His scales were so green, so bright. So shiny and beautiful, like a freshly cleaned window. They seemed to sparkle right in front of him.
Though their eyes only connected for a moment, it was if he lost himself in those deep purple gems, those impossibly violet jewels. He wanted to gaze into them forever. How had he not noticed before? Those perfect, perfect orbs of plum, those soft circles of cerise, into those wisteria eyes he wistfully stared. He had never known such longing.
"Spike!"
All too soon, it was over. Over before it could even begin.
"Spike, are you okay? That must have been a bit scary."
He found himself tongue-tied. He couldn't form the words to respond, his mouth was suddenly dry, and his heart was pounding faster than ever. Faster than when he saw Rarity, with her gorgeous pony body. But she was nothing compared to what he had just seen. His eyes desperately searched the room, but he was too high up and the beautiful one he had just seen was out of view.
"It's alright." He felt hooves on him and he jumped, feeling his face heat up. He suddenly remembered he was in a bathtub, and it all came rushing back. He had been trying to help Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle make a cake. Okay, well, he wasn't exactly helping. More like dancing to the songs on the radio.
He had twirled around behind them as they put on the final frosted touches. Just as they stepped back to admire it, he had spun(with his eyes closed, of course) straight into the table, bumping into it and hitting the large cake, toppling the top-most layer over and making the others wiggle before deciding to make more trouble, and they all fell over as well. Some of the frosting landed on the table, but most of it landed directly on to his head.
Pinkie had offered to let him use the bathtub upstairs. He insisted he could clean himself with his tongue, but Twilight said that was gross and unsanitary for a kitchen, so they had all went upstairs to bathe him.
Pinkie had said something about an alligator in the tub, but Spike had passed it off as Pinkie being Pinkie. He hadn't expected an actual alligator to be in the tub. Not at all.
"It's okay, Spike. It is kinda crazy! But Gummy won't hurt you. He doesn't have any teeth." Pinkie beamed, scooping up the creature in her hooves and placing him in her mane. He crawled in and her mane bounced back to normal.
Spike stared with a slightly open jaw as Pinkie told Twilight she would wait downstairs. The earth pony left and Twilight giggled.
"Spike, you look like you've seen a ghost." She reached into the bathwater and started scrubbing his scales. "Alligator or not, you need to get cleaned up. Help me out."
He blinked a few times before rubbing soap on his arms absent-mindedly. What had just happened? Why had he never noticed the alligator before? Why did he tingle all over, from his head down to his claws? Why did his head feel like it was on fire? He suddenly felt very vulnerable and sank a little deeper into the soapy water.
He had never felt anything like this before.
He crept down the stairs quietly, hoping they wouldn't creak under his claws. He didn't weigh much, but he weighed enough to make a sound or two. Thankfully, the radio was turned up downstairs, so he could step easily enough. He sniffled a few times, because for some reason his nose was all stuffed up, and he had a coughing fit about half-way down the stairs.
The mares were in the kitchen again, remaking the cake. They didn't punish him, just asked for him to stay out of the kitchen. Pinkie even suggested he hang out in her room after he finished drying off.
"Sure, you can play any of the board games, or even use my karaoke machine!" She had offered. It was very generous of her, really, but he wasn't interested in that right now. He had to get downstairs, even if he wasn't supposed to be there. He had to see him again.
Oh Celestia, those scales. Those eyes. How could he live another moment without seeing them? His heart was racing again, his body was tingling, oh he was just going to DIE!
Okay, maybe he wasn't going to DIE, but he was very uncomfortable. Somehow he knew that the only way to solve his problem was to see him again. It was forbidden, he knew. The kitchen was off-limits, but he was willing to risk everything to see that face once more. He was a thief on his way to pluck this precious gem up and carry it away from prying eyes. He was a love pirate, and the alligator was his treasure.
He was breathing so heavily he was sure somepony would hear him. It didn't matter, he was too far gone to be stopped. He had tumbled down the well of love and he would never be able to return from this dream, this perfect vision of happiness that he could see whenever he gazed into the alligator's peepers.
Well, he'd only gazed into them once, but it was enough for him to fall into them, and all the mysteries and classified information they possessed. He wanted to wonder at them a million times and one, just for good measure.
He didn't understand the sudden feelings, but he didn't think he needed to. Trying to explain it was like trying to explain the taste of water, or the feeling of fire rising out of your chest to a regular pony who didn't have flames erupt from their mouth every time they burped or hiccuped - completely impossible.
Heck, he loved this alligator so deeply he was putting his life on the line, risking it all by venturing into the kitchen, just to see him. He looked around the corner of the stairwell and his breath caught in his throat. There was the alligator, his head sticking out of the bright pink mane that belonged to Pinkie Pie.
He swore his heart stopped. His heart pounded even faster than before, which he didn't know was possible. He swore he had read somewhere that you only fall in love once - or was it you only fall in a lake once before you learn how to boat? - no, no, definitely love - but he was certain he would fall in love all over again, each time he looked into those electric jewels, those alluring amethysts, those captivatingly cruel eyes that belonged to the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.
The alligator blinked, first his right eye, and then his left. It was enough to make Spike's knees buckle beneath him. His whole body froze except his heart, pounding and hammering and beating away like there was no tomorrow. In that moment, he knew he belonged to the alligator. He couldn't go back, not after this spark between them. His blinking eyes were obviously signs of his love and undivided affection. His heart was not his own anymore. It was the alligator's.
Suddenly he fell over. His buckled knees had made him lose his balance for the second time today. He yelped as his face smashed into the floor, and he cursed himself internally for blowing his cover. Now he would be taken away, never to see the alligator again. They might as well finish him off now. Dying would be easier than living a moment without seeing him. Roses were red, violets were blue, life without Gummy was like life without food.
Yes, Gummy had quickly become the sustenance that fed Spike. Seeing him gave him strength to ward off any predators who may try to take him from the alligator! He jumped to his feet just as Pinkie and Twilight gathered around him.
"Spike! What are you doing?" Twilight asked.
"Are you okay?" Pinkie wondered. He stared at her mane, but Gummy had retreated. Scared, no doubt, of their love being broken. He would protect their passion at all costs!
He whipped around held up his claws to the mares. "Don't try to separate us! It's impossible." He yearned to see Gummy again in this moment, to have the alligator see how hard he was fighting for their life together, their future. "There is no me without him, and no him without me. We are one!"
The two mares stared in bewilderment at the dragon.
"Spike, what are you talking about?" Twilight asked, bringing the crazed boy back to his senses. He suddenly realized how silly he must sound to them. He had just met the alligator, after all! They would never understand.
"Uh, I uh, was..." He paused and tried to think quickly, but he kept seeing images of Gummy appear in his mind.
"You were what, Spikey?" Pinkie asked cheerfully.
"I fell down the stairs!" He blurted out, biting a claw.
"How did you fall down the stairs?" Twilight inquired. What was it with ponies and their silly questions?!
"I tripped on my towel. It was too long. I'm not in my right mind though, as you could see." He said hurriedly, and Twilight exchanged glances with Pinkie.
"Spike, I think I'll take you home and then I'll come back to help Pinkie finish the cake." Twilight said, levitating him and placing him on her back.
"What? No!" He exclaimed, scrambling to crawl off. He knew he had just met Gummy, but he couldn't leave now! He needed to know him better!
"What is with you today?" Twilight sighed. "Spike, I think you're sick. Maybe we'll check your temperature too."
"No, no, I'm not sick. I just want to stay here!" Spike told her, desperately searching for a way to get back upstairs.
"Why?!" Twilight cried. "Pinkie really needs to finish this cake. It's for a wedding, Spike, and I promised I'd help. I can't be standing here arguing with you. We can't have any more distractions."
"I won't be a distraction!" He begged, hurrying for the stairs. "I'll be so quiet you-"
"Spike." Twilight said, her voice stern. "We're going home."
"Twilight, please! You're being unreasonable." Spike whined.
Twilight laughed and levitated him again. "I'M being unreasonable. Okay, sure. You can't give me a good reason to stay here, so you're going home."
He thought and thought, but he couldn't think of a good reason that didn't sound completely stupid. He couldn't just say, "Because I'm in love with Gummy and I can't be away from him!" because that would be weird. So he sat and watched as Gummy grew further and further away from him. He felt sick to his stomach and the world began spinning.
Was this... love sickness?
He held on to Twilight's back for dear life as they trotted back to the library. His heart still pounded, but he had grown used to the sound by now. The world was white with snow, and Twilight had a scarf on. He remembered that he forgot his at the library. Twilight rambled on about something along the lines of, "you should have better manners when you're at somepony else's house", but it took 3 times as long to say.
By the time they arrived, he was sure he was going to throw up. Twilight helped him down and stared at him a moment, his head swaying around a bit and his eyes struggling to stay open. She sighed and levitated him again, walking into the bathroom and placing him on top of the counter.
"Twilight, I'm fine, r-really." He had begun shivering, and he still felt sick.
"You don't look fine." She told him, sounding a bit annoyed. "I'm going to take your temperature."
He rolled his eyes and hugged himself as she dug around for the thermometer. She placed it in his mouth and he waited as she examined it.
"Spike, you have a fever." She sighed and removed the thermometer, rinsing it off and putting it away. "I don't want to leave you here alone, but I can't bring you with me."
"Aw, come on Twilight! I-I'll be okay. I won't mess anything u-up." He stumbled through his words, his body shaking.
"I know, Spike. You didn't mean to cause any disruptions, but you did, and I can't let anything like that happen again, accident or not. Pinkie has to have it finished by tomorrow at noon, and we've had to start all over. It's for a very important client," Twilight reminded him, reaching up into the cabinet over the toilet and running through the medicine.
"I'll just lay upstairs and t-take my medicine." Spike pleaded, his eyes starting to water. "Please Twilight, please let me go."
"I'm sorry." Twilight apologized, pulling out a bottle of purple syrup and pouring it into the little cup that came with it. "But I need to find you somewhere else to stay. Rainbow Dash can't watch you, I don't think she'd do a good job taking care of you..."
Spike watched the thick liquid fall into the cup. It smelled like a terrible mixture of strawberries and plums, but the color reminded him of the sparkling jewels waiting for him at Pinkie's house. Those eyes only meant for him. He needed to see them immediately!
He dove off the counter and made a run for it, out the bathroom door and into the living area. He hurried through another door that led into the main library. He could hear Twilight calling for him and galloping after him, no doubt with a cup of that exquisite liquid. He considered stopping to stare at it again, but decided that it was nothing compared to the actual beauty of Gummy's eyes, and he continued running.
He knew she would catch up in a matter of seconds, so he decided to hide until she went away. She would pass by him and to the doorway to the right. While she did that, he would make a mad dash for the front door and escape! He crouched behind a stack of unsorted books and tried to calm his breathing.
After a few seconds, he peered around the edge of one of the books to see if she had went into the other room. Unfortunately, there, staring back at him, was Twilight. She wore an annoyed frown.
"Spike, I am just trying to help you! Please stop." Twilight said, her voice cracking. He sighed in defeat and walked out from behind the books. She levitated him again and trotted back into the bathroom, a scowl on her face.
"So where am I going to stay?" He asked as she sat him back down on the counter. She gave him the cup of medicine and thought a moment.
"Well, where do you want to go?" She replied. His eyes lit up as he gulped down the medicine. "Except Pinkie Pie's house," she added, "and don't drink that so fast."
"Oh. I don't know then." He said dejectedly. If he couldn't go to Pinkie Pie's, then he might as well... "Just let me die here."
Twilight rolled her eyes at his dramatic display and rinsed out the cup before placing the medicine back in the cabinet. "Well you've got to stay somewhere, but I would've thought that you would've jumped at the chance to stay with Rarity."
The name did nothing for Spike anymore. He just stared blankly at the floor.
"Well that's weird." Twilight raised an eyebrow and got out a washcloth from one of the drawers. "I think this cold is messing with your head. Applejack will no doubt be busy with something around the farm... How about Fluttershy, Spike? She knows a lot about taking care of animals; I'm sure she can help you."
Spike glanced up at Twilight with a heavy sigh. Twilight just shook her head. "Okay, we'll go to Fluttershy's." She wet the rag in the sink and then placed it on the dragon's hot forehead.
Spike didn't want to go anywhere but Pinkie's. He wasn't even sick! Twilight didn't know what she was talking about. That medicine would probably kill him. She was getting revenge for him bumping into the cake.
He couldn't protest, however, because he was being levitated once more, and he was too weak to fight. Weak with longing. Weak with love.
Maybe even a little weak with the flu. But that's besides the point.
They arrived at Fluttershy's house after what seemed like forever. The hardest part of the journey was seeing Sugarcube Corner pass by. He knew Gummy was in there waiting, watching for his return.
"I'm sorry Gummy." He had whispered softly as Twilight trotted farther and farther away from the bakery. She had ignored his strange comment and had kept going.
Twilight knocked on the cottage's door softly. She had only made the mistake of knocking roughly once. It had ended in a napping Fluttershy jumping off the couch, hitting her head on the ceiling, and screaming. She had opened the door in tears. Twilight never did that again.
There was some rustling around inside as Fluttershy moved the animals out of her path to the door. Finally it opened and Fluttershy smiled.
"Oh, hello Twilight. Is something wrong? We weren't scheduled to have tea until tomorrow afternoon, I thought." She said quietly, glancing over at her calendar.
"Yes, you're right. I - can I come in? It's kind of... snowy out here." Twilight interrupted herself, shaking off the snow that had gathered in her tail.
"Oh my, yes, of course. I'm so sorry, I should've offered." Fluttershy said quickly, stepping out of the way to let the unicorn and her dragon in. She shut the door behind them and turned back to them. "I'm sorry, the couch is a little cluttered right now. I wasn't expecting company, you see, I was going to clean up a bit after my nap."
"It's alright, Fluttershy." Twilight insisted, holding up a hoof. "I would've called, but I had to get here as fast as I could."
"Oh no, what is it? Has something happened?" Fluttershy wondered aloud, picking up some books and magazines from the couch and moving them over to the bookshelf in the corner.
"Well, yes." Twilight answered. "You see, Spike is sick. He caught a cold, I think. I took his temperature and he has a fever. I was wondering if you could take care of him until tonight. I would do it myself, but I'm in the middle of helping Pinkie with a big cake for a client."
"Really?" Fluttershy flapped over to Spike and looked at him on Twilight's back. "Get him on the couch and I'll make some tea."
"O-Okay, but I can't stay long. Really, I just need to drop him off, if it's okay with you." Twilight replied, placing the dragon on the couch.
"Of course, it's no problem at all." Fluttershy smiled from the kitchen doorway. "I'll take care of him, you get back to Pinkie."
"Thank you so much Fluttershy! I really appreciate it." Twilight smiled and looked at Spike, who was staring glumly at the ground. "Behave yourself, Spike. I'll see you tonight."
"See you later, Twilight." Fluttershy said softly, waving goodbye and walking back to him. "So, you've got a cold? How do you feel?"
Spike looked up at her. Her mane looked so soft and cuddly, he just wanted to curl up in it. He blinked a few times and frowned. "Oh, uh, not so good. My stomach, my heart, I'm cold, and I feel like I want to die."
Fluttershy was a bit taken aback at the last comment, but she kept a smile on her face. "Okay, so how about I make you some soup and we'll see how you feel after we get some food in you?"
"But I'm not sick." Spike said quickly. "Not at all. Well, just a little lovesick, I suppose."
"Um, w-what was that?" Fluttershy raised an eyebrow and stepped back a bit.
"Lovesick, Fluttershy!" Spike shouted. "I'm so lovesick. I'm in love with the most beautiful being I've ever laid eyes upon. I was lost until I found them. I found myself in their eyes, the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen before."
Fluttershy smiled. It was a bit weird, but she was happy he was finding love! And at such a young age, too! Why, she just wanted to give him a hug.
"Spike, I think that's-"
"When I'm apart from them, I feel like I'm going to just explode into a million tiny pieces. If I had to choose between breathing and loving them, I'd use my last breath just to whisper 'I love you' with the hopes that my last exhale would land upon their precious lips where it would linger forever so I would never be apart from them." Spike said, getting louder as he ran out of breath to finish his enormous run-on sentence.
"Well, that's nice and all, but maybe-"
"Oh, the scales, so shiny and green. The eyes, like pools of purple, deep pools I want to explore a hundred times over. The teeth, which must have been so sharp at some point but are now gone. His gums, so pink, so perfect! Oh, Gummy, how did I never notice before?"
Fluttershy froze, her eyes tiny pinpoints. What was that? Gummy? Pinkie Pie's alligator?
"When I'm not with him, all I do is think about him. When I think about him, I just want to be with him! When I'm with him, it feels like a dream! He's my one and only, my everything!"
Fluttershy's eyes were shrinking by the moment and she was taking tiny steps backwards as Spike kept going, his eyes taking on a crazed look and his voice sounding breathless.
"If I could give him the world I would! I can't, but I would! I'll give him mine if only he asks! I'd do anything for him except leave him! Well, I just did earlier, but not because I wanted to!" He shouted, glaring at Fluttershy accusingly, who was by now in the kitchen doorway again. "Oh no, he is my treasure! We are joined by fate! I need him like a bathroom needs a toilet! Like a plant needs carefully trimmed branches! Like a pony needs water to survive! Yes, yes, he is my water! The sustenance I need to live!"
Fluttershy was getting very scared as Spike was breathing heavily, his eyes blinking quickly. Oh yes, he was sick all right, but she wasn't sure how to fix this.
His shoulders slumped and his head hung suddenly, his eyes beginning to well up with water. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this, Fluttershy. I guess I just thought I could trust you." He said, sniffling. "Like, you understand me, right? It's okay to love someone who isn't your species. I just met him but it feels like I've known him forever. He's precious to me. I can't tell anyone else, they'll think I'm crazy! Crazy! I'm not though."
"Oh, um, well of course you're not, Spike." Fluttershy said, calming herself down and walking back up to him slowly. "You're just, uh, in love."
"Right! But Twilight thinks I'm sick, just because I'm having these feelings so suddenly. She just doesn't understand!" Spike looked up at Fluttershy, who looked very concerned. When he looked up at her, however, she plastered a grin on her face.
"Yes, I understand. Twilight, she, uh, sometimes just doesn't understand.” Fluttershy responded, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “But it’ll be okay, don’t worry.”
“So you’ll let me go to Sugarcube Corner to see him now, right?” Spike said excitedly, jumping up and starting to the door.
“Oh no, I don’t think so.” Fluttershy denied him with a smile, scooping him up and putting him back on the couch. “You’re in love, yes, I’m sure you are, but you’re also sick. Thermometers don’t lie, Spike.”
“But Fluttershy! I promise I’ll be okay!” Spike insisted. Fluttershy just shook her head and covered him up with a blanket, placing a pillow under his head.
“You can’t promise me that, Spike. It appears you have a very serious case of the feather flu.”
“Huh? But that’s only for pegasi.” Spike narrowed his eyebrows, starting to pull the blanket off. Fluttershy stopped his claws with a hoof and tucked him in even tighter.
“Not necessarily. The feather flu is very common in pegasi, but it’s not uncommon for those who are around pegasi often to catch it. It’s also not unheard of for dragons to catch it, even though their immune systems are quite strong.” Fluttershy explained. “However, if something weasels it’s way into a dragon’s body, it’s hard for them to fight it off. Have you been out in the cold a lot recently?”
“No!” Spike exclaimed, then paused. “Okay, well maybe for a little while. I was building a snowpony. But that doesn’t matter.”
“Yes it does! Did you happen to forget your scarf and boots inside?” She asked, fluttering into the kitchen to put on a pot of tea. She trusted he was engaged enough in the conversation to stay where he was.
“I didn’t mean to!” He said desperately, but Fluttershy smiled at him.
“It’s okay. Everypony gets sick, so you don’t have to worry. You’ll be better soon, and then you can, uh, go see… Gummy.” Fluttershy watched his eyes brighten at the name. “But you have to get better first.” His eyes drooped and she stifled a laugh.
“So will I be good by tomorrow?”
“Maybe. It’s hard to tell.” Fluttershy said softly, putting the tea on the stove. “Being in the cold increased your risk of getting sick, so it was easier for the sickness to get in. Who knows how long it’s been waiting around before it started to show symptoms?”
Spike sighed and closed his eyes. All he really wanted was to go back to Sugarcube Corner and sit in the bathtub with Gummy again. He listened to Fluttershy hum to herself in the kitchen as she began preparing some veggie noodle soup. It was calming, and he felt like he wanted to drift off to sleep.
Before he knew it, Fluttershy was finished and was carrying a tray into the living room. She scooted some papers out of the way and placed the tray on the coffee table.
“Spike, your food is ready.” She said sweetly, nudging him awake with a hoof. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times, starting to sit up.
“Aren’t you going to catch the feather flu, Fluttershy?” Spike mumbled, looking at her with half-closed eyes.
“Oh, no, I got myself vaccinated at the start of the year. Thank you for worrying about me, though.” She smiled and reached for the bowl.
She spoon-fed him soup for the next few minutes until it was all gone. He felt warm and fuzzy as she explained what she was going to have him do.
“I made you this tea, so I want you to drink it while I get everything else ready. I know it’s a little bitter for your tastes, but I put some honey in it so it won’t taste so bad. You might not have known it, but honey is actually very good for you! It helps your throat and your immune system.” Fluttershy informed him as he reached out to grab the cup. It was hot, but it felt nice on his cold scales. He may have had a fever, but he was cold!
“After you finish that, we’ll give you a hot bubble bath, how does that sound? It’ll wash off all the germs and you’ll feel so fresh, it’ll be lovely! Right now I’m going to start up the fireplace and make you a bed in front of it, okay? I know you’re not staying the night, but you do need plenty of rest, and you look exhausted.”
Fluttershy rambled on and on, but Spike didn’t mind. He watched as she put wood in the fireplace and began lighting it. Her voice was soothing, and he was getting very tired again. Everytime he thought he would fall asleep, though, an image of Gummy materialized in his mind, and he was jolted back awake.
The bath was warm and calming, and he found himself falling asleep before he got out. Fluttershy carried him back downstairs and tucked him into the bed in front of the fire. She turned around and nosed through the books surrounding the coffee table, picking up one on common illnesses. She had it around the house, mainly for the animals she took care of, but sometimes she needed it for other purposes, like tonight.
She flipped through the pages as she sat on the couch drinking her own cup of tea. Finally she found the page labeled ‘Feather Flu’.
Ponies with the feather flu will experience bad symptoms. It starts as a small cough which can grow larger and more painful. If not taken care of, the feather flu can cause serious damage to a pony’s internal organs and has, in some cases, ended in hospitalization.
It is highly contagious. If you are coughed on by somepony with the feather flu, you have about an 80% chance of contracting it. You can be vaccinated against it, but it is not 100% effective. However, if you have been vaccinated and contract the feather flu, it will be less severe and you will recover faster.
Some other side-effects of harboring the feather flu are a stuffy nose, fever, shivering, an upset stomach, clumsiness, a pounding heart (not very common, but can be jumpstarted by something shocking or different that they encounter), and irritability. Ponies with the feather flu can show any one or combination of these symptoms. Perhaps the most common way to tell somepony has the feather flu is to look at their behavior. Ponies with the feather flu will have out of the ordinary behavior. Ask yourself these questions:
1) Have they had any strange reactions to simple things?
2) Have they been overly emotional about any subject?
3) Are they more pushy, frightened, loud, or outrageous than usual?
4) Have they suddenly had out-of-the-ordinary ideas/feelings towards something/somepony?
5) Do they express a want for something unusual?
Although mainly expressed in pegasi, the feather flu can pass to non-pegasi through contact with a pegasi that carries the illness. It can also pass to other creatures that are around someone with the feather flu, although it is not common in non-ponies. The risk of contracting feather flu is higher in the winter.
The cure for the feather flu is like any cold: lots of rest and fluids. Be sure to cover your mouth when you cough. Over the counter medicine is available to help ease the symptoms. It should pass quickly if treated right. Don’t brush off the feather flu: it can be very serious if you do not take care of it.
Fluttershy giggled and looked at the sleeping dragon. Poor baby; the love he felt so passionately about would be gone within a few days. She almost felt sorry for Gummy. The alligator being so loved today would only have Pinkie Pie once Spike’s obsession faded with his flu.
But she assumed he would be able to deal with the terrible grief of losing Spike’s love just fine.
Author's Note
So if you didn't catch it throughout the story, this is supposed to be a silly one. I wrote it for fun, and I enjoyed it! I hope you did too. Constructive criticism is welcome, but keep in mind this is a comedy. Thanks for reading!
