A Smoldering Conversation
Smolder let out a loud snort as she collapsed onto her bed before yelping in alarm as her exhalations started a fire in her bedsheets. She grabbed a pillow to frantically beat it out then groaned as she looked at the latest additions to the scorch marks covering her bed. It was probably time to get a new one one, still it beat washing the sheets each week.
“Hard Day?” asked Ocellus looking up from her book.
Smolder rolled over onto her back to stare at her roommate upside down before nodding. “It took forever to arrange all the students’ trips back home for Heart’s Warming!”
If somepony had told her a few years ago that she would be doing post graduate friendship studies and acting as a teaching assistant she would have laughed in their face. She might have also tried to burn down their house and steal their stuff as well, but times change. She suspected the position hadn’t even existed until Ocellus had asked their guidance counselor about it. It would be just like Trixie to create them on the spot and then convince her wife, the Headmare, to agree with her. It made sense that Ocellus the bookbug would try to stay on at school after they graduated, but it had surprised Smolder more than anyone that she’d done the same. Maybe it was because she couldn’t think of anything else she could do with her life, but she’d actually found she quite enjoyed helping the student body.
“I hear,” said Ocellus slyly, placing aside her copy of Fifty Shades of Neigh, “they’re planning a big Hearth’s Warming Eve dance in town tomorrow. The princess is attending, and you know what that means...”
“What?” grunted Smolder looking away. She knew exactly what her romantically minded roommate meant.
“That a certain Royal Secretary that my roommate has a crush on will be there,” sang the changeling.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” mumbled Smolder as blood rushed to her cheeks. Of course Spike would be accompanying Princess Twilight.
“Really,” said Ocellus wearing an evil grin. “Your mouth may say no,” she flicked out her long tongue, “but the taste of your emotions say otherwise.”
Smolder sighed, living with an empath could be hell sometimes. “I preferred it when you wouldn’t say boo to a goose, let alone a dragon.” She snarled, revealing her fangs.
Oellus laughed. “We all grow up eventually, I remember you being rather rougher around the edges back in the day. Although in Spike’s case he’s grown up, and up, and out.”
Smolder had to admit that his last molts had been very kind to her fellow dragon. In the last few years, he had almost tripled in height, transforming into a hunk of chiseled muscle that just begged for you to run your claws over. His face was now dominated by a proud fanged mawl topped with a crown of green spikes, and then there were his wings! Vast pinions easily big enough to enfold her fully in their tight grasp holding them together as they...
Ocellus’s polite cough brought Smolder back to reality, and the fire in her bedding that her heated imagination had caused. “Thanks,” she muttered, taking the offered extinguisher and sprayed the sheets with the fire resistant chemicals.
“I rest my case. Just ask him to the dance!”
“And he’d agree, why?” she gestured down at her body. Her latest molt had been far less kind than Spike’s. True she’d gained some inches but hadn’t bulked up, she looked like a noodle! Worse, couldn’t do anything with her crest, and her fangs barely protruded out of her mouth, even when she snarled. Why would any drake find her attractive?
Ocellus cocked her head to one side and was suddenly enveloped in green fire. In her place now stood a tall slender curvy young dragoness with glistening orange scales and long sharp horns. “Why ever would a healthy young drake not want a piece of this?” she asked, running a claw down her flank towards her tail suggestively.
Smolder scowled. “Stop mocking me! I look nothing like that!” She wrapped her arms around herself.
Ocellus returned to her normal form and threw a leg around her friend. “I’m not! Smolder, you’re gorgeous,” she sniffed, “a bath and polish might help, but you have had a long day.”
Smolder couldn’t help but snort at that. “Even if he found me attractive, Spike could have anyone he wanted.”
“I don’t think there’s anyone else he wants, he’s grown out of that thing he had for Rarity, that crush was just embarrassing.”
“It wasn’t anywhere near as bad you were with Sunburst? Oh Professor!” she said in a breathy voice, “Please fill me to the brim with your hot sticky knowledge! I need it so bad!”
“I was never like that!” Ocellus squeaked, looking ready to combust from embarrassment.
“Only because you couldn’t string two words together in his presence,” Ocellus sighed. “I appreciate the pep talk but seriously, it would never work between me and Spike. He’s the princess’s right hoof, a diplomat, the hero of the Crystal empire! Why would he be interested in me?”
“I don’t know, why ever would he want to spend time with a smart, confident friendship graduate who spends her time helping whoever asks her? And who happens to look cute as a button in that frilly pink dress you bought last month.”
“How do you know about that!”
“I’m the one who does most of the laundry around here, or did you think your clothes just cleaned themselves and teleported back to the wardrobe? Nope, that's all me and my cleaning slime.” She gave a retching sound and vomited up a hooffull of clear slime in demonstration.
Smolder shrugged, she hadn’t actually considered how that worked, it explained why her clothes smelled of old books. “Even if I asked him out, which I won’t, what would I say to him?”
Ocellus considered the matter for a few seconds then, in a flash, a blue coated griffin stood in her place. “Hey you, how about you and me go to a thing, it’ll be a thing?” said the faux Gallus before transforming back into a changeling. “Doesn’t seem like a problem,” she smiled.
“Yeah well,” Smolder looked aside, “last time was a disaster. My brain and mouth refused to work together!”
“Really?!” exclaimed Ocellus shooting forwards excitedly. “When? I must know!”
“Back during the last graduation ball. We got chatting and he asked me to dance, you know to be nice, and suddenly my mouth just didn’t work. We spent the whole night talking about the buffet, how everything would taste better if it had peridots! Peridots! I hate Peridots!” Ocellus was looking at her funnily. “What?”
“You talked for the entire night? And you don’t think he’s got a thing for you?”
“Why would I think that?” she replied, frowning.
“Nevermind.” Ocellus rolled her eyes. “Look, how about we try a little role play?”
“Role play? Like that Ogres and Oubliettes thing you play with Snails?”
“Well that’s one type of role play we do, he’s also keen on Jocks and Cheerleaders,” she winked. “What if I turn into Spike, then you can try talking to me?”
“Won’t that be weird?”
“No weirder than talking about what gems go with potato salad for two hours.”
“Fine, go ahead.”
“Actually, give me a few minutes,” said the changeling thoughtfully, turning towards the door. “I need to come up with a scenario.”
Smolder shrugged as her fiend left the room. Ocellus was a great friend, but this idea was terrible. Dating was so much easier in dragon society, some roaring, clawing and you either ran away or hooked up, but Spike wasn’t that sort of dragon, he was so much more! She just didn’t know what you said to a guy like that.
Minutes ticked by, why was Ocellus taking so long? I would only take her seconds to change but sometimes she’d spend hours perfecting her new form. Finally the door swung open and Ocellus’s version of Spike entered. Smolder had to admit that her friend’s disguise was perfect, maybe a little too perfect, it probably wasn’t possible for a real dragon to be that ripped!
“Hi,” said the doppelganger, giving a goofy little wave and wearing a smile that despite being fake threatened to set Smolder’s bed aflame again. “So, um, Ocellus told me you wanted to ask me about something?” His eyes darted around the room, unable to focus on one thing.
Smolder rolled her eyes, Ocellus really did get into her role sometimes. “Um, yeah,” she gestured to the bed next to her, “take a seat.”
“Right, um, on your bed?” he asked hesitantly.
“We don’t have all day,” Smolder complained. Ocellus was getting too wrapped up in her part, the real Spike wouldn’t be this bashful.
Carefully the larger dragon lowered himself down next to Smolder. “So what did you want to talk about?”
“I don’t know, how should I do this?” she asked her friend. “Start with some small talk? Get straight to the point? Ugh, this isn’t working!”
The pseudo-Spike looked confused. “I generally think just coming out with what’s easiest. Well, not really the easiest. Some things are really difficult to say. They go round and round your head, you just can’t get them out, and you end up all flumptous.”
“Flumptous?”
“Sorry, I might have spent too much time around Pinkie, she’s catering for tomorrow's dance you know. I’m in town to help with the organisation.”
Ocellus really put effort into her background. “Yeah, well I’m getting quite flumptous as well. You know what I’m trying to tell him, I just don’t know how to get the words out without him laughing at me!” She leapt up from the bed and began pacing the room.
“Him? Him who?”
“Spike of course, haven't we already been over this?”
“Um, did I miss something?” Ocellus’s disguise looked genuinely confused. It was a good look for Spike, it really brought out his crest and fangs.
“I just need to figure out how to ask Spike to go to the dance with me!” she cried.
Spike looked totally surprised. “You want to go on a date with me!” An enormous grin crossed his face.
“Yeah, but how do I ask him?”
“I think you just did,” came a voice from the door. Smolder turned to see Ocellus’s snout poking around it. A dreadful pit formed in her stomach, looking between the changeling and the dragon sitting next to her. “Then, you’re...”
“Um, am I missing something?” asked the actual genuine Spike, looking confused. Smolder felt like screaming, how could Ocellus do this to her! For a moment she seriously considered tearing that silly horn off of her so called friend's smug looking face.
“Is this some sort of prank?” continued Spike distracting Smolder from her planned insecticide. His voice wavered a little and Smolder suddenly found herself with an urge to comfort him, but her pride refused to allow her to show weakness. “I would, um, I would love to go on a date with you Smolder.” He smiled. “I really really would. I’ve been, well,” he looked aside, “meaning to ask you the same for a while, but well I couldn’t quite... You know...”
Smolder nodded in understanding. Now that she had actually said the words she felt so light, she looked down and realised she was literally floating, wings could do that for you.
“Now that you two love-drakes have finally gotten around to saying the words you should start to get ready for your big night,” Ocellus buzzed over to Spike and pulled him up off the bed before shoving him towards the door. “You’ve only got 24 hours after all.”
“Um, right,” said Spike looking back over his shoulder. “See you tomorrow at the dance! I’m really looking forward to it!”
“Same!” replied Smolder lamely.
“Well, that went better than expected,” said Ocellus with a smile.
“I hate you so much!” growled Smolder, “So very much! How could you do that? I must have looked like such a fool!” Her stomach gave a flip flop. “What if he was just being nice? Trying to save my feelings? He might not really...”
“Yahoo!” came a cry from behind the door, “Spikes, got a date! Whose da Drake? I’m, da Drake! Ooops!”
“I rest my case,” said Ocellus, looking even smuger.
“Fine!” admitted Smolder, grinding her teeth while resisting doing her own victory dance. He liked her! “But that was a mean trick!”
“All’s fair in love and war you know, you two might have spent decades pussy footing around the issue if I hadn’t intervened. Do you forgive me?” asked the changeling looking up at Smolder with desperate puppy eyes.
“Ok,” she muttered looking away.
“Good, now we better start getting you ready. Let's look through all those frilly dresses you don’t think I know about!”
Smolder picked away a piece of nonexistent lint from the ruffles of her dress. It was pale pink with the short sleeves and bustle decorated with folds of white silk. She’d gotten more comfortable with her desire to wear cutesy things over the last few years, not enough to be seen dressed like this regularly, but certainly enough to wear it for a special occasion. She only hoped that Spike approved. The thought shook her a little, she wasn’t used to thinking it was important what someone else thought of her, the implications worried her.
“You look nice,” a voice nearby said. She turned to see her roommate's date.
“Thank’s Snails.” The stallion was almost as tall as she was towering over the smaller Changeling he was holding hooves with.
“It took long enough to choose the right outfit,” said Ocellus with a smile. “You look fantastic though. I’m sure Spike won’t be able to keep his eyes off of you.” She looked around. “He hasn’t arrived yet?”
“It’s still a bit early,” said Smolder fidgeting as several of her stomachs did flip flops. “We agreed to meet outside the hall.” She gestured towards the town hall where the dance was taking place. A steady stream of ponies and other species were shuffling their way inside.
“I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” said Ocellus encouragingly. “He probably got caught up with something.”
Snails pointed up into the sky. “There he is.”
Ocellus looked up, and a purple shape filled her vision, swooping down towards her, wings spread wide. She resisted the impulse to drool at the sight, she was such a wing-slut. Somewhere, seemingly miles away, she heard Ocellus making some excuse that she needed to be elsewhere but really she couldn’t care less at this point.
“Sorry, I’m late,” said Spike as he touched down. “You wouldn’t believe how much of a fuss Twilight can make about which tiara to wear to a dance. I just left her to it, she’ll figure it out eventually. You look, well, wow!” He exclaimed, his eyes running over her form.
“Yeah, you don’t look half bad yourself!” she replied with a confidence she didn’t feel. He looked amazing, his tux seemed almost painted on showing the ridges of his scales.
“Thanks.”
Smolder chewed at her lip, lost for words.. “So um, nice weather?” She looked around at the snow coating most of the town before kicking herself, could she be any more stereotypical?
“Yeah, very um white. The ponies always do a good job of setting things up around this time of year.” Several more seconds shuffled away and died before Spike made another attempt to break the ice. “I’ve got something for you. Two somethings actually.” He rummaged through his suit’s trousers.
Smolder raised an eyeridge. “I thought we’d wait until after the dance before we got to anything like that.”
“No, I didn’t, I mean...” he mumbled blushing before he produced a box which he opened to reveal a band made from the intertwined stems of a number of orange blooms. “It’s a corsage, ponies give them to each other because they look pretty, and make nice snacks as well.” He carefully placed the item over one of her horns. “They’re not so tasty for dragons, so I got you this as well.” He revealed a second box which contained a large cup cake, with icing embedded with familiar green gems. “I baked it myself,” he said hopefully. “I remember you saying that peridots were your favourite.”
Smolder looked between the cake and her date, resisting the urge to gag. “It’s lovely,” she said, forcing a smile. Of all the things to remember! She considered making a lame excuse, but Spike looked so hopeful that she had to take a bite. “Wonderful,” she lied, struggling to keep it down. “Why don’t you have the rest?”
“Oh no, it’s for you!”
“I insist.”
“Well, thanks,” he took the rest of the cake and gingerly popped it in his mouth before chewing for a moment and swallowing. “Great!” He declared with a grimace.
“You don’t look all that enthusiastic,” said Smolder suspiciously.
“Well I guess peridot isn’t really my favourite.” He deflated a bit. “I know I said I really liked it when we were talking at the school but, well, it was just an excuse to talk to you and you said you enjoyed them so much...” he trailed off as Smolder broke into giggling. “What?”
“Sorry, it’s just,” she continued to laugh. “I hate Peridots too! They're really, really disgusting!” She clutched her sides as her giggles continued. “I just wanted to talk to you as well.”
Spike’s eyes widened in astonishment for a moment before a smile cracked across his face.. “Aren't we a pair?” he cried, bursting into laughter.
“A laugh riot,” said Smolder after getting herself under control. She felt so much more relaxed now.
“Shall we head into the ball, my lady,” said Spike holding out an arm and nodding towards the town hall.
“Of course, sir,” said Smolder, blushing as she gave a deep cursey. She wrapped her arm around his and the two of them walked into the hall.
Smolder had expected all eyes to turn to her and Spike as they entered, but the population seemed blase enough that not even the appearance of two dragons drew any undue attention.
“It’s nice not being the centre of attention sometimes,” said Spike, apparently thinking the same. “In Canterlot it doesn’t seem like I can go five steps without having somepony want me for something.”
“The price for being such a famous hero, I suppose.”
“Not really,” Spike replied with a snort. “It’s Twilight and the girls who are the famous ones, I just tagged along occasionally.”
“That’s not true. Remember the Roc incident? And didn’t you defeat King Sombra at least once?” She sighed. “I’m the unimportant one, I don’t even know what I’m doing with my life, I just started this post grad stuff because Ocellus came up with the idea.”
“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself, didn’t you stop Cosy Glow when she tricked us all into locking ourselves into Tartaros? And who was it who rallied all the dragon lands when the big three attacked?”
“The big three?” she grinned.
“Well big two and small one, but that’s less snappy. Just don’t put yourself down. You’re plenty special, I know the headmare thinks highly of you, and you didn’t hear it from me but she’d be happy to take you on if you ever decide to go into teaching.”
“Really?” She glanced over towards Starlight who's pregnant bulk was currently being fed cake by her equally pregnant wife while their husband was rubbing her swollen hooves.
“Yeah, you’re plenty great. I don’t like to toot my own trumpet, but I don’t date just anyone you know!”
Smolders heart leapt into her threat. “We’re dating are we?”
Spike suddenly seemed a lot less sure of himself. “Yeah, this is a date, right?”
His insecurity helped her deal with her own. “Let’s call this a probationary date. Make a good enough impression, and I might think about taking you on full time.”
“Really, what’s the pay like?” he asked with a grin that made her legs feel a little wobbly.
“I like to think the position comes with decent benefits.” She mentally slapped herself after realizing she was flirting, and judging by Spike’s blush successfully flirting.
It took several long moments before the two of them broke eye contact. “So, um, what next?” asked Spike. “Do you want a drink, something to eat?” he gestured towards the snack table.
Smolder considered for a moment then she heard the sound of the live music starting. “Well as this is a dance, how about a dance?” she suggested. “I remember you liking music almost as much as Yona.”
“My DJ career was cut criminally short,” he joked.
A little awkwardly she reached out and put one arm around him. He flinched for a second before relaxing and bringing one of his own around to rest at her waist. Her scales tingled where his claws touched. They stood there for a moment gazing into each other's eyes. A sudden bump into her back broke the moment. Deciding to take the initiative Smolder started to move and Spike smoothly followed.
“You’re good at this,” she said.
“Well I go to a lot of formal dances, someone from the government needs to know how,” he jerked his head to the side indicating a space on the dancefloor where the princess seemed to be having a fit of some sort. Smolder hadn’t even noticed the guest of honour arrive. “You’re pretty good yourself.”
“We got lesions from Ms Rarity back at school.” She mentally kicked herself for mentioning Spike’s ex.
“Yeah, she’s good, but you’re better.”
“Really?” Smolder broke into a grin before shifting her position and dipping Spike almost to the ground. “Maybe I should show you what I can really do!”
“That was great,” exclaimed Spike, still a bit out of breath. “I never knew you could dance like that.”
“Me neither,” replied Smolder, “I just sort of went with the flow.” They had been at it all night. Now it was almost Hearth’s Warming day itself and the party was starting to break up.
Smolder and Spike stood near the town hall's entrance watching as the moon drifted through the otherwise clear sky, its light reflecting off the snow covering the town around them.
“So,” said Spike his breath steaming in the cold air, “If we were being totally stereotypical I’d lend you my jacket to keep you warm.”
“But we’re dragons,” said Smolder breathing a stream of fire into the air.
“Yeah, so much for that idea.” He turned towards her. “I had a really good time tonight.”
“Me too. What I said earlier, I’d...” her heart was beating faster in her chest, “I definitely could take you on full time.”
“Full time date? Benefits and all?”
“Maybe if you’re lucky,” she said moving forwards so that the ruffles of her skirt crushed up against him.
“You know my work keeps me in Canterlot most of the time. It can be quite a...”
She stopped the stream of senseless words coming from his mouth by the simple means of filling it with her own. He seemed to panic for a moment, eyes widening and she thought she might have made a mistake, but then he relaxed and his arms wrapped around her followed by his wings. It was a short eternity before they disengaged.
“We can both fly, I don’t think the commute will be a problem,” she said breathlessly.
“Yeah, right, dragons, wings, I forgot,” said Spike seemingly a bit dazed.
Smolder smiled up at the goofball, her goofball, a primal part of her added. “I think this is going to be the best Hearth's Warming ever,” she said, before kissing him again.
Author's Note
I looked into Jingglemass for the first time and found out that it's a great idea. I haven't written since last year and this was a great way to get back into it.
Many thanks to Rixizu for his editing help.
Comments are always welcome
