Afternoon With A Dragon

Immediately, Fluttershy stopped. And by that, she didn't just stop. She stopped cold. And not just with fear. With a shaking, shivering, gruesome fear that went down her spine and through her body like an unfeeling parasite, worming about, feasting on her courage, leaving her frozen.

A fear that could only rise from long ago, in childhood.

A fear that kept itself until now, and even still, as Spike asked that very question that brought these horrid images of Fluttershy's past back to mind.

A fear that is known by different words by others, but to Fluttershy by one:

Dragons.

However, despite its constant influence, Fluttershy still listened with a smile, mere minutes ago, as Spike told his tale as he helped her tidy her house.

"So we end up deep inside the cavern," he continues, dusting Fluttershy's shelves with gusto while doing so, "and there, stuck in a rock, was the Dragon Scepter." Fluttershy didn't have to turn around from her sweeping to see Spike's eyes dilate from awe. "But, of course, before I can grab it, that dragon Garble, from earlier, pushes me off the cliff!"

"Oh, my!" Fluttershy responded, turning her head in worry. "What happened after that?"

"Well, that's one of the best parts of this story!" Spike said with a smile. "Princess Ember, out of nowhere, flew in and saved me!"

Fluttershy grinned. "Oh, you mean the one who abandoned you because apparently, 'dragons don't do friends?'"

"That's the one! Turns out she had a change of heart, which i'm glad for. Like Twilight says, everyone needs a friend." Fluttershy then heard Spike speak, in a different, more regal tone: "'Even those with claws, firebreath, and of large enough size to crush you like a toothpick.'" Spike giggled.

"Ha! Twilight's exact words. Not that they're wrong mind you."

"Oh, indeed." Fluttershy said in an agreeable tone, still smiling. Though inside, she kinda wanted to cringe.

Princess Ember did sound very nice, according to Spike's story, and Fluttershy was certainly appreciative of her rescuing her favorite dragon. However, she wouldn't want to meet her anytime soon. Sure, she tangled with a much bigger dragon, along with manticores, hydras, and small bugs that happened to eat anything in sight, before, but dragons still sent a shiver down her spine every time she even thought of them.

"So, after Ember made Rumble decree he hug everyone he meets-ha-we went back to the dragonlands, and me, Twi and Rarity came back here." With that sentence, Spike finished his dusting with the final wave of the duster. "Ever since, me and Ember have sent each other scrolls to stay in contact."

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. "But she doesn't have your 'scroll-breath', does she? How exactly does she send scrolls to you?"

"Uh, something i'm sure Twilight helped her with before we left, I don't quite know," Spike responded, shrugging his shoulders, "but that's not important at the moment!"

He put down the duster, excitedly ran over to his bag, and took out a small scroll. "Just yesterday, I sent an invitation for her to come over here to Ponyville to hang out, maybe make some more pony friends! And guess what?"

Fluttershy put her broom down for a moment, and turned back to Spike. From his big smile and jumpiness, she could already tell the best. She smiled, and pretended to think for a moment, humming.

"I don't know, Spike. What?"

"She accepted the invitation!" Like that, Spike jumped higher than a bouncing bunny. Fluttershy could practically feel his giddiness wallowing inside him, it was so strong.

"Well, that's great, Spike! I'm so glad you've been able to make another friend outside of Ponyville." She turned back around, and picked up her broom, resuming her sweeping. "You should come back afterwards, and let me know how it went."

"Uh, actually," Fluttershy heard, "about that, uh...."

Fluttershy turned back around. "What is it, Spike?"

"Uh, well...."Spike crossed his arms behind his back, and began to stare at his feet. "I don't know if I should ask you.."

Fluttershy frowned and scrunched her eyebrows in worry. "Tell me, Spike. What is it? What do you want to ask me?"

Spike looked back up. "Well, you heard me say that I wanted to help Ember make some friends, right?"

"Yes."

"Well........"Fluttershy could see Spike looking to his scroll, then back to her, his sensitive baby-dragon thinking gears running like mad in his head.

"N-nevermind. I-it's not..Well, it is important, but uh..."

"Spike, what is it?" Fluttershy retorted, her raised brow furrowing down to mild frustration along with her vocal tone.

"N-nothing! I-I'll just ask someone else in town," Spike quickly retorted back, turning away from Fluttershy's tiny outburst.

"Oh, come now, Spike!"

Spike went back to staring at his feet, twiddling one on his toes. Fluttershy crossed her brows fully. She knew he had something to say, but he wasn't saying it.

Yet, she thought of an idea, and began to smile. She squinted deviously at him.

"Spike, am I gonna have to use the Stare on you?"

Spike looked back up. Instantly, Fluttershy could see the fear growing in his eyes. Spike has never seen the Stare in full dragon person, but she's told him enough of her use of it for him to know it can be deadly. Even now, his whole body shuddered like the first time she retold her tale of the Cockatrice to him some time ago. His spike's stood on end like when she regaled of how her Stare helped silence a massive horde of fruit bats so that Applejack's crop could be saved.

Then, a tear began to slither out of Spike's eye. Fluttershy's smile went away.

Fluttershy walked up to Spike, turned him around, and brought a hoof to his chin. "Don't worry, Spike. I'm not going to use the Stare. I would never want to actually scare you, or put you in a situation like that." She then gave Spike a quick peck on the forehead. "I'm your friend."

Spike stared only for a moment, as if pondering, then immediately looked away, bringing his attention back to his feet.

Fluttershy felt a small tinge of disappointment in her stomach, but continued to show her smile as she began to walk back to her broom. "Alright then."

She picked up and resumed her sweeping once more. "When you're ready to ask me, just say it, and i'll be here, listening."

With that came silence. Fluttershy didn't turn back to check on Spike's reaction. She had done this several times with baby animals before, and it had worked almost everytime.

Several moments passed. Then more. Fluttershy began to sweep the same areas before. Inside, she began to worry. Out of Spike's sight, she began to frown. I guess Spike's much more different than a baby bunny, or a squirrel.

But then, she heard a groan from behind. She grinned in anticipation.

Jackpot.

Then, an inhale, as if ready to ask something. Fluttershy internally prepped herself. Her mind, body, and hooves and ears, ready to listen to her friend ask her a question.

"Would you like to meet her?"

Fluttershy felt a mild ecstasy. Yes!!!

"There now," she said with a giggle, "was that so har-"

With a sudden halt, like a train stopping at full speed, Fluttershy's mind went completely thoughtless, having just processed what she just heard. Her eyes also bulged, as if golfballs were shooting out of her eyeholes.

"Wait, what?"

"Do you want to meet her?" Spike repeated. "Princess Ember?"

Immediately, Fluttershy stopped. And by that, she didn't just stop. She stopped dead in her tracks. And not just with fear. With a spine-chilling, heart-stopping ,carnivorous fear that gobbled her up whole like a giant, hungry beast.

Immediately, the only thoughts that were in her mind that very second were thoughts from her life. Thoughts involving those scariest of creatures, with tremendous size and strength that could rival the great giants of Equestrian legend or the massive creatures of today. Teeth that could gnaw at her bones until they were nothing but sticks. Sharp claws that could grab her and rip her skin off faster than they could say, "pray to Celestia." Skin of scales tougher than the hide of a hydra and sharper than a nail! And the fire breath!!!

"U-uh..umm...u-u-..uhhh..well, Spike..."

The broom began to fall, but Spike caught it as he walked to her side, knowing he struck a frightened nerve.

"Look, Fluttershy, I know you don't like dragons, other than me, but I think you'd really like her!" Spike said, as he put the broom horizontally on the floor. "She's helpful, like you. She's handled big animals, just like you. She.."-Spike paused for a moment, his eyes wandering to the ceiling- "flies just like you."

"Well, yes, bu-"

"And I bet, if you just met her, you'd like her quick as a snap!" Spike snapped his claws, as if to prove his point further.

"Uh, maybe, yes, but, Spi-"

"And I already asked Twilight, but she was too busy studying," Spike continued, as he began to pace across the room and back. "Rarity couldn't, cause she was working on a new fashion line for her store in Canterlot-"

"Well-"

"-Rainbow Dash is with her relatives in Cloudsdale-"

"Spike, I-"

"-Applejack says she can't, cause she's has work on the farm to do-"

"I-I don't think-"

"-And Pinkie Pie says she wants to spend the next few days making cakes and eating them just for fun!"

"SPIKE!!!!!!"

Spike jumped, his eyes wide with sudden fear. His mouth was shut tight as he turned around to Fluttershy, gasping for breath from her endeavor to actually shout that loud.

Fluttershy took a deep breath, then sighed. "I know you mean well, Spike, but what if it doesn't work out? What if something bad happens?"

Spike scoffed, and waved his hand at the notion. "Nah! Ember's sweeter than you think. She wouldn't hurt anyone or do anything wrong."

"Well, um, she's a dragon, and she'll be in a town filled with ponies. You don't think she might feel weird?"

"All the more reason for her to come-to meet some ponies and maybe become friends with them."

Fluttershy began to sweat. "U-uh..what if ponies here are scared, o-or surprised she'll be here? They might not like a dragon suddenly visiting."

"Ah, that's ridiculous, Shy! I told everyone in the town that she was visiting, and they all seemed a-ok with it!"

"Uh, but..."

"No buts about it, Fluttershy! Everything's going to go fine!" Spike stopped for a moment, putting a finger on his chin and looking up to the sky, frowning. "Hopefully." Spike then immediately brought himself to Fluttershy's hooves. "But please, Fluttershy? Ember needs to talk with some pony on her visit!"

Fluttershy only stood there, sweating out the Rainbow Falls, while her legs shook like the ground during an active stampede. "U-uh.."

"Please?"

"W-w-well.."

"Please?"

"I, uh...."

"PLEEEAAASE?!"

"Look, Spike, I-"

"Please, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease PLEEEEEAAAAAAA-"

"SPIKE!"

Spike once again went silent.

Fluttershy, once more shaken up by her outburst, took another deep breath. "I don't think I can do it, Spike. I'm sorry."

Spike only looked down, a sad look upon his face. Quickly, feelings of guilt began to creep into Fluttershy's mind. She shut her eyes tights and turned away from Spike's obvious disappointment.

"That's ok, then."

Fluttershy opened her eyes back up and turned back. "What?"

"It's fine. I get it." Spike smiled back at her, getting back on his feet. "You have a thing about dragons that can't be handled right now. It's deep. I get it." Spike began walking to the door.

"R-really?"

"Yep," Spike replied, "You don't have to go if you don't want to. It'll be fine without somepony, like I said." Spike turned around to Fluttershy as he opened the door. "I'm your friend, as you are mine. I have to respect your problems, like a good friend does."

With that, Spike started to close the door.

"Wait!"

Spike swiveled back to Fluttershy. She could see the hopeful excitement in his face.

"You.. could..."

Spike's eyes were wide with optimistic glee. Fluttershy mentally groaned.

"You could.....still...tell me about it when you're done. I won't mind."

An instant frown came onto Spike's face. Fluttershy felt her shame smack her in the face, bringing her the worst kind of pain.

Spike then smiled, gave her a thumbs-up, and closed the door.

Fluttershy could only stand in that very spot in which she brutally mangled Spike's hopes. Well, mangled was a little strong for it, but still. Fluttershy thought.

But even so-was it so wrong?

Fluttershy walked to her shelf. On it were several assortments of souvenirs from her life. On a particular shelf was her memoirs and pictures from when she visited the Breezies in migration. Included in it were several letters from Pinkie Pie, her most, well, enthusiastic pony pal. Fluttershy could always know when her letters got back to Pinkie, cause she could feel Pinkie's energy explode everytime she got them in the mail, even several miles away.

On another shelf was a picture of her in a dazzling forest gown made for her by Rarity for the Grand Galloping Gala. Oh, my. Rarity sure went a lot to get that dress made-not to mention a while for me to realize that it was a perfect gift for me. Fluttershy giggled at herself, remembering the trouble she and the others had put on their fashionable friend after she so dearly did a huge thing for them, and how they almost ruined her, which, thankfully, they helped her to recover.

On yet another shelf, there were several books from the personal library of her dear bookworm friend, Twilight Sparkle. The Little Bird that Could. The Wonders of the Worm. How the Squirrel Saved The Nuthoard. All books she borrowed from a good friend who was so kind as to let her borrow them.

Sigh. Such great friends. Fluttershy smiled, but then looked to the floor. Unlike me.

Her eyes then went to another part of the shelf. On it was a lone picture of a purple dragon, giving Fluttershy a great big thumbs up. A birthday present from Spike, with an ivory frame and jewels in the four corners. Engraved at the bottom, Fluttershy read:

Happy birthday from your favorite dragon!

Your friend, Spike

Fluttershy shut her eyes for only a moment, then opened them back up, putting on a look of utter bravery and determination.

Fluttershy quickly ran for the door, and opened it with a swish.

"Spi-aaah!"

There stood Spike, or rather now lay, as he was resting on the door when Fluttershy swung it open.

Immediately, he stood back up, a goofy smile on his face. "What? Iwasn'tstandinghereforafewmoresecondshopingyouwouldchangeyourmind!"

Fluttershy chose not to respond to that. Instead, she, with a gulp, let out a breath.

"I'll go."

Instantly, Fluttershy gasped as Spike jumped on her, hugging her with all his might.

"Oh, thank you, Fluttershy! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! Trust me, you will not regret it!" With that, Spike, continued to hug her.

Fluttershy could only hug him back, patting his back and smiling her own goofy smile. Internally, she gulped again.

Oh, I hope so.