking her head.

"I swear, Spike. You have the most peculiar ideas and logic," she commented, but made no move to protest. Whether she understood the situation or no, neither Spike nor Gilda could tell. But they did understand one another, and that was enough to seal the deal. "In that case, you two better get going; the market closes soon and I know you don't have anything to suit a gryphon's tastes."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Thank you again, Zecora. I'll find a way to make it up to you, I promise," Spike vowed, bowing his head in respect. She returned the gesture with a knowing, sage smile and waved his worries off with a hoof.

"Don't be overcome by a burden of debt; I imagine we have not seen the last of each other yet," the zebra rhymed out, essentially wiping the slate clean in favor of future services. She had a way of making everything seem mysterious and tranquil, even when the debt that weighed on Spike's mind was immense. Zecora did not know it, but he would take it upon himself as a Dragon Code; it had to be repaid.

"You bet we haven't! C'mon, Gilda. We oughta get moving if we're gonna snag anything good at the market tonight," Spike said whilst moving over to the gryphoness and offering a hand to pull her to her feet. She stumbled for a moment as she took in the sudden movement, but soon found her bearings and nodded.

"I doubt we're gonna get any meat - no offense," Gilda commented, casting a glance to Twilight. The unicorn took no offense and held up a hoof with a smile to show as much, much to Gilda's relief. "So I hope you can make a mean salad. I like a bit of a kick to my food, just a heads up."

"Just you wait," Spike fired back, Gilda's subtle challenge being taken happily. "When I'm done, you'll want to be a vegetarian." A laugh was shared and both parties were making their way out the door just as Spike remembered something. "Oh! Twilight! Be sure to send me a letter when you figure out just what all of this was about, alright?"

The book Twilight had entered the room with levitated to her side once again and she smiled with determination in response to Spike's curiosity. "Zecora and I are going to get to the bottom of this right away, so don't expect to wait too long! I'll tell you all about what I've learned tomorrow, so get some rest tonight."

With a thumbs up for confirmation, Spike rushed back to Gilda's side and shrugged off the amused grin she wore from his eagerness to be there. He wouldn't lie if he was asked whether or not he was excited about dinner - he certainly was. Though he'd like to add a few gems to his meal, there was no way he'd pass up such a golden opportunity to impress Gilda. He just had to be sure to get it right.

One impromptu shopping trip and a bit of a brisk walk later, he and Gilda were at his home in Ponyville. Their legs ached and their minds were ready to shut down from exhaustion, but Spike was more than determined enough to wake their tastebuds up at the very least.

After a bit of joking and nudging from Gilda, Spike made his way into the kitchen while the gryphoness made a round of her new residence. It wasn't certain how long she would stay, but they had agreed upon her being there at least until her wing was healed enough for her to safely make it to her next destination if she chose to leave. While she was here, however, she needed to scope out her spot to sleep in.

While she did so, Spike carefully and skillfully tossed a variety of vegetables, fruits, and spices into a skillet in preparation of his next steps. He had purchased a few liquids that, when mixed properly, made a hot sauce that Spike was sure could burn even Gilda's tongue. It wasn't anything close to what Zecora had mixed up back in her hut, but he was assured within his mind that it could come very close. With a small burst of flame, the sauce cooked into the vegetables and gave a nice steam as he stirred them around cautiously.

Just as he was finished setting up the table he heard the gryphoness calling from another room. "Hey, Scales. I think I found my spot," she said a bit playfully. He had a hunch of which room she had called from, but couldn't check before he saw her walking into the kitchen and taking a place at his table.

"So is this the grub you cooked up for us? Hope you're not all talk and no bite," she challenged once again, elegantly picking up a vegetable with two claws. She inspected it like Rarity might have done to a jewel, then popped it into her mouth like Spike might have done to that same jewel. Almost instantly, she jumped up and opened her beak wide. Spike couldn't help but laugh at the success of his prank, watching the gryphoness chug a nearby glass of water with wild abandon.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself. That plate's for me; I put a bit of an extra dose on it. This one," he said as he slid the plate before him over to Gilda's side and pulling the other towards himself, "oughta be a bit more suited to your palate."

She glared at him through a smile, admiring his prank and trying to predict whether or not this next plate was another step. He assured her otherwise and with a bit of caution, she picked up another vegetable to test it. She took a small bite out of it and waited a few moments before chewing. She then raised both eyebrows and bit into her meal hungrily.

"Not bad, Scales. Aren't many chefs that can make a spicy salad that doesn't taste like leaves dipped in pepper," Gilda commented between chowing down her meal and taking sips of a refilled water glass. Taking his compliment happily, Spike made small-talk whenever they weren't both busy digging into their first real meal since being back home. Neither had bathed since the pool back in the Everfree, and both were still exhausted.

But they were home. Spike was back in Ponyville, and Gilda was somewhere she actually felt safe - something she hadn't felt in years. They had known one another for no more than a week and it was insane to think how close they had gotten to one another. As they learned more about each other over dinner, they both grew to understand one thing very clearly, and that was that they were happier for their little adventure. Gilda's splint had been taken off and she was even able to move it ever so slightly without terrible pain - she would recover nicely.

It had been a good ten minutes since either had taken a bite of food; instead, they opted for talking on a personal level about how crazy the past few days had been, and what either party believed had actually happened within the woods. Suddenly, midway through her sentence, Gilda broke into a rather loud yawn. Spike followed suit, his maw of razor-sharp teeth exposing themselves as he stretched his jaws wide in a roaring yawn - which, of course, earned an amused and surprised chuckle from Gilda.

The two agreed that it might be time for bed and Gilda stood from the table to stretch out her muscles. She went one way and Spike went the other, with the dragon opting to place the dishes into his sink in order to clean them tomorrow - right now he could think of nothing less than curling up under his blankets and sleeping. Maybe for a day or two.

After doing so, it was time to head to bed. His body tingled and felt fuzzy at the prospect of getting a real night's sleep; just the notion was enough to fill him with enough joy to cause a small laugh to escape his lungs. It wasn't until he turned the corner and peered into the room did he give pause and take in what was before him.

Leaning against the doorframe, he looked into his bedroom and sighed casually at the sight before him. Gilda had chosen to sprawl out onto his bed and claim it as her own. "Comfy?" he asked sarcastically, to which Gilda nodded over-enthusiastically. If his bed was soft enough for him, he could imagine what it might feel like to someone with a softer hide. He did notice that the blankets still tugged at her talons, however. He'd have to ask Fluttershy about that.

"You know, Spike, I just remembered something," bringing Spike away from his mental checklist. She turned her eyes towards his and lowered her expression into that of a playful, affectionate one. "You started something and didn't quite get to finish. What say we right that particular wrong? I can tell a few feathers might need a bit of a do-over."

He laughed and shook his head at the sight, understanding fully where this was headed. No timberwolves, no Zecora, not any sort of interruption could intervene this time; they'd be left to themselves. And that was all that he needed.

With not another word of conversation between them, Spike made his way towards her and sighed. "I guess it can't be helped. What will I ever do with you?" Leaning over and into Gilda, he savored the feeling over a tail twisting its way around his and the heat that was beginning to rise between them.

There wasn't a doubt between either of them what this was, and it was definitely love. Not a spur-of-the-moment emotion that came from the adrenalin of a fight or the saving of a life. There was no major threat against them, and there was no reason to keep any secrets between one another. Love had seeped its way into both their hearts and it was making itself known here and now.

They had made it home. And they had done so together.